Introducing the SSI Industry Hall of Fame Class of 2022
SSI’s Industry Hall of Fame hails those who have contributed most significantly to the security industry. Cheers to 2022’s inductees!
Kim Loy | Chief Product Officer, ACRE
Bio
- Born 1964 in Sioux City, Iowa
- With two sisters and one brother, father’s sales career included motor vehicles and real estate and mother ran a hairdressing salon
- Divorced with two children and five grandchildren
- Recognized in Connected World’s 2020 Women of Technology and IoT list and Top 50 Women in Tech at the 2021 National Diversity & Leadership Conference
- In 2007, joined the SIA Board and was recognized as Volunteer of the Year and in 2019 became a SIA vice-chair Executive Committee member
- Other interests include traveling abroad, and has spent time living in England, France, Belgium and Ireland
Why She’s on the List
- 30+ years setting industry standard as a marketing professional and product manag-er for multitude of top security equipment manufacturers domestically and overseas
- In present role with ACRE, responsible for oversight of company’s brands, strategic product planning and cybersecurity strategy for a portfolio including Vanderbilt Indus-tries, RS2, ComNet and Open Options
- Prior to ACRE, served as director of technol-ogy and communications for Vanderbilt Int’l, managing R&D, product management and marketing, and developed tech partnerships
- Held senior roles with GE Security, G4S, Xtralis and Pelco; also served InfoGraphic Systems, Siemens, Northern Computers
- Mentor and leader for women in security industry, serves as example of opportunities open to women who want to work in tech
- Earned reputation for developing strategies that allow firms to gain greater awareness in crowded marketplace, creating strategic partnerships and identifying new solutions
Keys to Success
“I’ve been fortunate to have various industry and business leaders guide my path and help me grow into the professional I am today. Thirty years ago, I was often the only woman in the room when it came to this industry, and while that posed its challenges there were many great opportunities available to me as well. I realized that this industry required a lot of self-motivation, drive and the skill to learn something new every day, and that those who were willing to persevere could thrive in leadership roles.
“One mentor who stands out in particular is Sandy Jones [also an SSI Industry Hall of Famer]. In 2006 when I first wanted to join the SIA Board, few women had ever held that position. Sandy took me under her wing and helped me successfully get on the board. She had so much knowledge and encouragement to give, and I’m very grateful for her guidance.”
Parlaying Change Into Momentum
“Security is all about change and once I decided I was going to remain in this industry I knew my career would be full of it. The push for Cloud is no exception, and it has given me and the team at ACRE unique opportunities to work on innovative and future-proofed products suited for the digital age. Throughout my time at Xtralis, G4S, InfoGraphic Systems and GE Security, we faced challenges like adapting to change and uncertainty. Being involved with the acquisition of InfoGraphic by GE Security in 2003 opened my eyes to the partnership possibilities available in the technology industry, and greatly prepared me for the acquisition challenges and opportunities available for ACRE today.”
Transforming Adversity Into Diversity
“There have been a number of women I look up to as mentors and leaders who have helped me grow into the role I have today. When I first joined the industry 30 years ago, I was very new to marketing and advertising for technology. I was also often the only woman in the room. That said, I’ve learned so much during my time in security. I now have the privilege of leading incredibly creative and diverse groups of people, and there are more women in the industry today than ever before. Throughout my career, I have discovered so much knowledge and passion for security technology, particularly access control.”
Hey You, Get on My Cloud
“The transition to the Cloud/off-premise deployments has been a significant trend the past few years. This Cloud along with integrated systems and mobile access control have only just begun. At this point, many SMBs have taken the plunge and invested in these solutions. However, we do see a bit of hesitation coming from enterprise-level organizations. As the digital transformation unravels, I suspect we will see these organizations start to invest in Cloud-based and managed access control systems. There are always new, innovative and creative ideas that flow out of our technology industry, and it’s filled with individuals who are passionate about what they do.”
Continue to the next page for a profile of John Mack…
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About the Author
Scott Goldfine
Scott Goldfine is the marketing director for Elite Interactive Solutions. He is the former editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He can be reached at [email protected].
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