Featured Subject Matter Expert: Damien Manuel

Damien Manuel

Damien Manuel
Information Security Governance Manager,
National Australia Bank

Which exams have you helped develop?

CompTIA Server+, CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP). I also review potential SME candidates for other exams.

Why did you become a subject matter expert?

I viewed the SMEs at CompTIA as a group leading the direction of the industry and I set it as a personal goal to become a subject matter expert for CompTIA. Being a SME is a great way to give back to the industry / IT community and it is a fantastic opportunity to expand your network and meet great people who work at CompTIA and other subject matter experts from around the world.

What’s it like working with other subject matter experts to develop CompTIA exams?

I would highly recommend the experience. CompTIA has a well-developed screening process so you know that the subject matter experts are either highly experienced technical specialists or leaders from the industry. Everyone works as a team and even though we may have different opinions when developing questions or exam topic areas, we all respect each other's opinions and views. At the end of the day we learn something new, as the industry is always rapidly changing. Working as part of a specialized team developing exams for the industry is definitely a real buzz.

How did you get into IT?

That is an interesting question. IT was a hobby and in my younger days I did a bit of hacking while at school. The good old days of dot matrix printers, 9600 bit/s modems and bulletin board systems (BBSs). My first computer was a Commodore 64, then an Amiga 500 and when it died I made the switch to my first PC which was a 386DX system just to play Wolfenstein 3D. I didn't specifically set out to be in IT as I was a secondary science teacher by trade. I guess my hobby took over and now I have new hobbies like for instance, photography.

What do you do for your day job?

I'm an information security governance manager for one of Australia's largest banks, National Australia Bank or NAB, as it is known in Australia. NAB is one of the leaders in the information security space in Australia mainly due to a visionary chief information security officer. The area of security governance is relatively new and I believe it will become a hot area in the industry over the next few years as more and more organizations move to cloud-based solutions and virtualized SaaS solutions.

What are you doing when you're not working?

When I'm not working I like to spend time on the farm with my family planting trees and tending to the alpacas. I also enjoy photography and growing rare plants. I have dreams of building a hydrogen powered motorcycle from scratch, but as you get older time becomes a precious commodity in life. There are too many things to do and too little time to do them.

What knowledge or abilities do you think is important for IT pros entering the field to possess?

Become a generalist and have a business background. It is rare to find highly skilled IT professionals who also have a business understanding with project management skills. Diversify, be personable, listen to people and most importantly, never stop learning.