ANAHEIM, Calif.—While many of the educational sessions at ASIS International this year boasted packed houses, there was something unusual about one particular session: It was full of women. And fittingly so. The Women in Security session, sponsored by the CSO Roundtable on the second day of the show, was a panel discussion aimed at promoting women in the security profession.

None of the women in the panel were shy about some of the obstacles they had encountered throughout their career. Judith Green Matheny, vice president of Guardsmark, said that early in her career with the FBI, she immediately ran into strong cultural obstacles with men in the agency. She said that she was often paired with men to work on projects and while her work was always positively received, she said the men would often have to distance themselves from her because of rumors linking them together and several men felt they couldn’t jeopardize their careers by working with her. As a result of this, Matheny said she learned to work alone. “That helped me develop my own working skills and I learned the security program without any help and could work with little supervision–that’s the upside,” she said. “One downside was that we miss opportunities to advance ourselves if we really are not engaged with men or the political piece and movers within that group. We need to be engaged to promote ourselves forward.”

She said she became a master at suggesting ideas to others to the point where it became their idea and they could champion them. “I didn’t mind because when I was in the FBI; I was advancing my case and achieving my end. But from a personal advancement standpoint, I was undermining myself,” she recognized.

Learning how to promote yourself and yet remain true to who you are is something that Marene Allison, vice president of security for Medco, learned as a member of the first class of women at West Point (she was recognized with vigorous applause from the audience when she mentioned this). While she joked that she still needs some therapy from her time there, she urged women not to try to be like men. “During my four years at West Point they tried to make me a man, but you don’t have to be one of the boys,” she said. “Don’t try to compete with the men. I just try to be myself and let the results speak for themselves.”

And women entering the security field don’t necessarily have to have military or law enforcement backgrounds, said Linda Harmon, deputy director, security, at Accenture, who works for the corporate security group. “From my perspective, as I meet with security people, even though I don’t have a security background, what I brought was good business operations into focus,” she said. “I gain a lot from experts around me.” Especially as the security industry works to professionalize itself, there are growing opportunities for women with and without security backgrounds, she said.

The panelists all agreed it is critical for women to establish mentorship roles for one another. “Us gals have to stick together in a lot of ways,” Allison said. “When you meet women, get their cards and don’t be afraid to ask a question … I have mentored women and there’s a real value of history, so there’s somebody who you can ask that stupid question to.”

And, above all, the panelists recommended, remain true to your self. “Don’t lose your sense of humor or your personality when you’re involved in this kind of environment,” said Matheny. “And resist the urge to defend your credentials.”