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CyberCap Interview: Julien Turcot (GoSecure)
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About this session
A CyberCap interview with Julien Turcot, senior VP of global sales at GoSecure and a well-known community builder in Quebec cybersecurity through the GoSec conference and the GoCast podcast. Turcot traces a self-taught, non-linear path from tinkering with hardware to software, then self-funded SANS and GIAC certifications that landed his first mandate at what was then a small client, Desjardins, before he moved into sales. He frames his drive as a mix of curiosity for technology, a love of connecting people, and high energy, and keeps returning to community as the answer to the talent shortage: hire for potential and curiosity rather than years of experience or a matching resume. He credits Anne-Marie Faber as GoSec's actual organizer and the GoCast team for growing the podcast from three borrowed microphones into a full studio. He praises youth-facing events like Hackfest and CyberCap's own programs for exposing students to cybersecurity through gaming and social-engineering contests, noting that mixed backgrounds and more women in offensive and SOC roles produce better results. The conversation closes on LinkedIn as a deliberately polarizing space for genuine debate, and social selling as building credibility ahead of a cold outreach.
Key takeaways
- Hire for potential and curiosity rather than a résumé that lists a fixed number of years of experience; train the skills a promising candidate lacks.
- Treat community events (conferences, Hackfest-style CTFs, escape rooms) as talent-discovery tools, not just networking; they surface people who would never apply through a job posting.
- Mix backgrounds deliberately on security teams, gender, culture, and prior discipline, since the variety of perspectives improves results on offensive and SOC work.
- Build credibility before outreach through consistent, personal social media presence (social selling) so a cold call or message is no longer fully cold.
- Treat AI as an accelerant of existing automation trends, not a replacement for people; the practical risk is being out-competed by peers who use it well.
Speakers
Julien Turcot
Julien Turcot has spent more than two decades on the front lines of cybersecurity, navigating boardrooms and breach rooms with equal precision. As Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at GoSecure, he has helped organizations across North… Read moreRead less
Julien Turcot has spent more than two decades on the front lines of cybersecurity, navigating boardrooms and breach rooms with equal precision. As Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at GoSecure, he has helped organizations across North America strengthen their defenses, respond to crises, and turn security from a cost into a competitive advantage. A seasoned strategist, relentless dealmaker, and natural storyteller, Julien blends technical insight with a human touch, proving that in a world of constant digital threats, relationships remain the most powerful firewall.
