World #1: Jennie Vickers named Global Security Influencer of the Year

Jennie Vickers, CEO of Zeopard Consulting and former New Zealand Defence Industry Association CEO, dominates a stellar international field to claim IFSEC Global’s inaugural supreme influencer award.

It was all revealed at the prestigious Security & Fire Excellence Awards in London on the evening of 23 November. After a final judging process in which the category winners of the IFSEC Global Influencers – who had already been judged the most influential in their fields – were again put through their paces, New Zealand’s own Jennie Vickers was announced as the inaugural Global Influencer of the Year!

Grant Lecky, co-founder of the Security Partners Forum and Lead Judge for the awards, commented that this new award will play an important role within the international community of security professionals.

“Security affects our lives and communities more deeply and expansively than ever, and recognising global influencers helps to emphasise this,” he said. “This new award will help further recognise influencers who have made exceptional contributions throughout the year – not just over a career – which can help identify current and future trends and opportunities.”

Editor of IFSEC Global, James Moore, commented that the new award was a ‘Primus inter pares’ – ‘First among Equals’ – award for the IFSEC Global Influencers in Security and Fire.

It is an historic win for Aotearoa, having already claimed six IFSEC Global Influencers in Security and Fire 2021 awards earlier in the year. Constituting a record number of kiwi winners were New Zealand Security Association CEO Gary Morrison, ASIS International NZ Chapter Chair Ngaire Kelaher, Massey University academic Dr John Battersby, Atlas Gentech Enterprise Security & Risk Manager Andrew Thorburn, Security Lit Managing Director Ankita Dhakar, and eventual influencer-in-chief Jennie Vickers.

The awards process The Global Influencer of the Year was chosen between the winners of the five security categories (excluding the ‘One to Watch’ category) that comprise the annual IFSEC Global Influencers awards. Judging was undertaken by an independent group of judges following the publication of the full list of IFSEC Global Influencers earlier in the year.

The five categories the winner will be chosen from are: • Security executives (the senior most official in an enterprise, whose primary duties encompass leading and managing security for the enterprise) • Security – end users (e.g. heads of security, directors of security) • Security – manufacturers/vendors/installers/integrators (those displaying exemplary work in the field of installation or specific projects, as well as technological innovation) • Security – thought leadership (e.g. thought leaders, association figures, academics) • Cyber security professionals and thought leaders

In order to collect the top gong, Jennie finished in front of a star field, which included Brian Tuskan, Chief Security Officer (Physical), Microsoft; Christina Alexander Alexandropoulou, Director of Security, Four Seasons – Astir Palace Hotel Athens; Loredana Mancini, Vice Chair, OWASP WIA Diversity and Inclusion; and Andrew Lanning, Cofounder, Integrated Security Technologies.

According to IFSEC Global, Jennie’s energetic efforts from her work at the New Zealand Defence Industry Association in building a base and creating momentum across the industry to connect New Zealand businesses with a large base of international experts “has been an inspiration in the field.”

About the winner Jennie, a New Zealand security sector luminary and regular contributor to Line of Defence Magazine, was already delighted to have made it to the #1 Spot in the ‘Association Figures/Academics/Thought Leaders’ category in the IFSEC Global Influencers in Security and Fire 2021, which were announced in July 2021. Her winning nomination had highlighted her achievements as the CEO of the New Zealand Defence Industry Association (NZDIA).

Jennie describes her expertise as connecting people, building relationships, influencing, problem solving and supporting better business outcomes. For the last eight years she has been focused on the Defence sector in Australasia and championing open conversations between government and industry to support better procurement outcomes and supporting more SMEs to participate in government supply chains.

Of particular mention by awards organisers was Jennie’s role in significantly increasing the NZDIA’s membership and its links across other industry sectors and internationally, and her pioneering of the use of made-for-purpose virtual event platforms.

The latter enabled the NZDIA to quickly pivot during Covid-19 to virtual events, which was critical in ensuring that engagement among stakeholders within New Zealand’s national security supply chain continued without missing a beat. It also supported the successful launch of New Zealand Defence’s Information Domain via an ambitious multi-event virtual programme.

Since leaving her role in the Association in May this year, Jennie has continued to support the industry in an unofficial capacity by connecting people and ideas.

Along with qualifications to practice law in New Zealand, Australia and the UK, Jennie is a WorldCC Fellow, an expert in SRM, and CCMP qualified in CCM. A lifelong learner, she is currently studying Disruptive Technologies at TechFuturesLab, Digital Transformation with Media Design School, and Art Appreciation. She’s also adding to her cyber skills portfolio on a daily basis

In her consultant role to Fortinet, Jennie is focusing on helping businesses and non-tech public sector employees in ANZ understand what security-driven networking looks like and supporting Fortinet’s global initiatives around closing the cybersecurity professionals gap.

It’s been a year for the trophy cabinet for Jennie. Apart from her IFSEC Global accolades, she was also in December named co-winner of the 2021 Women in Security Awards Aotearoa ‘Thought Leader’ category. In November, she earned a spot in the Superdiversity Institute and the Ministry for Ethnic Communities ‘Top Diverse Board-Ready Directors List 2021’.