Counterfeit products make up five to seven percent of world trade, and have cost an estimated 2.5 million jobs worldwide, with 750,000 jobs lost in the U.S. alone. It’s an issue that Brad Minnis, Senior Director, Corporate Safety and Security for Juniper Networks, spends much time and effort to mitigate.

Denver Health is an integrated healthcare organization in Colorado, serving approximately 150,000 individuals in the Denver area. Eric Smith, Director of Security Services, has been working to reframe the enterprise’s security department as a business-enabling function instead of a quick fix.

“Water is the most precious resource in the world. You can live without food for a while, you can live without electricity, you can live without transportation, you can live without internet (despite what my kids say), but you cannot live without clean water. And that’s what makes my position so challenging,” says Scott Starkey, Security Manager for Birmingham Water Works.

Sixteen years ago Mark Theisen was hired at Thrivent Financial as manager of safety and security. Today, it’s home, one that he says matches his personal values.

Security organizations both in the private and public sectors have made considerable progress in gaining stature. More and more senior security executives truly have a seat at the table today as a respected member of the C-suite. Many security executives regularly interface with the Board of Directors and maintain excellent relationships with board members. Security organizations still have a lot of room for improvement.

Without question a realistic and self-aware approach is of tremendous value in everything from resume and personal brand development to interviews and successful onboarding in a new role.

U.S. businesses affected by employee theft lost an average of $1.13 million in 2016. Small and midsize businesses accounted for 68 percent of cases, and their median loss last year was $289,864.

Kevin L. Perkins has been named the new CSO for Exelon Corp.