Meet Denise: A fearless athlete with a soft spot for New Jersey bagels
Meet Denise: Our Director of Revenue Operations
We are excited to highlight Denise Castelli, our Director of Revenue Operations, who has been part of the team since the very beginning. With over a decade of experience in both B2B and B2C environments, Denise excels in ensuring our customers have the best possible experience with our product. Her commitment has been key in driving our growth and success. Join us as we get to know Denise a little better.
Q: Could you tell us about your background and how you ended up at Pistachio?
I'm originally from New Jersey, about 30 miles west of NYC. I started my career at High Grade Beverage, an Anheuser-Busch InBev distribution company, where I managed operations and customer accounts. The role was as fast paced as working at a startup, handling hundreds of calls daily and solving problems on the fly. When my French husband and I moved to Norway, I was drawn to Pistachio, a startup based in a garage across from where I lived in Oslo. Given my experience with the dynamic nature of startups, I jumped right in.
Q: How would you describe your job and its responsibilities?
It's essentially about keeping the commercial team operationally moving, managing a lot of moving parts, and ensuring we are all going in the same direction.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working at Pistachio? Are there any achievements you're particularly proud of?
My favorite part is definitely the people. The diversity and energy here have not only enhanced my work experience but have also helped me grow personally. Being the first employee and witnessing our evolution from a tiny room to becoming a significant presence in the industry has been incredibly fulfilling. The fact that our customers speak highly of us, often without us prompting them, is something I take great pride in. It's a testament to our genuine commitment to them.
Q: What skills or qualities are essential for success in your role?
You need to be a problem solver and a constant learner. Every day brings new challenges, whether it's supporting our sales team or directly assisting customers. My role requires a deep understanding of our products and the ability to share that knowledge effectively. Curiosity and a passion for learning are what keep me successful and motivated.
Q: What three words would you use to describe Pistachio's culture?
Vibrant, vigorous, and fast-paced. Our team is dynamic and diverse, always eager to push the boundaries and quick to adapt to new challenges.
Q: What advice would you give someone aspiring to lead a customer success team, especially in a tech-focused industry like cybersecurity?
Empathy is key. You must understand that your customers might not need you to be perfect, but they do need to feel heard. Quick responses and active presence can make all the difference. It's about being a people person, genuinely listening to your customers, and celebrating their successes as if they were your own.
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of work? Any fun facts that might surprise your colleagues?
I'm a big fan of gaming, especially League of Legends. I balance that with staying active—running races with my husband yearly. Something that might surprise my colleagues is that I was a ball girl at the US Open for two years. Additionally, I was a member of CNN’s Fit Nation team, a program aimed at getting America fit, which included training for a triathlon. So, now you have two!
Q: What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?
It's simple yet powerful: 'Kick a** every day because if you’re not kicking a**, you’re getting your a** kicked.’' It's about being proactive and making sure you're the one driving change, not just reacting to it.
Q: What is one thing you cannot live without?
New Jersey bagels! I've learned to make them myself because I can't start my weekend without a good bagel.
We hope you enjoyed getting to know Denise a little better. Stay tuned over the coming months as we shine a light on the unique personalities that make our team so great!
We believe in a learn-by-doing approach over snooze-worthy videos.
Instead, Pistachio tailors real-world scenarios so your team can build their cyber skills in a safe environment.
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“We lacked confidence that employees would recognise today’s phishing threats or respond correctly. Since using the Pistachio platform, they are more attentive and proactive in identifying potential risks. The solution is easy to manage, quick to implement, and highly effective.
“The platform is easy to implement and provides clear insights into employee phishing awareness. Its bite-sized learning encourages participation, saves administration time, and allows us to focus more on real threat detection.”
“We were looking for a practical way to improve cybersecurity awareness across the organization. Pistachio made training simple and engaging, and we’ve seen a noticeable improvement in employee awareness with minimal effort.”
“Pistachio removed the burden of planning campaigns, collecting data, and evaluating results. The program challenges each employee at their own level and provides clear, simple reporting. Pistachio has streamlined our awareness training and strengthened our organization’s cybersecurity.”
“Our goal was to help employees better recognize phishing emails and avoid malicious links. Pistachio made this easy and engaging, and we’ve seen a clear improvement in detection, fewer clicks on phishing links, and reduced data disclosure. With minimal ongoing maintenance, it’s an effective and low-effort solution.”
“Within weeks, Presence had flagged several incidents that could have otherwise been missed, including employees forwarding company data to personal accounts during offboarding. The alerts are reliable and actionable, so we've built a full investigation process around them. Although I was skeptical at first, the value was obvious almost immediately.”
“Pistachio has reduced our manual workload to zero with its automated phishing simulations and in‑box delivery of scenario‑based trainings. This has allowed our team to dedicate time to other important security initiatives while Pistachio handles our Security Awareness program seamlessly.”
“Presence automatically detects suspicious behaviour and gives us the visibility we need without constant manual oversight. Within the first few weeks we were already seeing alerts that would have otherwise gone unnoticed as the system learns what is usual and unusual behaviour for our environment.”
“Before Pistachio, security awareness was something we could only offer to a few customers. Today it’s part of every managed service we deliver, and we haven’t had to grow the team to make that happen.”
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