Ahead of the pack with Inspired Testing

16 Oct 2024
Ahead of the pack with Inspired Testing

Alexandra Townsend is the Legal and Compliance Officer for Inspired Testing, a Dynamic Technologies group company. It’s a complex role, and she finds the most challenging part is trying to simplify a multifaceted system so that it’s easy for users to understand and implement – finding a way to make it easy for system users to understand their roles and responsibilities when it comes to Information Security Management Systems is not a simple task! Her advice to those in the ICT space, and it’s some she finds herself using often, is to think outside the box.

Townsend oversees and manages Inspired Testing’s contractual relationships with clients, vendors and other key stakeholders. Her responsibilities include ensuring compliance with information security standards, data protection regulations, and a wide range of other legal requirements. She works to mitigate risks, safeguard sensitive data, and align Inspired Testing’s practices with both regulatory obligations and industry best practices.

Townsend is a big fan of her colleagues and company and says, “I love the culture of diversity, the people, and the forward-thinking and can-do positive attitude we all share. What makes our organisation special is that each employee is valued for who they are, and they’re encouraged to add their unique value to Inspired Testing. This is so important because it builds a sense of unity and support for individuals and the business.”

A keen runner, Townsend was selected to represent Western Province Athletics in the South African National Championship this year. It’s an achievement she is justifiably proud of. She began running seriously when she was twelve, becoming an elite athlete and picking up her first sponsorship in 2020, just before Covid cancelled all the races. Townsend enjoys 10km and 15km races but specialises in half marathons (21km) and competed in this distance for SA Champs. She is ranked second in the Western Province, having run the Provincial Championship race in June.

Her favourite races in and around Cape Town are the Gun Run and the Grape Run. “The Gun Run is a nice flattish route through Cape Town; it’s well supported and is a good race to get a decent time on,” she explains. “The Grape Run is the best for inclines, and as the route is predominantly through the Constantia Wine Farms, the scenery is incredible.” Her dream race, however, is a trail run in the Alps.

Townsend’s motto in life is to run her own race – and that’s exactly what she’s doing. She knows that the only person she’s competing against is herself, and as she says, “I just keep working towards being a better version of me, as we should all strive for continual improvement in our lives!”