Security Sales & Integration September 2022 - 88

On the RISE
In Partnership With
Benji Bolick Is Pumped for
Security's Next Generation
▶ What first got you interested in
security and safety as a career choice?
BB: My father-in-law, who has been in the industry
for 30 years, never really talked about what
he did. He always told us that no one wants to
hear him talk about doors and security. I never
thought to pry, but I wish I had 10 years earlier
than I did. I was looking for a new career to get
into, and a position with the company he worked
for, ASSA ABLOY, opened up where we wanted
to live. He told me that he could get me an interview,
but I would have to get the job - and I did!
Benji Bolick, senior digital
communications specialist
at ASSA ABLOY Opening
Solutions.
What has your career path been?
BB: I
started out four years ago with ASSA
On the RISE is a bi-monthly
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's RISE initiative, 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 opportunities.
ABLOY as an end-user specialist, consulting
with end users who were currently using our
products and creating demand for new products
and solutions. Everything was going great,
and we were making some great progress in the
territory. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit,
everything changed. I wasn't able to travel and
visit with customers anymore. I wasn't effectively
creating demand for products and able to assist
end users with their issues.
That is when I started using LinkedIn as a tool
to connect with my customers. I started creating
content, engaging with others in the industry and
expanding my LinkedIn network. Lucas Boselli,
our executive vice president and head of the ASSA
ABLOY Americas division, saw some of my content,
gave me words of encouragement and wanted
to know how he could better support me.
That conversation progressed into other conversations,
and he introduced me to some of his
team and ultimately got me to my current position
with ASSA ABLOY as senior digital communications
specialist.
Who has influenced or mentored you -
within the security field or outside?
BB: I believe that you can learn something from
everyone you meet. I just recently signed up for
SIA RISE's Talent Inclusion Mentorship Education
program. I've only have had a couple of
calls with my new mentor - Brian Coulombe,
senior manager, physical security for Amazon -
but I am sold on the program and have already
learned so much! I cannot recommend the TIME
program enough. Find a mentor - grow and influence
this industry.
What are some challenges and advantages
of being a young professional in security?
BB: The biggest challenge facing young professionals
coming into this industry would be that the
security industry is not simple. It is too complex,
and there are too many components of security for
one person to know it all. Even if you have been
in the industry for 20+ years, you still don't know
it all. It's one of those industries where the more
you know, the more you know that you don't know
much at all. It can be very overwhelming at times.
The advantage we have over others is that the
industry has gone through some major changes
in the last 10 years, and with the advancement of
technology it will continue to change at a compounding
rate. Young professionals tend to be
more adaptive to new technologies than some of
the " old timers " and will have a large advantage
in shaping the industry in the next 10+ years.
Also, it is no surprise to any of us that we are in
an " older " industry, and with the number of people
retiring in the next five-10 years, there will
be massive opportunities to advance our careers!
What are your predictions for where the
security industry may be headed in the
next five to 10 years?
BB: I believe there will be more changes to our
industry in the next five to 10 years than there
has been in the past 50 years - not only because
of the mass exodus of the " older " generation, but
also with the ever-changing landscape of how
quickly technology innovates on itself. These will
be exciting times to be in the industry and lead to
many opportunities for our young professionals to
change and shape the trajectory of the future.
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