When cybersecurity company Ping Identity integrates a new partner or merges with another company, trust isn’t optional—it’s what keeps teams aligned and customers confident. So, who better to explore the value of trust in the workplace than a company that relies on it?
We asked women at Ping Identity to tell us about trust in their workplace, how it impacts their workflow and drives team culture. And it turns out, trust is huge.
Women across the organization—from analyst relations to engineering operations to global technology alliances—say trust is the heart of the company’s mission and vision: shaping team dynamics, customer outcomes, and even their own career growth.
Here’s how three “Identians” describe the role of trust at Ping, and what they’ve learned about building and maintaining it throughout their careers.
Trust matters every day
Across Ping, trust guides interactions big and small, shaping how teams collaborate and how employees support one another.
For Rikki Menn, senior manager of analyst relations, trust guides how she connects internal experts with external analysts. “Analysts are in constant conversations with the customers and prospects we want to reach, so it’s important they have a clear and accurate view of Ping,” she says. “My role is to make sure they have access to the right experts and information so they can represent us fairly in those conversations.”
Similarly, Joany Huang, engineering operations manager, views trust as essential to keeping complex projects aligned across multiple teams.
“Trust is the foundation of engineering operations,” she says. “It reflects our commitment to consistently delivering high-quality, reliable work. To build and maintain that trust, we focus on clear communication, dependable execution, and continuous improvement.” By fostering that transparency and open dialogue, her team ensures collaboration is efficient, reliable, and reflective of Ping’s commitment to protecting digital identities and delivering secure, trusted experiences.
Trust strengthens teams
Trust is a two-way street. At Ping, teams show trust by granting autonomy and fostering psychological safety, and leaders reciprocate by empowering their teams to succeed. This dynamic becomes especially crucial during periods of change, when clear communication and collaboration can make all the difference.
Shannon Lightfoot, director of global technology alliances, explains how her team puts this into practice across Ping’s 475+ global technology partnerships:
“One of the clearest ways my team shows they trust me is by creating psychological safety. They consistently raise potential concerns ahead of time, which allows us to work through challenges collaboratively instead of reactively,” she says. “I show my trust in them through empowerment and autonomy. I believe that trust is about giving my team the freedom to do their best work, so I focus on equipping them with the right resources, tools, and most importantly, transparent communication.”
Menn sees trust reflected in the freedom her colleagues give her to shape analyst engagements: “They don’t micromanage every interaction. They trust that I’ll bring in the right experts at the right time and create a meaningful dialogue.”
In any organization, trust is tested most during times of transition—but because trust is so highly valued at Ping, high-stakes moments are where their teams thrive.
Huang recalls Ping’s merger, where clear communication and consistent updates reinforced confidence across teams. And Menn points to integrations with ForgeRock and Procyon teams as moments when mutual trust enabled smooth coordination and unified messaging.
“What stood out was how much of a team effort it was. These situations could feel overwhelming, but instead there was a real sense of unity,” Menn says. “Everyone leaned in to make sure analysts got clear, consistent answers and that customers felt confident in where we were headed. That kind of mutual trust, knowing we can count on each other when the spotlight is on, is what makes those moments not just manageable, but energizing, and ultimately helps us show up stronger to the market.”
Across departments and functions, trust at Ping isn’t just about letting people do their jobs. It’s what allows teams to navigate uncertainty, collaborate effectively, and continue delivering.
Trust matures over time
There’s one major thing all three women at Ping seem to make clear: Their understanding of trust has evolved throughout their careers.
“Earlier in my career, I thought trust came from having all the answers and never dropping the ball,” Menn says. “Over time, I’ve realized it’s much more about being authentic and consistent. People trust you when you’re clear about what you know, honest about what you don’t, and willing to listen.”
Lightfoot says at this stage in her career, she sees how trust in the technical and relational intertwine, and the impact of valuing both. “Early in my career, I understood trust in distinct categories: the calculated, almost transactional trust in cybersecurity and the relational trust needed to build a team. I saw them as separate pillars,” she says. “My evolution has been in realizing they aren't separate at all but they are deeply interconnected, and one cannot thrive without the other.”
Lightfoot says her work building technology partnerships has crystallized this understanding. “You can have a perfectly secure, technically sound integration, but without the human layer of trust between the engineering, product, and go-to-market teams, that integration never reaches its full potential,” she says. “The real magic happens at that intersection. I've learned that building a foundation of trust in all its forms is the most critical driver of success.”
And because trust requires so much interpersonal care, it’s fluid—and more important than ever. Huang explains: “In today’s world, with increasing security breaches and AI-driven threats, trust isn't static—it has to be actively maintained through clear communication, transparency, and shared responsibility. More than ever, building trusted experiences means working together, with our teams and our customers, to stay ahead of risks while showing that we care about protecting what matters most.”
Trust is a catalyst for growth
At Ping Identity, trust is both a core value and a practice, reflecting the company’s broader mission: a culture where every Identian is encouraged to be brave, passionate, and contribute to an extraordinary environment.
When teams feel trusted, they take risks, innovate, and lift others up. For these women leaders, trust empowers them to navigate change, collaborate across departments, and deliver for Ping’s partners.
Menn sums up the value of trust at Ping—and beyond—perfectly:
“Trust is what makes space for people to grow, whether that’s in cybersecurity, at Ping, or in the communities I’m part of outside of work. At Ping, I see it in the way colleagues collaborate openly and share credit generously. In my volunteer work, I see it in the way girls and women build confidence when they know their voices matter.
What excites me about Ping is that same spirit of inclusion and possibility. When people feel trusted, they take risks, they innovate, and they lift others up along the way. That commitment to trust and inclusion, both at work and in the community, is why Ping feels like the right place for me to grow and contribute.”
Schedule & Flexibility metrics such as Paid Time Off and Ability to Telecommute are strong at Ping Identity Corporation, a security and investigations company headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Their PTO is unlimited, and they also offer remote and hybrid work options. Plus, their highest metric is Employer Responsiveness, meaning you can expect an employer that listens and responds to your needs. Click to explore Ping Identity’s profile, ratings, and open jobs!
