For this edition of SECURE Perspectives, the Security Industry Association (SIA) spoke with Jenna Hardie, director of marketing and PR at HiveWatch, a member of the Women in Security Forum (WISF) Steering Committee and IlluminateHER Subcommittee, and a 2025 WISF Power 100 honoree.
Security Industry Association: How did you get into the security industry?
Jenna Hardie: More than 11 years ago, the United States Air Force relocated my husband and me to New Mexico, so I began the job hunt.
Leveraging LinkedIn, I shared that I was looking for an opportunity that would blend my background in marketing, writing and communications, and a friend I went to journalism school with reached out and said that her small boutique PR firm was looking for a content writer.
I applied and was offered the remote position of content development specialist (later moving into account manager and chief of staff and was introduced to the security industry. I quickly fell in love with the relationships that I built and the role that I played in such a critical industry.
SIA: How does your organization serve the security industry?
Hardie: HiveWatch was founded for security professionals, by security professionals, to solve the biggest challenges that these leaders face. The HiveWatch Global Security Operations Center (GSOC) Operating System, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), is an end-to-end security operations management platform that enhances corporate physical security.
It simplifies and centralizes disparate systems, streamlines operations and enables data-driven decisions.
SIA: What is your current position?
Hardie: I lead marketing and communications for HiveWatch as director of marketing and PR, where I set strategies for our internal and external messaging, plan campaigns with our head of revenue, Sara Schonfeld, manage social media, help plan events, set short- and long-term strategy, manage partner and product marketing and all the little things that add up when you work for a startup!
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?
Hardie: HiveWatch has done an incredible job of empowering women in the roles they hold, which include senior product managers, data analysts, marketing and sales leaders, GSOC operators and customer success team members.
HiveWatch has long held a belief that a diverse workforce helps drive more innovation across the company, and this rings true today.
SIA: With ever more data that shows diversity makes a better workforce, what opportunities do you see for women in the security industry?
Hardie: Women are valuable at all levels of teams within the security industry, taking a human-centric approach to leadership and the development of security technology that takes into account diversity of thought.
As the industry moves toward supporting more remote work, an emphasis on soft skills, and dedicated resources for mentorship and leadership support for women in security, the percentage of women we see enter the industry and make an impact will only increase and make way for more inclusive security cultures.
SIA: What impediments do you see for achieving this? What could remedy some of these impediments?
Hardie: While it’s changing rapidly, the industry was traditionally male dominated. I’ve seen this change a lot over the last couple of years as forward-thinking, tech-forward companies enter the industry, and they make space for multiple voices and more inclusive insights where they see a place for everyone among its ranks.
SIA: What do you see as important trends in the security industry?
Hardie: I’m stealing a line from my boss, HiveWatch co-founder and CEO Ryan Schonfeld, when I say the trend that we’re seeing is to “sprinkle a little AI on it.”
Artificial intelligence is everywhere — and for good reason. But the companies that figure out how to build AI-driven technology that actually improves a business’ bottom line are the ones that will stand out in the future, providing more than just a buzzword.
SIA: More specifically, what trends are you seeing in HiveWatch’s space of GSOC management?
Hardie: We’re seeing a lot of interest in how security teams can do more with less (or more with the same) based on the challenges in the market right now. This means maximizing existing investments in technology — or even reevaluating the tech they have in place to see if it’s redundant.
In the GSOC space, this can mean multiple solutions that can be replaced with a single platform that does everything that needs to be done — and brings in incidents from various point solutions (like video and ACS) to be triaged and acted on according to internal protocols.
SIA: What do you hope the SIA Women in Security Forum can achieve for the security industry?
Hardie: I hope that the SIA Women in Security Forum is able to create a safe, welcoming space for women looking to make connections with other women and their male ally counterparts and work together to build our presence in the industry.
The more diverse voices that are present, the better able our industry will be to meet the demand for safe, resilient and secure places to live, work and play. More tactically, I hope that we’re able to create multiple touch points throughout the year — both in-person and virtually — to bring in women who might not otherwise have the chance to network face to face.
SIA: What is your best advice for women in the security industry?
Hardie: Find an ally. Whether it’s a colleague or friend, having someone who can help you grow as a professional is super critical to success. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the people I’ve connected with and learned from at multiple stages of my career (my first ally taught me the difference between an integrator/consultant/manufacturer — which was a foreign concept to me!)
SIA: Who or what was the strongest influence in your career?
Hardie: The clients that I served while in my first role had one of the strongest influences on my career and taught me that my skill set could be leveraged to directly impact the success of businesses in the space through the stories we told.
I learned so much from working with diverse teams, varied expectations and developing relationships across the industry that have been impactful in the roles I’ve held since. Another influence that has had an immense impact on my work and success was working through SIA’s Talent Inclusion Mentorship Education program with Kathleen Carroll, former vice president of communications for HID Global.
She helped me navigate a new role with grace, guided me through communications-related challenges, provided insights for building a network and so much more.
SIA: How do you define success?
Hardie: Personally, I define success by knowing people feel comfortable asking me for help with whatever they’re dealing with. Professionally, I define success by being able to meaningfully connect the people who need connecting.
Need an intro for a job? I want to help! Need to meet someone from a specific company? I am happy to make the introduction! Need help promoting an event or tag-teaming a marketing initiative? Let’s brainstorm some ideas! That’s how I define success — being that connection.
SIA: What would you say to new upcoming women in the security industry?
Hardie: The sky is the limit here. Whether you’re looking to be in sales, on the technical side, building relationships or marketing solutions — all of these opportunities are available on a scale that’s much smaller than mainstream technology companies. And, in many cases, the impact you can have is limitless.
Also: make networking a priority (it’s the relationship building that will serve you well). And finally, never underestimate the power of a good mentor. There are so many women in the industry who have valuable insights to share. Reach out to them for guidance and mentorship knowing that they want to help elevate your voice and see you succeed.
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.
