Sharon James

Associate CIO for Cybersecurity, Internal Revenue Service

The IRS’s cybersecurity responsibilities include protecting sensitive taxpayer data for hundreds of millions of people and businesses, and at the center of that effort is James, who says recruitment and retention are “arguably the greatest driver of success” for any IT shop. Cybersecurity organizations, in particular, “simply cannot protect the enterprise from the increasingly sophisticated threats facing the government today and the onslaught of very skilled and motivated malicious actors without retaining organizational knowledge and infusing new talent,” she says. One key, she says, is giving workers the right tools and resources. “Empowered employees,” James says, “are more productive, go the extra mile, embrace change and provide better customer service.”