Webinar – International Women’s Day: Embracing Your Whole Self

About this event…

On International Women’s Day, The Security Institute want to take the opportunity to celebrate all women in the security sector. To do this, we need to recognise that women are not all the same (as all men are not the same). In this webinar, 5 women will tell their very different personal stories of growth within the security sector, what challenges they faced, as well as what factors enabled them to reach the position they are in today.

You can look forward to hearing from Anna-Liisa Tampuu ASyl, Kate Bright CSyP, Javeria Malik MSyl, Lisa Reilly MSyI, and Monicah Kimeu.

Chair: Anna-Liisa Tampuu ASyl

Co-Chair of the Inclusive Security Special Interest Group, The Security Institute

Anna-Liisa has over 8 years of experience across the security sector, most recently working for a global emergency assistance company, gaining valuable experience as the head of intelligence and analysis. Driven by her entrepreneurial spirit, in 2019, Anna-Liisa founded SheTravel, a platform focused on safe travel for women.

Anna-Liisa is an Associate Member of The Security Institute and a Co-chair of the Inclusive Security Special Interest Group. The group works on projects to improve industry practices and ultimately build a stronger, more inclusive workforce. In 2021, Anna-Liisa was selected to join UN Women UK delegation to the 65th Commission on the Status of Women in 2021, hosted at UN Headquarters, joining online.

Anna-Liisa holds an MA in International Relations and Security and a BA in Politics and Governance with a complementary year in Criminology. After her studies, Anna-Liisa was a trainee with NATO HQ Counter-Terrorism Section in Emerging Security Challenges Division. Anna-Liisa also volunteered as a caseworker for Victim Support in London.

Kate Bright CSyP

Kate Bright is the CEO and Founder of UMBRA International and a Chartered Security Professional. She is Close Protection (bodyguard) trained and worked in and with private security as a Chief of Staff to International wealthy families in London from 2000-2015. She has over 20 years of Private Client experience, and is considered by her clients as the ‘go to’ for what she and UMBRA have coined as ‘Secure Lifestyle’.

Kate is a member of the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals and a Trustee of their Charitable Trust. She is a Companion of the Institute of Leadership & Management and sits on the British Army Gender Advisory Council, under the guidance of the Army’s Gender Champion. She is a Freeman of the City of London. She sits on the Committee for the Supporting Wounded Veterans charity and is a Veterans Aid Ambassador.

Javeria Malik MSyl

Javeria Malik is an accomplished Communications and Security Risk Management Professional from Pakistan, with 15 years of experience advising non-profit organisations on media & communication strategies and security risk management policies and standards.  She is an experienced crisis manager and security trainer with a focus on humanitarian contexts and political risk management in the context of social justice activism.

Javeria is currently associated with ActionAid, an international human rights based federation, as their Global Safety & Security Lead. She’s Chair of the Board of Directors of International NGO Safety and Security Association(INSSA), Fellow of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management (ISRM) and member of ASIS International and The Security Institute UK. A journalist by training, Javeria is a motivational speaker on intersectional safety and security issues and feminist leadership.

Lisa Reilly MSyI

Lisa Reilly MSyl, has worked with the Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF) as Executive Director since 2011. She has over 16 years’ overseas experience in the development and humanitarian response sector, working in a variety of programme management roles in both Africa and Asia. Starting as an engineer, Lisa’s security knowledge comes from implementing programmes in various conflict and post-conflict countries. In her current role, Lisa exercises overall responsibility for GISF, supporting the collaboration and exchange of information and best practice between members and the wider network of humanitarian security risk specialists.

Lisa’s work with GISF and her own therapy journey has led her to appreciate how staff mental health is an integral part of effective security risk management. She is a qualified counsellor and in her final year of advanced training for becoming a Transactional Analysis Therapist and works with individuals and organisations to support well-being. (www.lisareilly.co.uk).

Lisa is also Co-Chair of the Inclusive Security, a Security Institute SIG and Winner of the 2020 Women in Security Awards, Contribution to Industry.

Ms Monicah Kimeu

Monicah Kimeu is a Security Training and Communications Consultant with 15 years experience in Security Training and Development with keen interest in empowering women in safety and security spaces. She is a Founder Member and the Secretary General of the Association of Women In Safety Excellence (WISE) championing for diversity and inclusion, women’s progressive career paths, safe and secure working environments and their active participation in leadership roles.

She is also a Founder Member and the Deputy Secretary General of the Protective and Safety Association of Kenya (PROSAK) having previously worked as Director Corporate Communications and PR for the Kenya Institute of Security and Criminal Justice (KICJ).

Ms. Kimeu runs Mo n’ More Concepts Ltd, a training and development company that seeks to improve business performance of organizations through tailored training programs with a security lens. She is a superior facilitator for cross-functional organizational structures and management deliverables for internal and external publics. In 2020 she was among the pioneer judges for the Kenya Outstanding Security Performance Awards and in 2022 she is on the judging panel.

Ms. Kimeu is at the heart of the private security sector reform process in Kenya.