You’re Never Far From an ISACA Member

Ron Hale did not know anybody in ISACA’s Lima, Peru, chapter, but with his daughter set to visit the area, traveling there from the US for an archaeologic dig, he decided to reach out to the chapter to seek some local expertise.

Not only did Hale gather the information he sought, but a chapter member, Romulo Lomparte, offered to meet Hale’s daughter at the airport and help her get to her destination. In that one outreach, Hale secured local support for his daughter, a new ISACA colleague for himself and, eventually, a friend.

“We still talk to each other,” said Hale, former chief knowledge officer and acting CEO of ISACA and now VP of cyber training, development and policy at DarkMatter LLC. “I had an opportunity to meet him several times when I went to Latin America. He’s a great guy.”

That above-and-beyond camaraderie among colleagues has been the organization’s hallmark throughout its history, with ISACA members benefiting not only from expanding their professional networks, but often making meaningful, long-term personal connections in the process. Whether attending chapter events, conferences or volunteering on various working groups, being involved with ISACA means adding an extensive peer network and ample opportunities for rewarding interaction. As the organization counts well over 200 chapters globally, the ability to build relationships internationally has proven especially gratifying for many members.

ISACA member Gaurav Thorat credits networking at an ISACA conference with leading to a career opportunity that took him from India to Singapore. He said his role with ISACA’s chapter services working group provides excellent exposure to a diverse pool of colleagues.

“We have people from the US, from Europe, from India, from Australia – from all across the globe,” Thorat said. “It’s people from different countries, different cultures, coming together and helping the community to grow bigger and bigger.”

Emil D’Angelo, an ISACA volunteer for more than 30 years, much of which on the international board of directors, before serving as board chair from 2009-11, recalled attending an ISACA conference in Florida, and then vacationing in Disney World with several other ISACA members and their families.

“[ISACA] helped you on the professional side and it was also great on the family side as well,” D’Angelo said. “We just enjoyed our time, and especially in the earlier days, you were really helping to build something that was new and was exciting and needed in the profession. It was a good time all the way around.”

Hale said the remarkable rapport among ISACA members has been especially apparent in his frequent travels to ISACA events.

“It was very common that people would meet you at the airport, they would take you out to dinner, they would make sure that you saw the sights in their town – they would treat you more as a colleague or a friend than just someone who is a business associate,” Hale said. “I often feel like anywhere in the world I would visit, I had family members.”