Security Sales & Integration March 2022 - 34

SPECIAL REPORT
SSI Hall of Fame
Class of 2022
HALL FAME
INDUSTRY
OF
Why She's on the List
▶ 30+ years setting industry standard as a
marketing professional and product manager
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 Industries,
RS2, ComNet and Open Options
Kim Loy
Chief Product Officer,
ACRE
THE LOY FILE
▶ 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
▶ Prior to ACRE, served as director of technology
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
34
Security Sales & Integration MARCH 2022
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. "
A mentor for women in security, Kim Loy was
recognized among the Top 50 Women in Tech at
2021's National Diversity & Leadership event.
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. "
securitysales.com
2022
http://www.securitysales.com
Security Sales & Integration March 2022

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