Afew years ago we published an article on security related certifications that were being marketed as a means to advance your career. At that time there were a relatively small number of certifications that we were seeing listed on resumes. Today, we are still routinely asked which certifications are needed for career advancement or which ones are being requested by hiring managers. Frankly, unless the role has a specific requirement that connects to one of the more technical certifications, for the most part, the hiring authorities are not demanding them.  

Somewhere in the planning of the Security 500 Conference, I realized it would not be possible to turn the long list of security’s responsibilities from this year’s benchmark study into a readable slide. Nor was it prudent to punish our attendees with multiple lists of unmemorable threats and vulnerabilities. With more than 50 unique items in play; from managing investigations (97 percent) to overseeing insurance (15 percent); the business executives that manage risk and security for their enterprises all expressed this common theme:

 Chief Hector Rodriguez believes so much in the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) and the safety of the children who attend SAUSD schools that he sends his own children to school there. 

 Jim Sawyer has a lot of “friends for life” at work.  Some of the “friends” Sawyer has made were at one time hostile, angry and frustrated clients, people tested by enormous stress levels.  

 Since 1955 McDonald’s has been proud to serve the world some of its favorite food. Along the way, McDonald’s not only lived through history, but created it: from drive-thru restaurants, to Chicken McNuggets, to college credits from Hamburger University and much more.   

 Honeywell is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; turbochargers; and performance materials.  With such diversity of opportunity at Honeywell, having the right controls and security in place is critical to long-term success.  

 And Duke’s security team assures it. “Thinking about the higher education and healthcare facilities at Duke, it is amazing what occurs on a given day. Students learn something that will change their life. Another person’s life will be saved at the hospital. A researcher will make a discovery that changes quality of life for others. There may be a wedding in the chapel. There is a high likelihood Duke will compete for or win a national sports championship. And we have celebrity speakers and lecturers visiting frequently. This is a very rewarding, exciting and dynamic environment,” Chief Dailey explains.  

The nature of providing health care services is changing, particularly as the focus shifts from hospital-based care to providing care in more cost-effective settings. The introduction of the Affordable Care Act and other key drivers are making it increasing important for health care providers, and their supply companies, to reduce costs for customers and patients, says Greg Halvacs, the Chief Security Officer and Senior Vice President for Global Security, Flight Operations and Global Real Estate at Cardinal Health, a health care services company based in Dublin, Ohio.

Personal branding is a consideration that is frequently overlooked by those who are seeking a career change or wanting to improve their upward mobility within their organizations. Too often, it is misunderstood and seen as being self-aggrandizing, egotistical or even perceived as “brown nosing.” While there are ample examples of this, these reflect poorly thought out and executed strategies.