Employee Spotlight: Claudia Madrigal, Executive Administrator & Project Manager

Next up in Ostra’s Employee Spotlight series is Claudia Madrigal, Executive Administrator and Project Manager. We recently sat down with her to discuss her role at Ostra, what makes her tick, her experience, and her life outside of work.

Career & Life at Ostra

Describe what you do at Ostra in one sentence.

I coordinate the onboarding of new Ostra partners and clients, implement internal and external processes, and handle various operational tasks. I also take it upon myself to pet all the dogs that visit our office!

What initially interested you about Ostra Cybersecurity in the first place? What about our mission do you connect with?

The fact that Ostra was a start-up initially interested me. As a part of their mission, Ostra puts people first always, both clients and employees. I experienced this firsthand when I had to take several weeks off due to COVID immediately after I started working for Ostra. It’s a very supportive environment.

What excites you most about your position and growth opportunity at Ostra?

I enjoy the variety of work I do, as well as liaising with different departments and clients. Although Michael Kennedy keeps asking me how I want my role to grow in the company, I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up!

What do you believe is the best thing about Ostra or the Ostra team?

Ostra encourages autonomy, self-development and work-life balance. The company climate, spirit of cooperation and my team members’ senses of humor are what make it so enjoyable to go to work every day.

What’s the first thing that you do when you start working every day?

Coffee first always. The Nespresso machine is the main reason why I come into the office every day. After coffee, I meet with Ostra’s Cybersecurity Operations team to plan the day’s priorities.

What do you find most challenging about your role at Ostra?

Balancing the strategic work with the operational needs of a growing company. Currently, the majority of my time is taken up with onboarding new clients and partners— a fun problem to have!

What advice would you offer to someone looking to take on a role similar to yours?

Always look for what can be done more efficiently and how you can best support your team.

What would you do for a career if you weren’t doing this?

I don’t see myself being pigeon-holed into a narrow role and I’m always interested in learning new things. I would probably continue to work in operations, but maybe in a completely different industry.

OK, now for some fun questions

Where’s your favorite place in the world?

I’m originally from Portugal, so it will always be my home. But my favorite place is anywhere I haven’t visited yet.

If Ostra announced a last-minute day off for tomorrow, what would you do with your suddenly free day?

If the weather was nice, I would be out riding my motorcycle. However, if it’s cold or raining, I would curl up with a book and the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle.

Name one thing not a lot of people know about you.

I can make balloon animals!

Three words to best describe you.

Independent, get stuff done, and versatile.

What’s your motto or personal mantra?

Learning for the sake of learning.

Want to be a part of Ostra’s culture and team? Learn more about working at Ostra and apply for open positions!