Security Sales & Integration February 2023 - 64

Secure Perspectives
Presented by
Diversity, Career Advice
& Next-Gen Tech
This column is brought to you by the Security Industry Association's (SIA) Women in
Security Forum, supporting diversity through programs, professional development
and networking events. Here's a sampling of the complete perspectives posted
monthly at securitysales.com/tag/secure-perspectives.
KATHRYN BARTUNEK
Senior Security Design
Manager, Cloud
Operations + Innovation,
Microsoft
▶ What impediments do you see when it
comes to creating a more diverse workforce
and how could they be remedied?
Kathryn Bartunek: Th roughout society, and
as a result in many companies, there are many
underlying subtle assumptions about diff erent
people, including women, and their interests,
talents and other characteristics. As young girls,
women themselves start developing their own
subtle assumptions, which often infl uence how
they direct their own interests and education.
Th ese assumptions are often not intended
or viewed as discriminatory but are just subtle,
almost unrealized, assumptions that " that's the
way things are. " Th ey gradually have an impact
on the underlying ways that companies organize,
and how their systems and dynamics develop.
Th at can make certain roles less attractive
to women.
Th ere is a sincere desire by many companies
CARESS KENNEDY
President, Northeast
Region, Allied Universal
to address the issues that make certain specialty
areas less attractive to women. Th at understanding
needs to start at the management level;
however, infl uences can be so subtle that a
successful solution needs to be informed by the
lived experiences of technical women, including
what makes certain fi elds less attractive to them.
Infl uences must start early and include educational
programs for young girls to get students
motivated and confi dent in the opportunities
the industry provides.
▶ What trends are you seeing in your
space of physical and electronic security
system design?
KB: Revenue generation hikes through use of
subscription-based service models leveraging
Cloud computing and new Cloud solutions.
Artifi cial intelligence, computer vision and related
advanced technologies are becoming vital
to support the heightened volume of data produced
by modern security solutions.
Th e use of augmented and virtual reality to
train staff reduces costs and safety incidents and
increases student motivation and ultimately recruitment
and retention of our next generation
of workers. Th e electricians trade, for example,
developed an interactive training platform utilizing
VR to train electrical apprentices on how to
wire homes and commercial premises.
▶ What do you hope the SIA Women in
Security Forum can achieve for the
security industry?
Caress Kennedy: Th roughout society, and
as a result in many companies, there are many
underlying subtle assumptions about diff erent
people, including women, and their interests,
talents and other characteristics. As young
girls, women themselves start developing their
own sub.
▶ What is your best advice for women in
the industry?
CK: Get educated and credentialed. Learn the
business. Identify coaches and mentors to help
you develop and further your career.
▶ Who or what was the strongest
influence in your career?
CK: A mentor at Xerox who was president of the
division where I worked. He was tough and had
high standards. He was a brutally honest and
direct communicator, but he also understood
that people need to be nurtured. He would give
you tough feedback and then leave a cookie and
kind note on your desk - which always made
it easier to accept the feedback!
▶ How do you define success?
CK: It is diff erent for everyone. For me, I am
happiest when I share ideas or practices with
my team and it helps them to develop their
skills and progress. I have been very lucky in
my career and believe I have an obligation to
pay it forward.
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