‘I Love My Job’: How Capital One Empowers This Leader to Grow and Be Her Authentic Self

Welcome to I Love My Job, the series where we hear from women who really love their jobs. In this edition, we sat down with Dina Atwell, Senior Manager on Capital One's Cyber Insider Threat & Technical Investigations team, which protects the company's internal digital networks.

Atwell’s journey with Capital One began in 2020 when she entered the company as a manager and investigator on the Cyber Insider Threat team. From there, “I was responsible for managing a team of four associates, before eventually leading the Insider Threat team,” Atwell shares.

Then, only two years into her role Atwell was promoted to her current position and her scope of work expanded to focus more on her team’s strategy and project management. In this position, Atwell tells us that she’s “excited to work on building relationships with our stakeholders, improving our program documentation, and helping our team become the leading Insider Threat team in the industry.”

Atwell credits her career growth to the “amazing leadership” at Capital One, as well as her supportive teammates. “I'm a busy mom of a three-year-old son, George, and my managers not only support work-life balance, but work-life integration,” she says. “It goes back to Capital One's belief about bringing your whole self to work and being authentic. Being a mom is a huge part of my identity, and my leadership encourages me to be present for my family. We have a hybrid work environment, which is huge for any working parent.”

In the video and transcript below, Atwell shares more about why she loves working at Capital One.

What I find most exciting about my work is when I'm leading a high-priority investigation.

This is fast paced, there are tons of moving parts to coordinate, new details are uncovered every day, and we're not only working across our team, but across the enterprise. My team is filled with amazing, knowledgeable investigators who keep me on my toes every day. And knowing that our team is making a difference to protect our associates and customers is really fulfilling.

The culture of Capital One is inclusive and authentic. Capital One really encourages you to bring your whole self to work every day, including your passions, your interests, and your hobbies. Personally, I'm an extroverted, enthusiastic, cat-lover who loves to volunteer and mentor and will always keep you up-to-date on the latest pop culture news.

My favorite things about Capital One are all the opportunities to become engaged with other associates and our community. We have tons of Business Resource Groups (BRGs), so wherever you feel like you fit in, you’ll find a BRG for you. 

For me, I'm a part of Empowher, our women's BRG. As you may know, only one out of four global cybersecurity workers is a woman. Empowher provides the opportunity for women to come together, collaborate, and support each other at Capital One. I was lucky enough to lead Women's History Month 2023 on behalf of Empowher, and we had so many amazing events. My favorite event culminated with us hosting and interviewing reporter Lisa Ling.

I'm also a part of the Salute BRG. Salute supports our veterans, military spouses, and allies. Last year, Cyber partnered with Salute for our first ever Cyber Charity Golf Tournament. We raised over $15,000 for an organization that helps pair veterans with service dogs free of charge. 

My advice for candidates looking to work at Capital One is to network with existing associates and conduct informational interviews.

Informational interviews will really help you find out more about our organization. And, most importantly, when you do land the interview, be sure to bring your whole self and be your authentic self. The interviewers really want to know who you are as a person. Don't be hesitant to show your excitement and passion for the job and for Capital One.