“My First Month at Apto”

Hi, my name is Martyn, and I’m a seasoned 45 years old.

My journey into security was a bit of a winding path, not something I intentionally chose. However, it’s a field I genuinely enjoy and hope to continue to learn and grow within.

It all started nearly 20 years ago when I began working for a large outsourced customer experience provider (more commonly known as a call centre). After cutting my teeth placating angry callers, I moved into the IT team, testing their internally developed CRM software. From there, I transitioned to the security team, helping collect and collate evidence from their UK sites for external auditors. This experience opened my eyes to the exciting world of information security.

A chance meeting led me to apply for a role at a dedicated cybersecurity consultancy. I initially focused on ISO/PCI auditing but moved into the Splunk space due to market demands. I undertook extensive training up to the architect level and was assigned to a project where I spent nearly seven years managing and maintaining their extensive on-premise Splunk environment, eventually migrating them to Splunk Cloud. It was during this project that I first came across Apto, as some of their consultants were also engaged on it.

After the untimely demise of my last employer, I remembered the great Apto consultants I’d previously worked with and noted they had an office within walking distance of my house. I checked out their website and looked them up on LinkedIn to see what career opportunities were available.

The interview

After looking at Jeremy’s LinkedIn page (the CEO), I think it was within about half an hour that he sent me a message saying, “Hello, do you want to come in for a chat?” I thought, why not?

The interview process didn’t feel like a traditional interview, which I really appreciated. I wouldn’t call it relaxing, but it felt more like a conversation than an interrogation. In most interviews, you feel like your back is against the wall; one wrong answer could ruin everything. Here, when I was speaking with Simon, it felt much more like we were getting to know each other and working out if I would be a good fit culturally.

After this chat I was invited back for another conversation. That’s when we went deeper into what my role at Apto might look like. It almost felt as though the role was tailored to me, which was very encouraging.

I also met Jeremy face to face, whose refreshingly honest approach gave me even more confidence that Apto was the right place for me.

Something else that stood out was meeting existing employees during the process. They asked insightful and sometimes challenging questions about the company, structure, and how I might fit in. It felt constructive and genuine, like they wanted to understand me but they also wanted me to understand them. It gave me a real sense of who my potential colleagues would be: knowledgeable, professional, and supportive.

My first month

There’s been a lot happening in my first month. The company feels like it’s in transition, which is exciting, as it moves towards a more data-agnostic approach rather than being seen solely as a SIEM solution provider.

For me, one of the challenges is to understand what skills people need to deliver great work for customers. I’ve managed teams and workloads before, but I haven’t been heavily involved in learning and development. Given Apto’s size, roles here are more compressed, which means you get exposure to many different things. That’s not a complaint, it actually makes the opportunities far more varied and interesting.

Another key takeaway is how supportive everyone has been. Simon, in particular, has been brilliant at showing me new things and helping me settle in.

In previous roles, the first month has always felt very narrow. You’re given a single task and just enough information to complete it. At Apto, it’s the complete opposite. I was shown the bigger picture: here are the priorities, here’s where the company wants to go, and here’s how I can contribute. That perspective has helped me direct my time better and understand the impact of my work.

I’ve also spent a lot of time meeting people and encouraging openness. I don’t like problems, personal or professional, being kept to oneself. From day one, I’ve been clear that there’s are no stupid questions. It’s okay to forget something, to not know something, or to need clarification. What matters is that people feel comfortable sharing what’s working, what’s not, and what would help them do their best work. That insight also helps me shape individual development plans and understand what motivates each person.

What went well

Coming from a large, established company with a mature managed service product, I was surprised by how advanced Apto’s offering already is. It’s broadly similar in execution and delivery to what I was used to, and while there’s still work to be done, I’ve been impressed by both the product and its success so far. There’s clearly a lot of potential.

The leadership team also stands out. They have enormous energy, a strong vision for the future, and they genuinely care about their people. It feels like an extension of family.

One of the most refreshing things I’ve seen is the company’s openness. For example, the level of information available on our resourcing tool is unlike anything I’ve seen elsewhere. Everyone can see what projects are costing, what value they bring, and what profit is being made. That transparency reinforces the sense of honesty and fairness across the business. For me, this openness also answers the “why” question: why am I doing this? In past roles, that hasn’t always been clear, which was frustrating. At Apto, the visibility is there from the start like I mentioned previously.

Although every company needs to make money, it’s clear here that the drive isn’t purely financial. The focus is always on delivering genuine value for the customer. It may sound corny, but it really does feel authentic. If we can make customers happy and successful, the business benefits naturally follow.

Even better if

The only real challenge has been information overload. I’ve been given a huge amount to absorb, which makes it difficult at times to prioritise what’s urgent versus what can wait.

The company does have a vast library of documentation, which is a strength, but it could be better organised to make it easier to navigate. Other than that, I don’t have any major suggestions for improvement.