Women in Security Profile: ‘Women need to empower each other to know they belong at the table,’ says Emma Barkley

YARMOUTH, Maine—Emma Barkley, strategic sales manager for JCI Security Products, believes that there are several key elements that could increase diversity in the security industry. 

“This past summer, I had the pleasure of leading a workshop at the Security LeadHER Conference called ‘Security Women Actively Supporting Women,’" she said. “While it's common for women to say they support each other and participate in groups like WISF, we need to ask ourselves: how are we actively supporting women? What are we doing in the security industry and our organizations to attract, support, and retain female talent?”

Barkley added that women “need” to actively support female colleagues. “Often, due to subconscious insecurities, women don't support each other in the workplace,” she explained. “We need to stop seeing each other as competition and start empowering one another. I love this quote from Shelly Zalis: ‘A woman alone has power, but collectively we have impact.’”

Another element that contributes to increasing diversity is leadership, which comes in many forms, Barkley says.

“Women need to empower each other to know they belong at the table,” she stated. “It can be intimidating to be a minority in the room, so we should encourage each other to share ideas and speak up in meetings. Women have high emotional intelligence, and female leaders can demonstrate that empathy and decisiveness can coexist. We should see each other's success as our own, working together to drive more success for women overall.”

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 Barkley:

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

Barkley: As a strategic sales manager for JCI Security Products, I support consultants, architects, and engineers (A&Es) with our comprehensive range of access control and video solutions. My role involves keeping these professionals informed about the latest and upcoming product releases, and providing guidance on technical design aspects, specifications, and demonstrations.

In addition to collaborating with consultants and A&Es, I focus on the transportation sector, engaging in all aspects of business development to support our 50-plus airport customers that utilize JCI Security Products. Internally, I work closely with product management to drive the development of features and innovative technologies that meet the industry's compliance, mandates, and needs.

SSN: How did you get into the security industry? What motivates you to stay?

Barkley: Networking can happen anywhere – you never know who you'll meet, even in the restroom! My story is quite amusing: I met a woman in the restroom during a personal trip to California. I mentioned that I was looking to transition out of IT sales, and she took my resume and passed it on to a friend who was hiring in the security industry. That was almost 14 years ago.

I believe women seek purpose and value in everything we do, and when we find it, we stay motivated. As a working mom, purpose and value are especially important to my motivation. The purpose of the security industry is evident in today's world. I see value in every project, from creating a sense of safety for individuals to providing real-time situational awareness that helps someone respond and prevent bad situations.

SSN: What has been your biggest challenge in the security industry and how did (do) you overcome it?

Barkley: My biggest challenge, like many other women highlighted in these articles, is balancing my roles as a wife and a mom to young kids with my career ambitions. I travel 60-75% of the time and managing my career while ensuring I don't take away from what matters most - my family - is difficult.

The things working parents miss while traveling for work are hard, and the guilt is real. I continually network with fellow parents in similar situations to learn how they balance and overcome these challenges. While I can't say if I'll ever truly overcome this challenge, I hope to manage it well in a way that prioritizes my family first and then my career.

SSN: What advice would you give other women thinking about getting into the security industry, or who are just getting started?

Barkley: Again, I believe women are driven by purpose and value. We as women want to make a difference, and the security industry is a great place to have that impact.

If you truly consider the value of our work in the security industry - how an access control reader can prevent someone from entering a room and endangering others, how just adding a bollard on a road can stop a bad actor from hurting individuals with a vehicle, or how a camera can alert you to a bad actor and give first responders situational awareness that protects them and others - that is the purpose that can motivate anyone to join this industry.