Most Inspiring Leaders

Alta Associates is a premier executive search firm specializing in Cybersecurity, Technology, and IT Risk Management. Many corporations across all industry verticals leverage Alta's in-depth knowledge, specialized recruiting team, and vast trusted relationships to hire Chief Information Security, Risk and Technology Officers and build the teams supporting them.  

An Innovative Business Leader   

Joyce Brocaglia is the Founder and CEO of Alta Associates.  She shares her profound expertise by advising the nation's top executives, partnering with corporate talent acquisition teams, and consulting with diversity and inclusion leaders. Alta's clients benefit from Joyce's unique perspectives, long-standing relationships, and fierce advocacy in developing women leaders. For over three decades, Joyce and her team have partnered with business leaders to find the most sought-after talent in technology, cybersecurity, and risk management domains.  

People Matter Most 

According to Joyce, the demand for cybersecurity and transformational technology talent is immense, and the competition to hire the most qualified executives is fierce. Alta offers companies a competitive edge in finding the talent to build trusted and resilient organizations. In the world of people, process, and technology, Alta believes there is a reason why people come first. Tools and technology alone are not sufficient to solve the complex problems corporations face every day. People are a company’s greatest asset. 

"Leaders need to surround themselves with the right people to be successful," says Joyce. “The same is true when they select a search firm.” When an organization retains Alta, the company's recruiters create a customized search process that results in delivering the highest caliber of candidates. Alta's search directors are tenured and highly focused. They have a deep network and breadth of knowledge and perspective that only comes from years of specialization. Search directors' knowledge and the trust they have earned in the cybersecurity and tech communities, enables Alta to fill searches much quicker than other firms. Joyce asserts that 90% of the roles are filled from the first slate of candidates Alta presents to their clients. As a result, most roles are filled within three months of launching a search. 

Alta's approach is much more personalized than traditional search firms. The company's search directors work as a team in executing each search. They personally interview and assess every candidate they present. They offer advice to hiring managers and their talent acquisition partners on industry intelligence, organizational structure, job descriptions, and market compensation. In this competitive market, the Alta Advantage proprietary search process delivers results that internal departments and big-box recruiting firms do not have the agility, network, or specialized knowledge to accomplish. 

An Advocate for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community  

Founded in 1986, Alta Associates' commitment to building diverse teams has always been an integral part of its search approach. The company always presents a diverse slate of candidates to its clients. For the past 35 years, Alta has built trusted relationships with underrepresented communities. Joyce mentions that people do business with people they trust. This is why top candidates refer Alta to their colleagues and suggest people in their network to work with Alta. This has resulted in filling nearly 50% of Alta's searches with diverse candidates. These unique relationships enable the company's recruiters to reach out and have meaningful conversations with qualified and minority candidates much quicker than any other search firm. 

In 2001, Joyce recognized the important role women play in the cybersecurity, risk, and privacy workforce and created the Executive Women's Forum (EWF). Today, the EWF is the largest member organization that engages, develops, and advances women at all stages of their careers. Through an annual conference, Rising Leaders Forum for Millennials, Lift Mentorship program, and dozens of year-long initiatives, the EWF offers programs to strengthen leaders throughout their careers. Over 70 global corporations sponsor the EWF through their Corporate Benefactor program and actively engage with it to turbo-charge their diversity, inclusion, and leadership development efforts worldwide. 

Continuing her mission of advancing diversity in leadership, Joyce launched BoardSuited®, an innovative online education course designed to prepare all executives for Public, Private, Non-Profit, and Advisory Board service. BoardSuited offers a robust curriculum, tools, assessments, and the expert advice executives need to obtain their first board seat with the convenience of a self-paced, online learning environment. 

Today, Joyce leads her companies with unbridled passion and a desire to make the world a better place. "In this time of chaos, we have an unprecedented opportunity to create real change individually as leaders, and collectively through our organizations. My goal is to be of service to our EWF members and Alta clients, both today and in the future, by creating a legacy of initiatives, accomplishments, and communities that will continue to have a positive impact for years to come," she stated. 

Transformation in Times of Chaos  

Joyce believes that challenging times can nurture great creativity and lead to an opportunity for change. "The pandemic has accelerated the rate of digital transformation and increased the attack surfaces and vulnerabilities of our clients. That, coupled with an unprecedented reliance on digital services and an expansion of remote workforces, has made the need for robust cybersecurity and technology leadership more critical than ever before," she mentioned.   

Since its establishment, Alta has been retained by clients to hire their first Chief Information Security Officer, elevate their cyber, risk management, and technology leadership, and build top-notch teams. The company has successfully recruited people for large global corporations, small private companies, and consulting organizations throughout the USA and across industries. Many companies rely on Alta to find capable executives with strong leadership skills who are adaptable and can create consensus. These executives must also have the gravitas and conviction to hold firm on critical decisions to achieve their security and technology goals. 

Alta is an agile search partner for companies transforming to meet the evolving challenges of recruiting in a post-COVID world.  Alta's recruiting team works closely with hiring managers to develop a personalized recruiting process for each search, enabling clients to align their hiring practices with their values, missions, and strategy. Alta understands that cultural fit is a key driver to an executive's success. The company's search directors are adept at incorporating the underlying nuances of each role in their screening and selection process to ensure the best hire. 

According to Joyce, "Transformation itself starts with the people who can lead and inspire others to be transformed." That's why Alta Associates' mission is to match each company's unique requirements with exceptional talent. Now is the time for companies to be mindful of their hiring practices, the development of their leaders, and their employees' value. "I have never felt so passionate, so energized, and so hopeful about how Alta Associates and the Executive Women's Forum can bring real positive change, not only for professionals in our industry and the companies they work for, but for the nation itself," she added.