SILVER SPRING, Md.—The Security Industry Association (SIA) has named Martin Gren as the 2025 recipient of the George R. Lippert Memorial Award and Yazmina Rawji of dormakaba as the 2025 recipient of the SIA Progress Award.
The Lippert Memorial Award is an annual honor presented to “a distinguished individual for long-term, selfless service to the security industry and to SIA,” according to the association announcement. The SIA Progress Award is presented by SIA’s Women in Security Forum (WISF) community celebrating individuals “who pave the way to success for women in the security industry,” the announcement says.
Gren and Rawji will be presented with their awards on Nov. 19 during the 2025 SIA Celebrates & Honors event during ISC East in New York City.
More About 2025 SIA Lippert Memorial and Progress Award Winners
Gren is a co-founder of Axis Communications and currently serves as chairman of Axis Communications AB. He is also a board member of Proact, a pan-European storage specialist; LumenRadio, a professional lightning company; and Harald Lunden holding, an investment company.
He led the team who created the world’s first network camera in 1996 and was inducted into the Security Industry Hall of Fame by Security Sales & Integration in 2014. Gren “has been a strong advocate of SIA over the course of his over 20-year career in the security industry,” and he has spoken at multiple SIA events, including the Securing New Ground conference.
“I am honored to receive the George Lippert Memorial Award,” says Gren in the SIA announcement. “I share this recognition with my colleagues at Axis who work every day toward our vision of making the world a smarter, safer place. Axis is proud of its strong, long-standing partnership with SIA and we look forward to continuing to support, strengthen and grow the community that drives our industry forward.”
SIA’s Lippert Award is named in honor of George R. Lippert, who dedicated more than 20 years of his life to SIA and the security industry. When evaluating candidates for this award, SIA’s committee considers nominees’ long-term service to SIA and the security industry, the impact of their efforts on behalf of SIA and the industry and the integrity, leadership and diplomacy displayed in their industry dealings.
Image courtesy of Security Industry Association
Rawji is a relationship manager at dormakaba for the access automation solutions vertical, where she “plays a key role in driving customer acquisition, business growth and market expansion for both dormakaba USA, Inc. and Alvarado dormakaba Group,” according to the SIA announcement.
Before entering the security industry, she served as the international market development director for a voice-over-IP startup, where she specialized in global business expansion. Rawji has also worked alongside some of the world’s most renowned speakers and trainers, including Tony Robbins, Les Brown, and Dr. Brian Weiss, helping bring transformative insights to a global audience.
Rawji “actively champions initiatives that empower women and allies in the security and manufacturing industries,” with leadership roles including serving on the SIA WISF Steering Committee and as co-chairperson of the WISF AmbassadHER subcommittee, serving as chairperson of the dormakaba Women’s Network Americas, serving on the steering committee of Women in Manufacturing California, serving on the Security LeadHER planning committee, serving as a member of the Lean In Circle and speaking and presenting at a variety of industry events.
She was named to the WISF Power 100 list in 2024 and 2025 and received SIA’s Sandy Jones Volunteer of the Year Award in 2025. Rawji is also deeply committed to community service, volunteering with organizations such as the South Asian Helpline and Referral Agency and OneLegacy.
“Being selected for the SIA Progress Award is a profound honor,” says Rawji in the SIA announcement. “This recognition is not mine alone; it reflects the work of those who paved the way before me, my mentors and managers who have guided me and the colleagues and cheerleaders who supported me along the way.
“Advancing women in the security industry is not just important; it’s essential for innovation, growth and the future of our field. This award is a celebration of how far we’ve come and a reminder of the work that still lies ahead. I remain committed to opening doors, mentoring others and ensuring every woman has the opportunity to lead and thrive. I am humbled, honored and most grateful for this recognition,” she says.
In addition to presenting Rawji with the 2025 SIA Progress Award, SIA will recognize security industry veteran Sandra Jones with the first-ever honorary Progress Award.
Jones was the creator of SIA’s New Products and Solutions Awards and a co-founder and producer of the Securing New Ground conference and served as two-term president of SIA, and she is one of only six industry leaders to have been awarded an honorary SIA membership.
