Women In Executive Protection
This panel aims to move the conversation about women in executive protection (EP) beyond theory, optics and inspiration and into lived reality. Featuring women who are actively working in executive protection roles across corporate, private and high-risk environments, this session will provide an unfiltered, experience driven look at what it truly takes to build and sustain a career in EP.
The objective is threefold:
- First, to demystify the profession by breaking down the real day-to-day responsibilities, career paths and operational demands of executive protection and what the job actually looks like versus how it’s often portrayed
- Second, to address the unique challenges women face in EP, including credibility gaps, physical and psychological expectations, leadership dynamics and navigating male dominated teams, while highlighting the strategic advantages women bring to protective intelligence, advance work, communication and risk mitigation
- Third, to offer practical guidance for those aspiring to enter or advance in the field, training pathways, career pivots, common mistakes, boundary setting and how to advocate for yourself without compromising safety or professionalism
Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of executive protection as a viable, demanding, and rewarding career, and with actionable insights grounded in real world experience from women who are doing the work, not just talking about it.
At the end of the session, participants will be able to:
- Identify core executive protection responsibilities, career pathways and required competencies to assess readiness and plan actionable next career steps
- Apply practical strategies for credibility, communication and risk mitigation within male dominated teams and high pressure protective environments
- Evaluate training options, common entry mistakes and advancement strategies to build sustainable, professional and safety-focused executive protection careers
Speakers
-
Rachael PaskvanFounder
Femme ForceRachael Paskvan is an accomplished security leader, entrepreneur and community advocate dedicated to empowering others through her work and platform, Femme Force. With over a decade of experience in the security industry, she has held global leadership roles, including overseeing executive protection and travel operations at Meta. Paskvan began her career as one of the few women in the bodyguard profession, providing protection at high-profile events worldwide. Beyond her corporate career, she is the founder of Femme Force, a platform amplifying women’s voices through a podcast, workshops and speaking engagements. Deeply committed to philanthropy and leadership development, Paskvan lends her time and expertise to initiatives that uplift communities and create opportunities for growth. Known for her resilience, vision and passion for inclusion, she continues to inspire the next generation of leaders.
-
Pamela PerhachSenior Executive Protection Program Manager
Airbnb