Leading ASIS Into a New Era

More than 200 senior ASIS volunteers representing every region around the globe convened at the Hilton National Mall Hotel in Washington, D.C., for the annual Leadership Exchange. The last week in January 2020, attendees engaged in a forum presented by ASIS leaders for ASIS leaders, discussing leadership best practices and a strategic vision for the association.

ASIS 2020 President Godfried Hendriks, CPP, kicked things off with the association’s Annual Business Meeting, in which he was joined by President-Elect John Petruzzi, Jr., CPP, and Chief Executive Officer Peter J. O’Neil, FASAE, CAE, to provide an update on key ASIS priorities for the year.

Strategic discussions examined the progress of the global governance initiative. In 2020, ASIS realized the launch of its first Global Board of Directors. North American and European regional boards will be formed this year and seated in 2021, with both boards set to receive direct representation on the Global Board. New regional advisory committees for Latin America, Middle East/North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia and Oceania will be formed in 2021 and seated in 2022.

Following the Annual Business Meeting, futurist Scott Klososky spoke to the group about the future of security. “As we have learned in the first 20 years of digital transformation,” he shared, “every progression opens new opportunities for the security sector to take advantage of emerging tools to enhance safety and security—just as it opens opportunities for bad actors to exploit vulnerabilities.”

ASIS volunteers took the reins the rest of the way, discussing methods to enhance the ASIS member experience, foster collaboration, empower security professionals to impact change, and serve members’ global needs.

The event concluded with the President’s Reception, where Hendriks received the ceremonial flag from the association’s past presidents. With this year’s launch of the Global Board, the presidents for the first time passed a global flag—not the American flag, as had been tradition.

“All of us respect and appreciate the flag of the United States very much,” Hendriks commented. “Most of my colleagues are aware that I view the U.S. as my second homeland, and often I am proudly wearing as pins the flags of the U.S. and The Netherlands.”

Before departing, many ASIS leaders pledged themselves to new commitments for 2020. Some set their sights on raising funds to support ASIS student members. Some aimed to demonstrate the value of ASIS membership by creating new content to share in communities of practice on ASIS Connects. Others pledged to become mentors for ASIS young professionals.

To view event photos, visit flickr.com/asisinternational.

Attending GSX From Abroad

Global Security Exchange (GSX) mult­iplies access to the expertise, con­nections, and innovations our com­munity of global security professionals need to serve as valued leaders and trusted advisors in today’s complex
and rapidly evolving enterprise security risk landscape.

Some 20,000 security professionals from more than 100 countries will assem­ble at GSX 2020 in Atlanta 21–23 September to connect with their global peers and explore the trends and technologies driving the security industry. If you’re considering traveling internationally to attend GSX, the time to start planning is now.

You may need to acquire a visa to enter the United States, so we strongly encourage you to register now. Once registered, you can download an invi­tation letter that is needed to obtain your visa. This can be a lengthy process—so get started well in advance of the event. Visit usembassy.gov for details that may apply specifically to your country.

Consider organizing your colleagues and forming a delegation in your country. Delegation members receive special discounts and other benefits.

The International Lounge in the exhibit hall is a relaxing space to recharge and connect with colleagues from around the world, offering refreshments, complimentary Wi-Fi access, and private conference rooms for meetings. Visit GSX.org to learn more.

Standards and Guidelines News

ASIS International standards and guidelines serve as critical resources and business tools for ASIS members, as well as for the broader security industry and business community around the globe. In addition, they serve as key resources for certification, learning programs, and overall professional development.

As such, ASIS is making a commitment to its members and the industry at large to make its standards and guidelines more affordable and accessible to individuals and companies around the globe.

New pricing, beginning 1 April, provides members an average of 55 percent savings on all ASIS standards and guidelines and ensures that individuals who prefer a professionally printed, bound version (softcover) of the document can obtain one at an affordable price.

In addition, due to today’s risk landscape around information and cybersecurity, ASIS International has transitioned its standards and guidelines from PDF format to online e-books. This is part of the digital transformation effort to provide important documents to members in a digital, mobile-friendly, and safe environment. This change also safeguards ASIS’s intellectual property, while still providing the valuable content in a timely and secure manner.

Moving forward, ASIS will continue to provide its members with free unlimited online access to existing and new standards and guidelines as they are developed, including the upcoming 2020 publication of:

• Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention Standard which includes a new annex to address active assailant/shooter incidents (revision of 2011 standard).
• Security Awareness Standard (new standard).

Learn more at asisonline.org/standards.

CSO Summit

18–19 May
Washington, D.C., USA
The ASIS International CSO Center is an exclusive group of the world’s top security leaders from the largest and most influential global organizations. In May 2020, this community will gather in Washington, D.C., to explore a wide variety of critical issues and compare approaches and strategies to best prepare for an uncertain future.

This annual meeting of industry leaders, dubbed “CSO Influence: Leading in Uncertain Times,” will explore the key topics of:

• Risk management in a world of constant volatility—forces in play;
• Global talent management—from hiring and retaining to wellness and mitigating stress;
• The analytics factor—making sense of multiple inputs; and
• External forces—anticipating dynamic global change and the evolution of the threat landscape.

“Our industry has become very fluid in recent years as we collectively deal with issues such as digital transformation, enterprise security risk management, and the ever-evolving threat landscape,” says CSO Center Board Chair Scott Lowther, CPP. “The CSO Summit is the premier annual event for senior security executives to come together and share ideas about tackling these developing concerns.”

The CSO Summit is open only to CSO Center members and those eligible for CSO Center membership. Learn more at asisonline.org/CSOSummit.

Life Members

ASIS congratulates John M. Boal, CPP, PCI, PSP; Sandra M. Cowie, CPP; and Mara Wasar, CPP, for becoming life members.

John Boal has been an ASIS member for 22 years. He earned his CPP in 2006, his PCI in 2007, and his PSP in 2012. Boal has been an active member of the Akron-Canton Chapter, serving as vice chair and chair.

Sandra Cowie has been an ASIS member for 27 years and has held her CPP since 1995. She served on the ASIS Board of Directors from 2000 to 2005, after holding leadership positions in the Central Iowa Chapter and as an ASIS regional vice president. Cowie also sat on the ASIS Foundation Board of Directors, where she was president and vice president.

Mara Wasar has been a member of ASIS for 35 years and earned her CPP in 1993. She has been active in the Chicago Chapter as chair and vice chair. Wasar also served ASIS as an assistant regional vice president, a regional vice president, and a senior regional vice president.