Lisa Oliveri’s career in security happened organically. She was pursuing a career in science and medicine, of all things, when she was first exposed to crisis response and incident reporting as a resident assistant of a dormitory. Later on, after teaching for a bit and while pursuing a degree in international relations with her eye on the nonprofit sector, Oliveri was assigned a special project for a nonprofit she was working with. Essentially, that project turned into building out the organization’s first ever safety and security program.
In part, Oliveri’s passion for making a difference, helping others, and working in the nonprofit sector all come together as a security leader. “It really resonates with me that the work has a direct impact on people’s safety and security. Whatever the organization’s mission is, we try to do it as safely as possible and that is very rewarding work,” she reflects.