CRN Women & Diversity in Channel Awards - Finalist Q&A with Keira Aust, 2nd Line Team Leader at Cybit

Keira Aust talks being a finalist at this year's CRN Women & Diversity in Channel Awards

What prompted you to enter the CRN Women & Diversity in Channel Awards this year, without giving anything away of course!

I was lucky enough to get to finalist stage last year in the Rising Star category and was blown away by the immense talent in the room. I was really proud to be nominated again by the Cybit Directors for this year and am known for my relentless drive to constantly improve the technical support that happens behind the scenes. It’s not front and centre (which I like) but I acknowledge that it can easily go unrecognised. When support is working well, the customer often just sees that their issue has been resolved, and they can get on with their day. Being shortlisted for Unsung Hero means a lot because it recognises that contribution, but also the journey I’ve had from starting as an apprentice to now leading a 2nd Line team.

What would winning this award mean to both your people and your customers/partners?

Winning would mean a huge amount to me personally. I started my career in IT through an apprenticeship and have progressed through different support roles into leadership, so having that journey recognised would be something I’d be incredibly proud of. For my team, I think it would also recognise the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes in support. For our customers, it demonstrates that there are people genuinely invested in taking ownership, solving problems properly, and delivering a good experience.

What would you say is your company's proudest achievement over the past year?

One of the things I’m most proud of at Cybit is the development of people internally. I’ve seen engineers progress into new roles, take on more responsibility, and build confidence technically. Within my own team, there has been a real focus on improving ownership, quality, and customer communication rather than simply closing tickets. Giving people opportunities to develop while also raising the standard of service we provide has been a big achievement.

What have been the biggest challenges of the current year so far and how have you overcome them? How have your people/partners helped with that?

One of the biggest challenges has been balancing increasingly complex customer environments with high expectations around response times, communication, and service quality. In support, it isn’t enough to just resolve the technical issue; customers also need to understand what is happening and feel that somebody owns it. We’ve focused heavily on stronger ticket ownership, better queue management, using data to identify recurring problems, and sharing knowledge across teams. Having colleagues and partners who are willing to collaborate and challenge each other has made a big difference

What lessons do you think the industry has learned over the past year and what changes do you think it still needs to make?

I think the industry is becoming much more aware that there isn’t one correct route into technology. I came into IT through an apprenticeship, and a lot of what I’ve learned has come through experience, curiosity and being given opportunities to take on more responsibility. I’d still like to see more focus on making technology careers accessible, particularly for women and younger people who may not initially see themselves working in IT. Visible role models, mentoring and clearer progression routes can make a huge difference.