Akhila

Akhila Ashok’s journey with The King’s Trust Canada began in August 2024 when she attended the KPMG Careers in Cybersecurity panel discussion. With a background in mechanical engineering and five years of experience in the aerospace industry across India and the UK, Akhila moved to Canada to pursue an MBA at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business. Drawn by Canada’s innovation and inclusivity, she completed her degree with a scholarship but soon faced the challenges of a difficult job market. 

Eager to pivot into consulting and cybersecurity, Akhila set personal goals to expand her network — scheduling weekly coffee chats and outreach on LinkedIn. When she discovered TKTC’s panel online, its focus on women in cybersecurity immediately caught her attention. Coming from a male-dominated field, she found it refreshing and inspiring to hear from women leaders in the industry. 

The panel, featuring her now co-workers at KPMG proved to be transformative. Akhila actively engaged during the session and reached out afterward to one of them, Serena, who invited her for a coffee chat. That meeting opened unexpected doors — Serena connected her to KPMG’s cybersecurity strategy and governance team, leading to what became her first interview. Impressed by her preparation and initiative, the partners offered her a position soon after. 

One year later, Akhila returned to TKTC as a volunteer at a networking event hosted at KPMG’s Toronto office, giving back to the community that helped launch her new career. “I feel like I have this career because of the program you guys had, so I’m always going to be grateful for that,” she shares. 

Today, Akhila is thriving in cybersecurity consulting at KPMG and hopes to one day become a partner.  

Akhila’s story shows how much of a difference one event or workshop can make when it comes to building an impactful network. 

“Be prepared, stay curious, and deliver your best when opportunity shows up.”