The Security Industry Association (SIA) has named Kasia Hanson as the new chair of the SIA Women in Security Forum. Hanson — global director for IoT partner sales for digital safety and security in multiple areas, including creating safe cities and sports and entertainment, at Intel Corporation — will lead the forum in offering programs, professional development opportunities and networking events to support the participation of women in the security industry.

Kasia Hanson is a sales executive with a history of impact in artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), data center, cloud, networking, storage solutions, cybersecurity and software. She joined Intel in 2000, and over the past 20 years she has delivered solutions globally for the company with multi-billion-dollar customers including Hewlett Packard and Oracle, distribution partners, the security industry and end users. In her current role, she drives Intel’s presence and revenue in the global video industry, develops and executes partner sales acceleration initiatives and directs ecosystem development and scale initiatives around AI and IoT, with an emphasis on computer vision and deep learning in the video industry.

“I am honored to lead the SIA Women in Security Forum and look forward to applying my experience in technology to the outstanding foundation that has been built over the years,”  Hanson said. “Diversity of experience and inclusion of the full community of security professionals is so important, and I look forward to working with SIA to bring more women into the industry to create an amazing and safe future.”

Hanson has served on the SIA Women in Security Forum’s education and outreach subcommittee since 2019. She participates in several industry initiatives to advance the use of AI and IoT in cities and sports, including the Innovation Institute for Fan Experience and the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security, and served as a board member for Women of the Channel in 2017 and 2018. She also led the Economic Recovery team for Intel’s Pandemic Response Technology Initiative.

“SIA’s Women in Security Forum has made remarkable accomplishments over the last three years, and the valuable contributions of the WISF Steering Committee and Forum members like Kasia Hanson have helped make these achievements possible,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “We applaud Kasia for her leadership and service to SIA and the industry, congratulate her on her new role leading the Women in Security Forum and look forward to partnering with her in promoting the advancement of a diverse and inclusive security workforce.”

Founded in 2018, SIA’s Women in Security Forum works to engage all security professionals to promote, recruit and cultivate the leadership of women for a more inclusive and diversified industry. The forum’s key efforts and activities include the SIA Progress Award, which celebrates individuals who advance opportunities and pave the way to success for women in the security industry; the SIA Women in Security Forum Scholarship, which furthers educational opportunities and promotes advancement for a SIA members and student members; the forum’s Speakers Bureau, which helps SIA members bring a more diverse perspective to the security industry; charitable giving initiatives; collaborative projects with other organizations that seek to empower women in the security and technology fields; sponsorship of the Women in Biometrics Awards, which recognize distinguished female leaders in the biometric identity and security industry; thought leadership opportunities; and engaging networking and professional growth events.

For more information, visit the SIA website.