Women in Security: Shawn Ruddo, Tech Systems, Inc. (TSi)

BUFORD, Ga. — Shawn Ruddo is a rare case in the security industry of someone who actively searched for a job in the field. As she nears a quarter-century working in the security space, she recently became chief technology officer at Tech Systems, Inc. (TSi).

Here’s more from Ruddo, in her own words, as our celebration of International Women’s History Month stretches into April.

Security Sales & Integration: How did you get into the security industry?

Shawn Ruddo: I was seeking a change as my previous role in the IT industry had become repetitive. In 2001, I came across a job posting for a field engineer position supporting network video with a manufacturer.  I took the opportunity, and I’ve been in the security industry ever since.

SSI: Have you encountered any difficulties or obstacles in your security industry career?

Ruddo: Being a woman in a male-dominated industry comes with its challenges, particularly in technical roles. Women are more commonly seen in administrative, sales or marketing positions, and are often overlooked for more technical and leadership roles.

Believe it or not, the industry is quite smart with most people knowing each other, and there are often cliques that make it difficult to break into the inner circle. Furthermore, these cliques often move or transition from company to company together, which can result in them securing positions that would typically be available to current employees, including competent women.

Finally, the ability to recruit women to technical roles in the industry remains a challenge. This is one of the reasons I participate in the SIA Women in Security Forum.

SSI: Whom would you point to as the most influential and helpful mentors in your career? What did they do to help you?

Ruddo: I have been blessed with two very strong leaders to whom I owe much of my success over the last 15 years. Jon Langhorst, former president of IST, really taught me how to lead and how to put people first. He taught me to empower my team and foster their growth and success.  As noted below, one of my greatest accomplishments is building the team that he supported me to build.

I met my husband, Michael Ruddo, in the industry and he is the one who helped me find my voice. He taught me that I deserved a seat at the table and that if I didn’t have it, I should find another table. His support and guidance have been invaluable to me over the years. Even now, in retirement, he continues to be my biggest supporter.

SSI: What is your proudest career accomplishment?

Ruddo: Of all my accomplishments and roles, I’m most proud of building an exceptionally competent team – one of the best engineering groups in the industry. It wasn’t until I moved on from that team and received their heartfelt goodbyes that I realized the impact I had on them, both personally and professionally. It has truly been an honor to mentor others and help them achieve their goals.

SSI: What do you love most about working in the security industry?

Ruddo: I love that the industry is always changing so you continue to be challenged. The integrators’ role is rapidly changing, maybe even faster than technology. We are no longer just cameras, readers and sensors. We are trusted experts, relied upon to provide guidance on solutions to meet our customers’ needs.

Those solutions are not limited to security applications and hardware; they are tightly aligned to our customers’ IT infrastructure, including requirements like high availability, disaster recovery and cybersecurity.

SSI: How can the security industry become even better?

Ruddo: The security industry needs to continue to bring in the next generation of security professionals, both men and women. There is often a reluctance by many of the industry veterans to truly mentor and help advance the younger talent coming into the industry.

SIA does a phenomenal job developing material to help educate people coming into the industry and WISF has taken that a step further with a host of subcommittees that educate, elevate and support women in the industry.  While all of this is a step in the right direction, we need more people to be involved, to support these efforts and take action to help build that next generation of talent.