For this edition of SECURE Perspectives, the Security Industry Association (SIA) spoke with Yazmina Rawji, relationship manager at dormakaba. Rawji is chairperson of the dormakaba Women’s Network+ (Americas Region), a SIA Women In Security Forum Steering Committee member, a WISF AmbassadHER and a Security LeadHER planning committee member.
She is also a 2025 recipient of the SIA Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award, the 2025 recipient of the SIA Progress Award, a 2025 WISF Scholarship recipient, a three-time SIA WISF Power 100 honoree (2024, 2025 and 2026) and an inaugural WISF Power 100 legacy member.
Security Industry Association: How did you get into the security industry?
Yazmina Rawji: My path into the security industry wasn’t linear and, candidly, I think that’s true for a lot of us. I came into it through a combination of opportunity and curiosity but what made me stay was the purpose. I was drawn to the convergence of infrastructure, safety and human experience: how the built environment shapes behavior and keeps people safe.
That curiosity evolved over time into a deep appreciation for access solutions and the critical role they play.
What I found when I arrived was an industry with real purpose: protecting people, places and the flow of everyday life. That sense of meaning made me want to stay, grow and eventually give back. I’ve been here long enough now that I can’t imagine being anywhere else.
SIA: How does your organization serve the industry?
Rawji: dormakaba specializes in physical access control, the equipment and solutions that manage how people move through secured spaces. We serve a wide range of markets, from airports and stadiums to corporate campuses, data centers and critical infrastructure. As dormakaba Americas, we’re backed by dormakaba Group based in Rümlang, Switzerland, with a legacy of innovation that spans decades.
What makes us different is that we don’t just sell hardware. We partner closely with architects, integrators and end users to design solutions that are not only secure, but also intuitive, scalable and built around the full experience of access: how it feels, how it functions and how it keeps people safe.
SIA: What is your current position?
Rawji: In my role as relationship manager, I am focused on driving strategic growth and partnerships, aligning customer needs with innovative access solutions and helping shape how our products are positioned in an evolving security landscape.
I operate at the intersection of strategy, storytelling and industry engagement. My work is about shaping how we show up in the market, whether that’s through major industry events or through the way we communicate our value to customers and partners.
I also serve as chairperson of the dormakaba Women’s Network+ for the Americas region, a role I carry with a lot of pride and intention. It allows me to bring together brand, events, industry relations and women’s leadership, which is where I feel most alive professionally.
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?
Rawji: We have women in marketing, human resources, operations, finance and customer service and we’re seeing meaningful movement into technical and leadership roles. But I’ll be honest: engineering, sales and highly technical functions are still areas where we’re actively working to grow representation. That’s not unique to us; it reflects a broader security industry pattern.
What I’ve seen shift, though, is the intentionality around it. We’re not just noticing the gaps anymore but we’re building structures to close them. The dormakaba Women’s Network+ is part of that effort. When you create space for women and allies to connect, mentor each other and be visible, the pipeline starts to change and the quality of decision making across the business strengthens with it.
SIA: With more and more data that shows diversity makes a better workforce, what opportunities do you see for women in the security industry?
Rawji: The opportunity is enormous and it’s expanding. As physical security and cybersecurity converge, as smart technology reshapes access control and also as the industry becomes more technology-driven and more integrated with data, artificial intelligence and user experience, that evolution naturally creates space for diverse perspectives in innovation, customer experience and leadership.
The industry is currently facing a real talent shortage and those companies that aren’t actively recruiting and retaining women are simply leaving capability on the table. Women who bring skills in technology, strategy, communications and data analysis are needed right now.
The door is open. I’d argue it’s wide open for women who are willing to walk through it and own the room.
SIA: What impediments do you see for achieving this across the security industry? What could remedy some of these impediments?
Rawji: The impediments are real and layered. There’s still a visibility gap, where women doing exceptional work aren’t being seen, promoted or credited. There’s a confidence gap that’s been manufactured by environments that don’t make women feel they belong. And there’s a pipeline gap in technical education that starts long before anyone submits a job application.
The remedies have to be specific: sponsorship over mentorship alone. Sponsorship means someone saying your name when you are not in the room. Industry programs like SIA WISF that create both community and visibility. Addressing this requires intentional leadership (men and women alike) who offer structured promotion pathways and a culture where inclusion is applied consistently. It’s a practice, not a statement.
SIA: What do you see as important trends in the security industry?
Rawji: A few stand out to me. The integration of artificial intelligence and data analytics into physical security systems is accelerating fast. Frictionless access, the expectation that security should be seamless, not intrusive, is reshaping product design and user experience.
Sustainability is becoming a genuine procurement consideration, not just a values statement. And the conversation around workforce diversity is gaining real traction, backed by data the industry can no longer ignore.
SIA: What are the biggest opportunities your company and the security industry are seeing?
Rawji: The opportunities ahead, both for our company and the industry, are centered around rethinking how people experience access. It’s about moving beyond traditional definitions of security and recognizing access as part of a broader ecosystem: one that includes safety, data and user experience.
There’s also a significant opportunity in workforce development. The industry is growing faster than the talent pipeline, and organizations that invest in people will be the ones that lead.
SIA: What do you hope the SIA Women in Security Forum can achieve for the security industry?
Rawji: I hope SIA WISF becomes the kind of organization that changes the math, not just the conversation. That means moving the needle on representation in leadership, in technical roles and on conference stages. I hope it continues to create pathways that didn’t exist before and holds the industry accountable to its own stated values around inclusion.
Being a three-time Power 100 honoree and now a legacy member of this community means everything to me, and I take that recognition as a responsibility to lift others the way I’ve been lifted. Forums like this play a critical role in amplifying voices, building community and shaping what the next generation of security leaders looks like.
SIA: What is your best advice for women in the security industry?
Rawji: Stop waiting for permission. Your perspective, your experience and your voice are assets, not extras. Find your people, build your network with intention and don’t underestimate the power of showing up consistently. You don’t have to have all the answers. You just have to be present, eager and do the work. Be willing to be willing.
Stay curious, keep learning, keep asking questions and build strong relationships along the way. The industry needs what you bring to it and it benefits every time a woman decides to own her space in it.
SIA: Who or what was the strongest influence in your career, either in or outside the security industry?
Rawji: My strongest influence has been the accumulation of women and allies (both men and women) who came before me without the structures, communities or visibility that exist today. Women who built careers in rooms that weren’t designed for them, without a roadmap. When I see what they accomplished, it humbles me and pushes me in equal measure.
Alongside that, the SIA WISF community has been a profound source of energy, challenge, sisterhood and allyship that has genuinely shaped how I think about my role in this industry. And throughout my career, leaders who led with integrity and purpose have modeled what it looks like to stay grounded while driving real change.
SIA: How do you define success?
Rawji: Success, to me, is living and working in alignment where what I do, how I do it and why I do it are all pulling in the same direction. A “oneness of purpose.” It’s about impact and relationships, not just outcomes and transactions.
It’s creating something that outlasts my presence in the room. It’s the moment a person tells me that something I said or did made him/her feel like they belonged. That’s the metric I actually care about.
SIA: What would you say to new upcoming women in the security industry?
Rawji: I would say this to anyone, regardless of gender. You belong here fully, not conditionally. Don’t shrink to make others comfortable and don’t wait until you feel “ready.” You will learn this industry by being in it.
Seek out mentors who will be honest with you, sponsors who will advocate for you and peers who will push you. Stay resilient, be intentional about your growth and find joy in the work, because this industry, at its core, is about keeping people safe. That’s a mission worth showing up for every single day.
SECURE Perspectives is a column by the Security Industry Association (SIA) profiling women in the security industry. This column is an effort from SIA’s Women in Security Forum (WISF), a community that works to engage all security professionals to promote, recruit and cultivate the leadership of women for a more inclusive and diversified industry.
