SECURE Perspectives is a column by the Security Industry Association (SIA), profiling women in the security industry. This column is part of SIA’s Women in Security Forum (WISF), a community created to support the participation and advancement of women in the security industry, which fosters growth and advancement through programs, professional development and networking opportunities.
For this edition of SECURE Perspectives, SIA spoke with Hannah Brauer, who is associate regional sales manager at i-PRO Americas and a WISF AmbassadHER.
SIA: How did you get into the security industry?
Hannah Brauer: I actually came from some large oil and gas companies (more than 50,000 employees), and I was looking for a very small company for a change of pace and culture.
When I found out that i-PRO was just starting after spinning off from Panasonic, and it had less than 200 employees in the United States at the time, I jumped at the opportunity. I wanted to be part of creating something from the ground up, and i-PRO was just getting started when I joined.
SIA: How does your organization serve the industry?
Brauer: i-PRO Americas is a manufacturer of surveillance and public safety products. We’re also a huge cybersecurity advocate and leader in the artificial intelligence (AI) space for surveillance.
SIA: What is your current position?
Brauer: I’m the associate regional sales manager for Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.
SIA: What types of job functions do women fill in your company? Is there diversity of roles in your company, or do women gravitate toward certain job functions?
Brauer: One thing that I love about i-PRO is that women fill all types of positions — from sales, to supply chain, to software development! Our company is huge on empowering people to pursue a variety of different career paths. I’m a great example of it. I started in human resources, and, now, I’m a year into sales!
SIA: With more and more data that shows diversity makes a better workforce, what opportunities do you see for women in security?
Brauer: The coolest thing about women in any male-dominated field is that we have a drive to pioneer a way where there is none. Women can do anything they want in this industry. One of our sales directors, Antoinette King, started as a technician and now holds a dual leadership role in the company.
Maybe it’s because I work a territory in the Midwest and everyone is extremely kind here (see also: “Iowa Nice”), but I’ve had nothing but support from my male customers and counterparts in the field. We can ask questions as we’re learning, and we can become experts in our field if we can be vulnerable enough to seek help.
What impediments do you see for achieving this? What could remedy some of these impediments?
Brauer: The only barriers I’ve truly faced are ones I’ve perceived. At first, I thought I had to be less feminine and “dress down.” But then, I walked into a meeting with an integrator and the woman there was dressed in a full business suit and heels, and she commanded the room. I learned quickly that your gender and how you dress don’t speak nearly as loudly as your authenticity.
My customers have personally thanked me for great conversations over meals (even in the beginning, when I knew so little about the industry), which tells me that you do not have to start as an expert to gain trust from others. You just need to be honest.
SIA: What do you see as important trends in the industry?
Brauer: Proactivity in the AI space. One line I always remember from our company video is, “Unmake the emergency before it becomes.”
There truly is a way to use analytics to protect people, and I’m loving the questions I’m hearing from customers in regard to catching threats before they happen. This is where software meets physical security — using AI to detect a threat and then alert security teams while simultaneously working with the access control to lock down a building and keep everyone inside safe.
As a manufacturer, we hear feedback from the field. And I love hearing other partners sharing similar experiences from their partners, as well.
SIA: More specifically, what trends are you seeing in i-PRO’s space of intelligent surveillance and public safety?
Brauer: i-PRO is linking arms more and more with our technology partners to get more creative in building solutions for unreached verticals. While in the past we’ve serviced a lot of K-12, we are expanding into other areas (arena, utilities, municipalities) to drive the use of proactive analytics on an even broader scale.
SIA: What are the top challenges your company has faced in the last year?
Brauer: Brand establishment. Coming out from under such a big name like Panasonic can be difficult when our goal is to create our own identity. When people ask, “Who are you?”, it’s so hard to say anything but “formerly Panasonic,” even though we are so much more than that.
SIA: What are the biggest opportunities your company — and the industry — is seeing?
Brauer: Definitely educating customers on best practices! So many end users are so vulnerable from both a physical and cybersecurity standpoint and don’t even know it. i-PRO has a grants program that we utilize to help schools, churches and other nonprofit organizations find funding so they’re able to afford updates to secure their facilities. That way, we’re not just educating, we’re empowering!
SIA: What do you hope the SIA Women in Security Forum can achieve for women in security?
Brauer: I would love for women in security to see that there are a lot more career paths and opportunities than what they’ve seen before. I think SIA WISF has already started spreading this message by showcasing some of the industry trailblazers and opening up the conversation.
Also, with the WISF AmbassadHERs in different parts of the country, we are bringing women together so they can have these conversations at a local level in varying markets.
SIA: What is your best advice for women in security?
Brauer: Make a girlfriend, get a female mentor. You will feel so seen, heard, validated and motivated! It can be lonely being the only one going to a site walkthrough in cute shoes. I still remember my first RFP walkthrough — probably 40 people, and only two others were women. One female (a competitor) complimented my shoes. Be that person!
SIA: Who or what was the strongest influence in your career?
Brauer: I’d say it was i-PRO’s president, Bill Brennan. He saw potential in me that I did not see in myself when I first started at i-PRO. He asked me if I’d ever considered alternative career paths, and he encouraged me to think about it just enough times that I started to take him seriously.
Once I realized that he truly believed in me and didn’t have the fears that I had about such an unlikely career move, I felt empowered enough to take the leap.
SIA: How do you define success?
Brauer: Success for me is using all the gifts and opportunities I’ve been given to serve others. If I’m going to blaze a trail or take a leap, I want to take as many people with me down that path as possible. I feel that so many people live in a complacent way due to doubt. If I can show them a better way, whether it’s career, attitude or personal endeavors, that feels like success.
SIA: What would you say to new upcoming women in security?
Brauer: Do not be afraid of a male-dominated space. My personal experience has been that this industry grows more welcoming by the day. Take advantage of it! While the security industry is certainly still growing in inclusivity, you may be your own worst enemy.
Again, find a female friend and even some male allies for your career goals to flatten your learning curve a bit.
