Shaping Cybersecurity Talent at Palo Alto Networks

Skip to main content

Jessica, Sr. Program Manager, Early Talent

Life at Palo Alto Networks

North America | Blog | Early Talent

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

From LEAP to Program Management at Palo Alto Networks: Jessica's Journey

We recently sat down with Jessica, Sr. Program Manager, Early Talent, to learn more about her journey, from joining Palo Alto Networks through the LEAP program to her current role shaping the careers of early cybersecurity talent. Here's what she shared:

You joined Palo Alto Networks through the LEAP program. How did that experience kickstart your career?

Joining Palo Alto Networks through the LEAP program was an incredibly unique experience, particularly because I landed directly on the Early Talent team that manages the program itself. This wasn't just an entry into a company; it was a front-row seat to the engine room of talent enablement. This experience gave me a career kickstart through accelerated learning—I was benefiting from the LEAP structure (mentorship, networking, professional development training, etc.) while simultaneously refining it. This dual perspective was invaluable, granting me exposure to immediate accountability and systems thinking. I was immersed in the strategic "why" behind every offering. This forced me to quickly understand the entire system—from recruiting and IT to compensation and program execution—so I could deliver critical program components.

I led the end-to-end redesign of the Product Management Academy (PMA). With little to no understanding of how this function of the business operated, I was tasked with building a structured pathway to develop future Product Leaders. This required moving beyond general onboarding to create a specialized, high-velocity program that could attract top talent and give them the necessary technical and product foundation to succeed in a complex security environment.

How has Palo Alto Networks encouraged and supported your development of new skills and exploration of AI?

Our mission is fully supported by a culture that encourages—and demands—the immediate adoption of cutting-edge solutions, particularly with AI. Our Talent Enablement team focuses on educating new employees on how to apply and leverage these AI tools in their daily work, beginning during onboarding.

Palo Alto Networks has set the stage by hosting company-wide training sessions on the foundational basics of AI tools, which empowered me to dive deeper and explore its applications on my own. Furthermore, the internal AI Challenges have been an engaging way to follow and celebrate the incredible work and ingenuity happening across the business. For me, this support has been transformative: I cannot imagine going a day without AI now. I rely on these tools to get critical tasks done significantly faster, which directly aligns with the mission of driving efficiency and staying ahead of the curve.

How does your day-to-day work continue to leverage the foundation you built in the LEAP program and your subsequent career growth?

This drive to get my hands on new opportunities early in my career directly leverages the foundation I built in the LEAP program. During my time in LEAP, we were exposed to leaders who generously took the time to share advice with those starting out in their careers. I will never forget one of our C-suite leaders sharing the core lesson that finding ways to add value, whether big or small, goes a long way. Whether a task is exciting or not, the principle holds: do the work. Skill-building is critical, and gaining diversified experience early on is essential for accelerating your career growth.

Join Palo Alto Networks.

View All Jobs

Related Posts

View All of Our Available Opportunities

No Recently Viewed Jobs

No Recently Viewed Jobs

Stay connected to our opportunities with the latest news and event invites.

Unlock career insights and get exclusive information tailored just to you.

Join Our Talent Community