The Changing Face Of Security

It’s no secret that the security industry is a male-dominated profession. Why else do tradeshow exhibitors hire provocatively dressed female models to draw attendees to their booths?

After five years of going to trade shows, I’ve seen models in short, tight dresses and stilettos to sexy cheerleaders to sweet school girls. For better or worse, those tactics do work though.

The majority of the women there for  professional purposes used to belong to press, sales or marketing, but more and more, women are breaking through to hold executive positions. That’s why now is the perfect time to launch The Women's Security Council, an organization dedicated to provide professional development, mentoring and networking opportunities for women employed in the physical security market.

At ISC West, the WSC will be hosting a kick-off networking event from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5, at V Bar at the Venetian. Milestone Systems, Siemens and MOBOTIX are silver sponsors of the event.

And during the show, the council will host “The Woman's Handbook to Professional Success in the Security Industry,” from 1-2 p.m. on Thursday, April 7 in Room 502.

A panel that includes JoAnna Sohovich, president of Honeywell Security & Communications in the Americas, Linda Mansillo-Kear, global director of marketing communications for Tyco International and Sandra Jones, principal of Sandra Jones Co. will share insights on how they achieved success, present ideas on how other women can take advantage of opportunities to achieve professional development and discuss how to further enhance the role of women in security.

For more information about the Women’s Security Council, visit http://www.wscouncil.com.

About the Author

Sherleen Mahoney is a Web managing editor at 1105 Media.

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