Why We Should Be Concerned About the Mental Health of Protectors

The Ontic Connected Intelligence Podcast

The topic of mental health in the security profession has been pushed aside for decades, but with the emergence of open-minded and forward-thinking younger generations, this crucial topic is increasingly finding its place in the spotlight. Not only is it important to take care of others to build a positive, empathic culture, but it also can decrease turnover and reduce costs to the business, having a positive effect on how assets are protected.

John Rodriguez is an expert on this topic and brings 41+ years of pure corporate security experience working for major corporations including General Motors, Kimberly-Clark, Levi Strauss & Co., and Cardinal Health. He is the founder of Empathic Security Cultures, LLC, based in Austin, Texas. Rodriguez is a security generalist with a passion for security culture development, coaching, and mental health for a psychologically safe workplace and mitigating hostile environment risks.

Key topics of Rodriguez’s discussion with host Fred Burton include:

• Insights on how the mental health needs of security practitioners (and employees as a whole) have evolved since the pandemic
• Why connecting with people and building a culture of empathy is strongly tied to turnover and the success of a business.
• Advice for teams on building a successful security culture within an organization.