In an age defined by rapid technological change, constant digital disruption, and an increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape, a new generation of women leaders is paving the way toward a more secure, innovative, and inclusive future. Among these remarkable trailblazers stands Ami Tank, Vice President of U.S. Marketing at Fortinet — a global leader in cybersecurity and one of the most influential companies shaping how organizations protect the world’s most critical assets.
Ami’s journey to executive leadership is not a linear story planned from the start. Instead, it is a powerful testament to resilience, curiosity, personal reinvention, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. As a woman who transitioned from aspiring to enter the medical field to becoming a senior leader in one of the most demanding sectors in technology, her path illustrates what happens when talent, opportunity, and courage meet at the right moment.
Across her career — including more than two decades at Cisco and now in her leadership role at Fortinet — Ami has built a reputation for elevating teams, strengthening cross-functional alignment, and championing meaningful customer engagement. Her approach to leadership blends authenticity, operational discipline, strategic insight, and deep empathy, creating an environment where people can thrive and organizations can achieve sustainable growth.
In this exclusive feature, she reflects on her journey, her leadership philosophy, and the evolving future of cybersecurity and marketing — while offering guidance for the next generation of women determined to make their mark in business and technology.
A Journey That Evolved Through Curiosity, Capability, and Purpose
Ami did not envision a career in marketing when she began her professional journey. In fact, she initially imagined herself entering the medical field. She eventually realized she wasn’t using her top strengths in medicine, which led her to pivot and pursue an MBA at Loyola University Chicago. During the program, she discovered a passion for business strategy, organizational behavior, and understanding how companies operate, grow, and navigate change.
Her early career began in business process management — a discipline that gave her visibility into how teams operate, how performance is shaped, and how cross-functional collaboration influences outcomes. This foundation made her uniquely equipped to identify gaps, streamline operations, and ultimately build teams capable of delivering scalable impact.
When Ami joined Cisco, she stepped into a world that would define the next 22 years of her career. At Cisco, she held roles across strategy and planning, business development, enablement, and operations. Each role expanded her understanding of customers, ecosystems, and global markets. More importantly, it awakened her passion for empowering people and shaping organizational culture.
What makes her journey compelling is that her transition into marketing was not simply a change of function — it was a recognition of her strengths. As she took on leadership roles across global teams, she discovered how her diverse experience positioned her to navigate complex challenges, simplify communication, and create structures that enable teams to move with clarity and confidence.
Today, as Vice President of U.S. Marketing at Fortinet, Ami draws on that foundation every day. Her blend of business acumen, marketing expertise, and people-first leadership continues to shape the way Fortinet engages its customers in an increasingly competitive cybersecurity environment.
Driving Impact Through Alignment, Customer Understanding, and Brand Stewardship
For Ami, effective marketing begins long before a campaign launches. It starts with the people involved — the teams, the cross-functional partners, and the customers themselves. Her belief is clear: strategy cannot thrive in isolation.
At Fortinet, she has focused heavily on creating alignment between marketing, sales, and product teams. This cross-functional collaboration ensures that customers experience a consistent message, no matter where or how they interact with the brand.
Customer insights serve as the navigational anchor for her decisions. Ami and her team invest time in understanding how customers think, what they value, and how their needs evolve. By honoring these insights, they are able to refine messaging, test new channels, expand their reach, and elevate the overall experience.
One standout example of strategic brand building under her leadership is Fortinet’s sponsorship of the LPGA Fortinet Founders Cup in 2026. This initiative is not just a marketing investment — it is an embodiment of Fortinet’s values. It deepens customer engagement while advancing women in both sports and technology, showing how marketing can amplify both brand and purpose.
Through these efforts, Ami is helping shape a marketing function that is unified, data-informed, and driven by meaningful customer connections.
The Unique Strengths Women Bring to Leadership in Technology
This edition celebrates women who are redefining the future of business, and Ami believes strongly in the value women bring to leadership roles — particularly within industries like cybersecurity.
Women leaders, she notes, often excel at building cohesive teams grounded in trust and collaboration. These environments lead to better cross-functional alignment and ultimately stronger business results. Emotional intelligence — the ability to mentor, resolve conflict, retain top talent, and uplift morale — is another strength women frequently bring to the table. These are not secondary skills; they are essential drivers of organizational performance.
In cybersecurity and technology, where complexity is high and customer needs vary dramatically, Ami believes women also contribute a valuable user-centric mindset. This perspective helps create solutions and messaging that are intuitive, clear, and impactful.
Ultimately, women’s leadership strengthens teams, enhances customer engagement, and adds depth to organizational culture. Ami is committed to fostering a workplace where that leadership can thrive.
Turning Challenges into Catalysts for Growth
Ami’s leadership philosophy is shaped not only by her professional experiences, but also by the personal challenges she has faced. Balancing a demanding career while raising two children as a single mother — and caring for a parent with dementia — required resilience, discipline, and unwavering focus.
These experiences strengthened her strategic thinking, sharpened her prioritization skills, and deepened her empathy. They also reinforced her belief that challenges can serve as powerful catalysts for growth.
Working in a male-dominated industry has also influenced her journey in meaningful ways. Instead of viewing this environment as a barrier, she embraced the opportunity to collaborate with talented male colleagues, learning from their perspectives while forging her own leadership style.
Every challenge, she believes, equipped her to lead more confidently, more authentically, and with deeper conviction — and it continues to inform the inclusive and supportive workplace culture she champions today.
A Vision for the Future of Cybersecurity Marketing
Cybersecurity marketing is entering a transformative period — one defined by the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence, evolving threat landscapes, personalized content consumption, and a growing need for educational and industry-specific insight.
Ami recognizes that in this environment, marketing cannot rely on broad messaging or one-size-fits-all narratives. Instead, it must be grounded in:
- Technical credibility
- Deep customer understanding
- Data-driven decision-making
- Responsible and transparent communication
Her team is increasingly leaning into industry-specific insights to refine content and ensure it resonates with decision-makers such as CISOs, CIOs, enterprise architects, and technology leaders. The goal is simple: communicate not only what Fortinet’s solutions do, but why they matter in the broader context of business priorities, risk, and long-term security.
As AI continues to reshape customer expectations, Ami believes cybersecurity marketing must evolve to deliver sharper, more tailored, and more relevant insights. It must also uphold a high standard of ethical communication as AI becomes more embedded in every digital experience.
Aligning Marketing with Fortinet’s Mission: Securing a Digital World
One of the hallmarks of Fortinet’s industry leadership is its clear, impactful mission: to secure people, devices, and data everywhere. Ami notes that the fact this mission is so widely recognized is itself a testament to the strength of Fortinet’s marketing and messaging.
Her team plays a critical role in advancing this mission, translating complex technical innovations into accessible, compelling narratives for every audience Fortinet serves.
Her role requires balancing strategic alignment with creativity, ensuring that Fortinet’s U.S. marketing efforts not only support the corporate mission but also push the boundaries of how customers are engaged, informed, and supported. Through strong cross-functional collaboration and a deeply customer-centric approach, Ami helps reinforce the company’s position as a trusted cybersecurity leader.
Leadership Principles That Shape Her Impact
Ami’s leadership philosophy centers on focus, clarity, authenticity, and empowerment. Her foundational principle — prioritization — ensures that her team directs its energy toward work that generates the highest impact. This disciplined approach leaves room for exploration, innovation, and strategic depth.
Mentorship is another cornerstone of her leadership style. She believes in leading by example and sharing her experiences so others can find guidance, confidence, and perspective as they navigate their own journeys. One of her earliest initiatives at Fortinet was sponsoring the Women of Fortinet group, a community focused on learning, mentorship, and uplifting women across the organization.
Her goal is to cultivate teams where people can rise, use their strengths fully, and see a clear path toward leadership.
Diversity and Inclusion: Essential to the Future of Business
For Ami, diversity and inclusion are more than organizational priorities — they are business imperatives. The world Fortinet serves is diverse, and marketing must reflect that reality in order to create meaningful connections.
She focuses on building environments where individuals feel heard, valued, and supported. Within her team, she encourages open dialogue, celebrates achievements, and ensures people have the confidence and space to contribute their best work.
For her, inclusion goes beyond representation. It is about creating a culture where people can show up authentically and grow with confidence.
Looking Toward the Future: Trends That Will Redefine Customer Engagement
As businesses approach 2025 and beyond, the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and digital marketing will reshape how companies communicate and connect with customers.
Ami foresees several key trends influencing the future:
- AI-driven personalization will enhance how insights are delivered.
- Responsible and transparent communication will become essential as AI expands.
- Industry-specific marketing will grow in importance as cybersecurity challenges become more nuanced.
- Adaptive authentication and frictionless experiences will influence customer expectations — requiring marketing to be more intelligent, ethical, and relevant.
Organizations that combine strong data foundations, ethical AI practices, and customer-centric communication will stand out in an environment defined by rapid change.
Legacy, Leadership, and Advice for Future Women Leaders
When asked how she hopes to be remembered, Ami’s answer reflects the heart of her leadership: she hopes to be known not just for her accomplishments, but for her kindness, her approachability, and the way she elevates others.
Leadership, she believes, is defined by the relationships you build, the trust you earn, and the impact you have on people’s growth.
To young women aspiring to leadership roles in business and technology, her advice is both practical and inspiring: build a strong foundation of skills, education, and experience; work hard; stay committed to the people around you; and trust that recognition will follow.
She also encourages women to embrace a mindset where adversity is seen not as a barrier, but as an entry point to new opportunities. The ability to navigate challenges with resilience and curiosity is what distinguishes great leaders.
A Leader Shaping the Future of Cybersecurity and Beyond
Ami Tank’s story is one of intentional growth, purpose-driven leadership, and the courage to evolve. Her insights, experience, and approach continue to influence the future of cybersecurity marketing while inspiring women across industries to rise, lead, and redefine what’s possible.
As Fortinet continues to strengthen its position as a global cybersecurity leader, Ami’s strategic vision and human-centered leadership will play a vital role in shaping the company’s future — and the future of how organizations connect, communicate, and stay secure in a rapidly changing world.
