Many security professionals enter the field by mere happenstance or begin their career in another sector. Josefina Borghi was different.

“As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to devote myself to the concepts of justice and giving back to society,” she muses. “Security is not only my work, but also my passion. I breathe security. I go to bed thinking of how to resolve a case. I take a shower trying to find new ways to catch the bad guys.”

Borghi is charged with the international portfolio of Buenos Aires-based corporate investigations firm GIF Consultora, meaning that she handles all clients coming from outside Latin America. In a typical day, she’ll begin doing conference calls and writing emails in English and then turn to speaking to her team in Spanish or Portuguese, depending on the location of the job.

“My job is really the definition of multicultural,” she reflects. “I have to not only change the chip of my brain and speak another language, I have to take into consideration the diversity of the people of my team and of the local sources in each region.”

An especially memorable case for Borghi required the coordination of various sources in different countries. At the beginning, the case was believed to be localized in a specific region, but the team soon realized that the scope was much bigger.

“It was because of our connections and network that we managed to get to the bottom of that specific case,” she concludes.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the professional network of ASIS International is instrumental in the success of Borghi’s team. She was first introduced to ASIS by her boss, who was involved in ASIS volunteer leadership. As she helped support him with some minor activities, she realized the potential of being a member.

“ASIS helps to build bridges, bring professionals closer, and establish strong relationships,” she explains. “ASIS helped me amplify my network of trusted professionals. As my job requires me to work in different locations all over Latin America, it is important to know trusted and reliable local professionals.”

Her boss, who holds the Certified Protection Professional (CPP^®) ASIS board certification in security management, thought Borghi could benefit from achieving the Professional Certified Investigator (PCI^®) certification. He motivated her to study for and pass the exam.

“The PCI certification has helped me to obtain recognition from my clients,” she explains. “I strongly believe that having a PCI makes you stand out when competing for biddings and tenders. It proves to people that may not know you at all that you work with global recognized standards.”

To others who may be interested in pursuing their own certification, Borghi recommends reaching out to an ASIS certified professional.

“There are plenty of study groups organized by ASIS members and chapters, but it is also valuable to connect with someone who already passed the exam,” she says. “This can help you visualize what is coming—from even the booth where the exam is taken and the time that it takes to pass the exam. These conversations can be useful to decrease any anxiety.”

Profile by Steven Barnett, ASIS Communications Specialist