'20 under 40' Class of 2018—Jennifer Theobald

Jennifer Theobald, 34

VP of operations, Rapid Security Solutions

Sarasota, Fla.

Jennifer Theobald, the VP of operations for Rapid Security Solutions, came to the security industry in an unexpected way.

Theobald was a server in the city she still lives in, Colorado Springs, Colo.—the city where security software company Bold Technologies is based. “When I was in school, I was serving at a local bar and restaurant, and the leadership team from Bold would come in relatively regularly, and they would sit in my section. So, I got to know their names and remembered what drinks they like,” she said. “They started to ask if I wanted to come work with them. I brushed it off for a little while.”

After deciding to interview, Chuck Speck—then the VP of Bold Technologies—convinced her to join the business. In addition to Bold, Theobald has worked with Rapid Response Monitoring, Milestone, Axis Communications, and joined Rapid Security in 2017.

Rapid Security Solutions, founded in 2007, has five branches throughout Florida. “There are different sizes and there are different management tiers represented within the different branches. So, my role is [to] make sure that everything is running smoothly.”

Theobald also works with the company's president and CEO on Rapid's growth goals, strategic initiatives and new potential vertical markets.

“We've got a lot of goals and we're marching steadily toward them,” Theobald said. For example, the company is currently at $6 million in annual revenue and seeks to hit $10 million by 2020. To accomplish this, Rapid is focusing on service and new vertical markets, she said.

As far as new technologies in security, Theobald said that she is a big proponent of video. “As costs become more approachable for people, and as capital expenditure budgets increase as well, understanding the value that visibility can provide, I think analytics really are the most exciting thing that are happening.”