Once a Defender, Always a Defender: Honoring the Sentinels Who Serve

For Tom Blankenhorn, Sr. Director, OEM Partnerships, the connection between military service and cybersecurity is deeply personal. As a former infantry officer in a U.S. Marine Corps reconnaissance battalion, he sees protecting others as a responsibility that extends well beyond military service.

"Cybersecurity is the clearest example of the battle between good and evil I know. Military service is about protecting and serving, so the link to our work at SentinelOne feels natural," Tom shared.

After serving in the Marine Corps, Tom built a career in technology, working across cloud technology and data analytics before joining SentinelOne in 2023. Today, he develops strategic partnerships that help expand the company's reach and impact.

His approach to that work is rooted in lessons he learned as a young Marine lieutenant, when he was responsible for accomplishing difficult objectives while taking care of the people under his command.

"In the Marine Corps, my leadership was tested constantly. I developed a get it done attitude and learned to balance accomplishing the mission with taking care of my Marines. I bring both into my work every day as I build strategic partnerships and take on big problems."

One lesson has stayed with him throughout his career: the importance of giving people room to learn, make mistakes and grow. He believes leaders have a responsibility to develop the people who will eventually take their place, and that the strongest solutions come from teams willing to challenge one another's thinking.

At SentinelOne, that means bringing different perspectives into the conversation early, particularly when the path forward isn't clear. It's an approach shaped by years of experience and a belief that the best outcomes come from people working toward a shared purpose.

For veterans considering cybersecurity, Tom sees an opportunity to continue making a meaningful difference.

"You served your country. Keep serving by protecting businesses and the people who depend on what those businesses deliver. The work matters, and you will feel it."

For Or Polimer, Staff Software Development Engineer in Test, being a defender means anticipating what comes next and being prepared to respond when circumstances change.

In his military role, Or commands a company responsible for continuity and control, providing critical capabilities to a brigade commander. The work demands quick thinking, adaptability and the ability to find solutions under pressure, often in unpredictable conditions.

That experience has a direct influence on how he approaches cybersecurity.

"Military service teaches you, especially on the technology front, that you can never stand still. You have to keep learning, keep growing, and always stay one step ahead of the adversary," Or explained.

At SentinelOne, Or develops testing infrastructure and automated tests that help ensure our products meet the highest quality standards. He joined around the time of the company's IPO and has grown alongside the business, taking pride in the responsibility of ensuring the technology customers depend on performs as intended.

He describes himself as a gatekeeper for product quality, someone who looks at every feature through the customer's eyes and considers what it will take to deliver a reliable experience.

The connection to his military experience is clear. Both roles require preparation, anticipating potential problems and taking responsibility for the people who depend on the outcome.

For Or, that responsibility also shapes how he leads and collaborates with others. His military experience reinforced the importance of trust, particularly when teams must make decisions and act under pressure.

"Leadership isn't something you ask for or are given by title; it's earned through your actions."

Or continues to serve in the reserves, motivated by the same sense of purpose that drew him to cybersecurity. Whether supporting his military team or helping strengthen the technology behind SentinelOne's protection, he believes the most meaningful work comes from staying prepared and helping others remain safe.

Some of the most important work in protecting others happens quietly, often without anyone noticing. Nicole Perez, Sr. Manager, Infrastructure Engineering, knows that better than most.

"I often say that the less you're noticed, the better you're doing your job, because it means everything is running as it should."

It's a philosophy shaped by nearly seven years in the U.S. Air Force, where Nicole worked across complex networking environments and held responsibilities spanning encryption, equipment management and communications security.

With limited resources and a wide range of technical challenges, she learned to be resourceful, take on whatever the mission required and find practical solutions to difficult problems.

"I loved the work, and it prepared me well for every role I've held since," Nicole shared.

Today, Nicole leads SentinelOne's corporate infrastructure engineering team, responsible for critical systems including DNS, routing, firewalls, zero trust and data center operations. The technical breadth of the role felt familiar from her Air Force years, as did the responsibility of keeping essential systems running for the people who depend on them.

Her military experience also shaped how she approaches problems that extend beyond her team's immediate responsibilities. Nicole believes that when something needs to be solved, the priority should be finding a way forward, even if it requires bringing together people from different teams.

That commitment is especially important in infrastructure engineering, where success often goes unnoticed and challenges can quickly become visible across an organization.

Nicole encourages her team to recognize the quiet wins, learn from difficult days and take pride in work whose impact isn't always obvious.

"Know your impact even when no one says it out loud, because people depend on your work every day, whether or not they realize it."

It's a perspective that speaks to the importance of the people behind the systems we rely on and the responsibility that comes with keeping them secure, reliable and ready.