SSP alumna Angela J. Osborne graduated from Millikin University, where she discovered a passion for international studies, languages, and cultures. While an undergraduate, Angela completed internships in the Corporate Security Department at Archer Daniels Midland and decided to pursue a career in security. With this in mind, Angela applied to SSP, her top choice for graduate studies.

At SSP, Angela concentrated in intelligence, taking classes that ranged from comparative intelligence to Professor Gerber’s course on human intelligence. On top of the knowledge she gained in practical aspects of security from her professors, Angela remembers the great friendships she made during her time at Georgetown and recalls the staff ride to Gettysburg for her Military and Grand Strategy class as one of her many favorite memories at SSP. She also worked at the Graduate Career Center; her firsthand experience there is one of the reasons she encourages current students to take advantage of this resource by using the GCC to review resumes or search for jobs and internships.

Currently, Angela is the Associate Vice President, Risk and Emergency Management Solutions at Guidepost Solutions, a security consultant firm. Her notable clients include M&T Bank Stadium (home of the Baltimore Ravens), multinational alcoholic beverages company Diageo, and the Chicago Public Schools. Previously she worked as a senior analyst at Interos Solutions, supporting clients including the U.S. Department of Commerce, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and General Services Administration. The academic ethos of Georgetown, as well as the connections she made at SSP, has allowed her to gain the trust of her colleagues and clients, and the detailed analytical writing skills that she developed in her classes continue to be useful in her work today.

Speaking on the changing landscape of national security and defense, Angela notes that when she was an SSP student, most of her peers worked for the government or government contractors. The private sector was widely seen as a novelty. Upon completing her degree, Angela moved to Abu Dhabi and served as a Security Intelligence Analyst for an international energy firm. She conducted security assessments across critical infrastructure sites in Turkey, India, Ghana, Iraq, the UK, Canada, and Egypt. Since then, she has noticed that interest in the private sector has significantly increased, especially with the growing emphasis on technology and security. She sees more SSP graduates starting to pursue positions at private firms.

However, Angela also says that the understanding of business concepts among security professionals could be improved. The majority of the nation’s critical infrastructure and financial services are controlled by the private sector, which needs security professionals to protect them from threats and attacks. Without understanding the issues from a business perspective, security professionals cannot effectively communicate with their stakeholders and clients.

Angela is an active member of ASIS International, a global organization that provides certification and networking opportunities to professionals in the security field. She joined the organization as an SSP student and has since obtained a number of certifications. She has also served as the Co-Chairman of the Young Professionals Council, which helps members expand their professional network, and serves as a Director on the Professional Standards Board, which helps set guidelines and standards for private security across the globe. She is also a member of the Women in Security community, a global network that provides support for its members and organizes educational activities.

Angela strongly encourages SSP students to join ASIS International and take advantage of the many opportunities it offers—ones that she says should accommodate any security professional, regardless of their interests and focus. While she finds it especially instrumental for those interested in pursuing a career in the private sector, she highlights the importance for even those working or planning to work in the government to consider if they decide to pivot to the private sector. “It’s important to have a network beforehand and stay connected to hear about possible opportunities,” she says.