The Lift, episode 5: from Micro-SOC Engineer to Technical Product Owner in Oslo with Pierre Lelièvre

TLTR

The essentials from “The Lift”: building your career at Orange Cyberdefense

• From Paris to Oslo: after graduating, Pierre Lelièvre started as a Micro-SOC Engineer before taking the position of Product Owner and then Technical Product Owner in Norway. 
• Career progression in five years: from operational cybersecurity to optimising internal tools and processes, he has diversified his expertise and gradually taken on more responsibility. 
• International mobility as a career accelerator: keen to travel, Pierre seized an internal opportunity in Norway to take his professional development in a new direction. 
• Curiosity, autonomy and boldness are essential qualities for Pierre and his manager, John-Lloyd, who value trust and a no-micromanagement approach. 

"The Lift": how Pierre Lelièvre became a Technical Product Owner in Oslo at Orange Cyberdefense

Travel broadens the mind, as the saying goes. In this new episode of The Lift, discover Pierre Lelièvre’s career path at Orange Cyberdefense and how international mobility enabled him to progress while relocating to Norway. From Micro-SOC engineering in Paris to a Technical Product Owner role in Oslo, his professional development is grounded in one mindset: there are no problems, only solutions.

The Lift: The floor is yours

For me, a problem is always a starting point. I enjoy challenges when they are constructive.
Pierre Lelièvre, Technical Product Owner, Orange Cyberdefense.

When did your paths first cross, and in what context?

John-Lloyd Hamlet, Vice President MSS Service Design: “We first met over video! I was looking for someone with a high level of technical expertise and a disruptive approach. Pierre’s name was suggested to me, so I called some of his former colleagues and managers. I quickly realised he was exactly what I was looking for, combining creativity with simplicity. Pierre has this ability to challenge everything in a very pragmatic, common-sense way. That is exactly the kind of mindset you need to build your skills and progress your career at Orange Cyberdefense.” 

Pierre Lelièvre, Technical Product Owner: “I had already seen Lloyd in meetings, but he was speaking English. During our first conversation, I was very surprised to hear him speaking French! Of course, we discussed technical topics, but what struck me most was that Lloyd genuinely wanted to change things and had the responsibility to make that possible. Promises of transformation do not always translate into action. Here, I felt that change really could happen. That is what convinced me to accept the role.” 

What was the first project you worked on together?

John-Lloyd: “Pierre had already launched the highly disruptive Slash project in France, which I wanted to replicate in Norway. It involves adding an extra layer to our ticketing system to improve day-to-day productivity and visibility. The topic was not particularly popular because it touched the foundations of Orange Cyberdefense. If we got it wrong, everyone would know about it. But we believed in it, with the support of a manager. We tested several strategies and demonstrated the value of the project. Our approach was simple: ask analysts what was getting in the way of their work and what they wanted to improve. Listening to them motivated the analysts, and they later became the strongest advocates for the change. That way of working changed the mindset of our organisation. We successfully replicated it on other projects.” 

Pierre: “French people are very good at challenging things and spotting what is wrong without necessarily coming up with solutions. For me, a problem is always a starting point. I enjoy challenges when they are constructive.” 

When you joined Orange Cyberdefense, what skills did you already have, and what did you learn?

Pierre: “I had just graduated and lacked practical knowledge in a lot of areas. I am naturally quite reserved, so I had to learn how to speak to colleagues and call clients. As a student, I was not even comfortable ordering a meal in a restaurant, and suddenly I had to communicate serious issues, such as suspected attacks, to 25 clients. At university, you learn the theory. Once I started working, I really understood the purpose behind the job: I worked with hospitals, local authorities and agricultural businesses. These activities are essential, and so is their security. It is our responsibility to protect them with commitment and accountability. I had not fully appreciated that while I was studying.” 

How has your career progressed at Orange Cyberdefense?

Pierre: “When I started my career at Orange Cyberdefense as a Micro-SOC Engineer, I had just graduated. Based in La Défense in Paris, we were a small team of ten with a start-up mindset and very rapid growth. Three years later, there were 80 of us! During that period, I started as a Cybersecurity Engineer, working on Run and Build of course, but also on Research & Development to improve our services. After a year, I progressed to become Product Owner for the Micro-SOC service, with responsibility for optimising the tool I was working on. I then moved into a Technical Product Owner role in Oslo. In five years, I have significantly strengthened my career path.” 

Have you been able to benefit from international mobility?

Pierre: “Yes, I am now based in Oslo. During my engineering studies, I spent time in Bulgaria on Erasmus. I loved being immersed in a new culture and meeting people from very different backgrounds who broadened my perspective. I wanted to gain more international experience and had planned to go to Norway for my final internship. Covid disrupted those plans. Instead, I completed the internship as a Micro-SOC Analyst at Orange Cyberdefense and was then hired. But I still regretted not going to Oslo, and life in Paris was becoming difficult for me. While looking through vacancies on the Group careers site, I found a Security Analyst role in Norway. The timing could not have been better! I contacted the HR manager, and the following week I had an interview with Lloyd. Four months later, I was in the role.” indset: 'I trust you, I let you do, prove to me that it works.' Employees are responsible for their own success. And it works."

What technical learning opportunities or certifications have helped you strengthen your senior-level expertise at Orange Cyberdefense?

Pierre: “I have not necessarily taken formal certifications to develop my skills, but I have worked across very different areas, particularly detection and remediation. Nothing teaches you more than that.” 

An anecdote? A phrase or piece of advice that has stayed with you?

One unusual aspect of the way we work is that our relationship is remote: I am in Oslo and Lloyd is in Amsterdam. Distance could be seen as a barrier, but it works, says Pierre.

Pierre does not need micromanagement. He is given a direction, follows it and finds the right people to work with. I have to admit that I have sometimes been very pleasantly surprised by his sense of initiative, adds John-Lloyd

What role has John-Lloyd played in your professional development?

Pierre: “He recognised my motivation and gave me the space to develop. In a large company, it is difficult to change everything overnight. Lloyd helped me accelerate things, and without him it would probably have taken longer.” 

What strengths, in terms of skills and interpersonal qualities, did you quickly notice in Pierre?

John-Lloyd: “I appreciate the way he simplifies problems and quickly finds solutions. Pierre brings his technical expertise to create scripts and solve problems through innovation, which is impressive. Pierre is also very self-directed: we have a lot to do, and autonomy is essential. I quickly realised I could trust him completely and sleep soundly at night.” 

Pierre: “On my side, if I were constantly being watched and required to report on everything, it would not work for me!” 

What is your shared view of career progression opportunities at Orange Cyberdefense?

John-Lloyd: “Even before technical performance, curiosity comes first. As a manager, that is what I look for in a candidate. Then comes boldness: if you want to progress, you need to come forward with ideas. For people with that kind of profile, there will always be career opportunities.” 

Pierre: “I have personally benefited from rapid professional development and significant international mobility. You should not be afraid to be bold and persistent if you want to broaden your opportunities.” 

And how do you see our company culture, the well-known “Hacking Spirit”? How do you experience it day to day?

Pierre: “One example illustrates it very well: the well-known CFT - Capture The Flag - challenge organised by Orange Cyberdefense for students. The principle is that participants compete individually over the course of a day to complete a series of technical challenges. When I was in France, it was a prerequisite for being hired. I really like that mindset because you are judged primarily on the route you take to solve a problem, rather than necessarily on whether you solve it.” 

John-Lloyd: “Exactly. It is an excellent method because it shows that Orange Cyberdefense looks for creativity and innovation rather than people who simply follow steps one to ten exactly as instructed. We are interested in people who demonstrate curiosity and try original approaches to solving a problem. The ‘Hacking Spirit’ is the ability to think differently.” 

Artificial intelligence is developing fast: is it already affecting your roles?

Pierre: “Today, AI is not fundamentally changing the way we work, but I think that in the relatively near future, somewhere between three and ten years from now, our roles will have changed considerably. For now, there is still a lot of uncertainty.” 

John-Lloyd: “I agree with Pierre. It is not just an impression: the market is in a wait-and-see phase. Many companies have invested in AI, and generating a return on that investment is proving difficult. We use it to improve productivity within our teams, not as a separate component but as part of a cross-functional approach. Our biggest challenge is stopping attackers who use the same tools we do, but have more time to develop their attacks.” 

Explore the other episodes of our series "The Lift: the floor is yours" at Orange Cyberdefense, by clicking below.