Women in Security profile: ‘The industry needs to embrace diverse voices at the table,’ says Rachelle Loyear

YARMOUTH, Maine—Rachelle Loyear, vice president for integrated solutions at Allied Universal, believes a range of perspectives are required to effectively address complex problems in the security industry. 

“The industry needs to embrace diverse voices at the table, beyond just gender, sexual orientation or race,” she said. “We need to reflect our customers better to craft effective security programs. Diversity should include different backgrounds and experiences, such as technology, business and different generations. This variety helps create stronger, more comprehensive security solutions.” 

As part of Security Systems News’ and the SIA Women in Security Forum’s continuing series highlighting the contributions of women in security, the following is an exclusive Q&A with Loyear:  

SSN: What is your current position and your current roles and responsibilities? 

Loyear: My position at Allied Universal is unique in that I help current and prospective customers understand the correct mix of integrated security solutions that align with their areas of risk concern. My job exists to ensure everyone has a risk-based conversation. With so many options in the security world, it’s essential to consider the correct segment you're targeting, the risks you're looking at, the threats you’re trying to control, and the necessary security impacts. Different mixes of security services, solutions and products will align differently for various threats. My role is to facilitate these conversations, provide our organization with the tools to have these discussions and conduct them myself.  

SSN: How did you get into the security industry? 

Loyear: I sort of fell into the security industry by accident. I started in technology as a web developer, and one of my projects involved building a piece of the intranet for the security department. This project fascinated me, and I became excited about what they were doing. When a job opened up in the security department, I contacted the person I had worked with, expressed my interest, and he took a chance on moving me into his department.  

SSN: What has your journey been like in a male-dominated industry? 

Loyear: Interestingly, I started in technology and development before moving into security, so I’ve always been in male-dominated fields. It’s much better now than when I started. I remember my first high-level meeting, where there was clearly confusion about why I was there, but that kind of reaction is rare now.