While some security professionals join the field after graduating college, others find their passion for security after entering the workforce. Julia Sanya did both — while studying Criminology and Criminal Justice full-time at the University of Maryland, she also worked full-time for a large retail organization as a Loss Prevention Agent. “I was just hooked. I was in love with it,” Sanya says. “I did that for a few years, and then I eventually transitioned into a role at Capital One,” she says.
Sanya started as a Principal Investigator in the firm’s internal fraud investigations team and then transitioned into enterprise physical security, earning the Senior Manager, Enterprise Safety & Security role. She leads security operations in Capital One’s Tysons, Virginia region, which includes the firm’s recently constructed headquarters and public campus, Capital One Center. She partners with campus tenants to help them identify, manage and measure physical security risks for the site.