For this installment of “On the RISE,” the Security Industry Association spoke with Sarah Webel, human resources generalist at SAGE Integration and a member of the RISE Steering Committee.
Security Industry Association: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your career path.
Sarah Webel: I grew up in Akron, Ohio, and built my career in human resources by diving into every aspect of the field. I started out in recruiting where my passion for people and workplace culture led me to expand my expertise across all areas of HR.
That passion quickly grew into a broader interest in what makes workplaces thrive — from culture and employee experience to compliance, payroll, benefits and employee relations. Today I serve as an HR generalist at SAGE Integration, where I get to support our people across the full employee life cycle.
Whether it’s helping a new hire get acclimated, navigating policy and compliance, resolving workplace issues or driving initiatives that strengthen our culture, I’m proud to play a role in building and supporting the teams that keep businesses and communities safe.
To further enhance my career, I’m deeply involved in the HR and security communities. I earned my SHRM-CP certification and am currently working on my People Analytics designation to continue growing my expertise.
In October 2023, I joined the Akron SHRM board as hospitality chair. Later, I was elected director at large in November 2024. In January 2025, I joined the SIA RISE Steering Committee to help guide and support the next generation of security professionals.
For me, HR is about more than policies and processes; it’s about people. I’m passionate about fostering strong teams, creating opportunities for growth and making a lasting impact in the workplaces and communities I serve.
SIA: What first got you interested in security and safety as a career choice?
Webel: Honestly, security wasn’t on my radar until I started my conversations with SAGE. As I researched the industry to prepare for those meetings — and even more so after joining the team — I realized just how vast and intricate security really is. It touches so many industries and plays a crucial role in keeping businesses and communities safe.
The more I learned, the more I appreciated the complexity and impact of the work, which ultimately drew me in.
SIA: Who has influenced or mentored you — either within the security industry or outside?
Webel: I’ve been fortunate to have had many mentors throughout my career, both formally and informally. Whether with my fellow board members at Akron SHRM or with the newer connections I’ve made in the security industry, I’ve always felt welcomed and supported, even as a newcomer.
Mentorship has been key to my growth, and as John C. Crosby once said, “Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen and a push in the right direction.”
SIA: What’s something most people don’t know about you?
Webel: Most people don’t know that some of my happiest moments come from the simplest things, such as the quiet stillness of a hike, losing myself in the pages of a good book, baking a sourdough loaf to enjoy with friends or watching something I planted finally bloom.
Hiking reminds me that every uphill climb is worth the view. Reading opens my mind to new perspectives and ideas. Baking shows me the beauty and of patience and precision. And gardening teaches me that growth takes time, care and a little faith.
SIA: What are some challenges and advantages of being a young professional in the security industry?
Webel: Being a young professional in the security industry — and, really, in any industry — means constantly realizing how much there is to learn. There’s a lot you don’t know and that can be intimidating in an industry as filled with as many experienced professionals as the security industry is.
But that also makes it the perfect time to be a sponge — absorbing knowledge, asking questions and learning from those who have been in the field for years. Security is always evolving, and being open to new ideas, technologies and perspectives is a huge advantage.
Organizations including SIA, RISE and PSA make it easier to connect with mentors and gain real-world insights. The key is embracing the learning curve, staying curious and open and taking every opportunity to grow.
SIA: What advice do you have for young professionals just starting out in the security industry?
Webel: Get involved! You can’t grow in isolation. I owe much of my success to the incredible communities I’ve had the chance to be a part of. Being surrounded by a network of peers who challenge you, offer new perspectives and provide opportunities to learn is priceless. It’s through these connections that I’ve truly been able to grow.
SIA: What do you enjoy most about being at your company — and in the security industry?
Webel: Working at SAGE has been an incredible journey. Our leadership team consists of some of the most genuine, empowering individuals, and I am truly honored to work alongside them and learn from their wisdom.
Simon Sinek once said, “Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.” Seeing those words come to life every day at SAGE has been nothing short of humbling. It’s a reminder that leadership is about lifting others up, and that’s exactly what we strive to do at SAGE.
This focus on people is what makes security so meaningful to me. It’s about not just protecting assets but also keeping people safe, supporting them and empowering them to thrive. I love connecting with others, learning their unique stories and discovering how I can best support them in this shared mission.
In the security industry, we’re surrounded by passionate, driven professionals who are all working toward the same goal — to make the world a safer place.
SIA: How do you define success?
Webel: I define success as living with meaning and purpose — knowing that the work I do makes a real difference. It’s about contributing to something larger than myself and having a positive impact on the people and communities I’m a part of.
Success isn’t just about achieving personal milestones; it’s about finding fulfillment in helping others, creating change and knowing that my actions are helping to make the world a better place. When you’re aligned with a greater purpose and can see the difference you’re making, that’s true success.
SIA: How do you think the SIA RISE community can help foster the careers of young people in the industry? What does RISE offer that is most important to you/your company?
Webel: Two weeks after I started with SAGE, they sent me to AcceleRISE. This was the perfect spot to hear about new ideas, learn business skills and gain some serious inspiration in my new role.
I learned about RISE from attending AcceleRISE and am so thankful for those initial connections. Being able to learn about the security industry and network with other young professionals gave me a significant advantage right from the start.
I can’t recommend being part of RISE enough. From in-person and virtual networking events to webinars and e-learning on a wide range of industry topics, RISE has a little bit of everything.
But RISE isn’t just about providing knowledge — it fosters a sense of community and belonging, creating a space where young professionals can ask questions, share challenges and learn from each other’s experiences.
Through RISE, we’re given opportunities to step into leadership roles, gain real-world insights from seasoned professionals and build the confidence to shape our own careers. This kind of support not only accelerates individual growth but also strengthens the industry as a whole by developing the next generation of leaders.
SIA: What are some key components of your role with SAGE Integration?
Webel: At SAGE, one of our core values is “Empowered Team.” In every decision we make and every move we make, we keep empowering our team at the center. My role is centered around that value.
Whether it’s a new policy we’re rolling out, a new program or making changes to a procedure, my job is to ensure that our team feels valued and empowered through all of it.
SIA: What key challenges, opportunities and/or trends do you see as most important to the security industry — or more specifically to integrators like SAGE?
Webel: As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, keeping up with new developments is both a challenge and an opportunity. Many companies still adhere to the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality, which can hinder innovation. The key is balancing legacy systems with the need to innovate and adopt new solutions to stay competitive and meet the ever-changing demands of the industry.
SIA: What drew you to HR in security, and what role does HR play in the industry?
Webel: What drew me to HR in the security industry was the people-first mission behind it. Security is all about protecting others — keeping people, places and information safe. That core purpose really aligned with why I got into HR in the first place: to support people, help them grow and create environments where they can succeed.
Being a service-based industry, HR plays a vital role in security. Whether it’s recruiting the right talent, developing leaders or creating a culture of trust and accountability, HR helps build the foundation that allows security teams to do their best work. We’re not just supporting the business. We’re helping protect what matters most: our people.
SIA: In addition to your work at SAGE, you’re a volunteer both with RISE and in HR locally in your community. Could you tell us about your volunteer efforts and how you share your expertise as part of the RISE community?
Webel: Giving back through volunteering has always been important to me. Outside of my role at SAGE, serving on my local SHRM board is a great way to stay connected to the HR community, stay up to date on compliance and legislation and help create opportunities for other professionals to grow.
I am serving on the SIA RISE Steering Committee, which has been such a rewarding experience. RISE connects me to the broader security industry and gives me exposure to the more technical and operational sides of the field — something that really complements my HR background.
Being involved in both organizations gives me the best of both worlds: SHRM keeps me grounded in the HR space, while SIA RISE helps me grow in my understanding of the industry I support. I love being part of communities that are all about learning, lifting each other up and building the future together.
SIA: What has been the most rewarding accomplishment or experience in your career in the security industry?
Webel: One of the things I’m most proud of so far in my career at SAGE is building trust with my team and becoming a resource that they rely on. Knowing that people rely on me and value my input has been incredibly fulfilling, and it motivates me to keep growing and giving my best every day.
SIA: What are your predictions for where the security industry may be headed in the next five to 10 years?
Webel: In the next five to 10 years, I see the security industry leaning heavily into automation and artificial intelligence. As technology evolves, a lot of the repetitive tasks, like monitoring and data analysis, will likely be automated. This will free up security professionals to focus on more critical and complex problems.
AI will become a game-changer for things like threat detection, helping systems identify risks more accurately and quickly — almost in real time. While automation will make things more efficient, I think the human touch will always be essential for overseeing decisions and making sure everything runs smoothly.
On the RISE is a column by the Security Industry Association (SIA) in partnership with Security Sales & Integration profiling the next generation of security industry leaders. This column is part of SIA RISE, a community that fosters the careers of young professionals in the security through networking and career growth events, education and professional development offerings and scholarship and mentorship opportunities.
