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Christina Hillsberg is a role model, fighting to uplift all women to be their most confident and respected selves. She graduated early from Indiana University with a degree in linguistics and African languages. Hillsberg imagined a traditional life of getting married after college, but instead she fell in love with learning and intellectual exploration. Though she was interested in working for the Peace Corps, she was recruited by the CIA to inform US policy makers about African policies. This career not only changed but guided her in the rest of her life decisions.
The CIA is filled with Type A personalities including focused, ambitious, and career-oriented individuals that Hillsberg easily fit into. Though she did not experience gender discrimination in the agency, she knew it existed and continued to take a stance at every lively debate.
After meeting her husband, an operations officer at the CIA, they both resigned and moved to Seattle where Hillsberg began her job in Amazon’s information security department. She was responsible for protecting the company’s systems, networks, and data from cyber threats. This includes tasks such as implementing security policies and conducting risk assessments to ensure that Amazon followed relevant regulations and standards. Working with threat intelligence was a strength she had gained from CIA experience, but unfortunately, at Amazon, she was not always given the credit she deserved. “It’s like we say an idea, but when a man repeats it, it’s a great idea,” says Hillsberg. Many others alongside her had felt as if nobody believed them or took their word seriously.
Hillsberg would not tolerate this behavior and learned how to handle these repetitive situations with genuine thought. She affirms that “we need more women in tech!” Therefore, Hillsberg believes that to claim a seat at the table and match the respect that others receive, it is imperative to build trust and relationships with them. She connected with a few of her colleagues by wholeheartedly asking questions about personal topics such as their dog or even the remodeling of a household. Demonstrating trust and comfort shows colleagues that they will be protected and cared for. She states, “trust plus communication equals success.”
Hillsberg later resigned from Amazon after working in the corporate communications department to spend more time with her family. With yet another dramatic shift in her life, she understood that these pivoting moments are the most important for character development. Not only can one reevaluate and take control of their life but also prioritize doing things of passion and interest. Though it can be disruptive and stressful in the moment, these “pivots” will be extremely worth it in the long run.
Hillsberg states that she is more fulfilled now than she has ever felt due to her transition from a career focused life into a creative life. As the author of License to Parent, she discusses how the CIA prepared her to teach her children about safety, independence, and decision making. In addition, Hillsberg is currently writing her next book about the changing role of women in espionage from a historical viewpoint.
With an open mind and self-confidence, Hillsberg encourages all women to break society’s stereotypes and find success within themselves. Gender discrimination will likely continue to exist in some way, shape, or form, but Christina Hillsberg truly believes in the new generations of women in technology who are eager to seize their seat at the table.