The Security Foundation

Reflections from the SCEA Members Panel at GSX 2026

Mentorship can help you navigate your career. Sponsorship can help change its trajectory.

That distinction was at the heart of a discussion at Global Security Exchange (GSX) 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. Security professionals gathered at the Career HQ Stage for a panel titled Beyond Mentorship: The Power of Sponsorship in Advancing Your Security Career.

Moderated by Raquel Alleyne of ASIS International, the discussion featured three members of the Security Coalition for Engagement & Advancement (SCEA) community: Lisa Oliveri, representing the Mid-Career Committee; Bert Williams, representing the Transitioning Public Sector – MIL/LEA Committee; and Tristin Vaccaro, representing the Early Career Committee.

Drawing on their career journeys, the panelists explored a question relevant across the security profession: What does it take to move beyond receiving career advice to having someone actively advocate for your success?

Understanding the Difference Between Mentorship and Sponsorship

The panelists began by defining mentorship and sponsorship, noting that the terms are often used interchangeably but serve different purposes.

Mentors provide guidance, share experience, offer feedback, and help professionals navigate challenges. Sponsors take that support a step further. They actively advocate for someone, recommend them for opportunities, and put their own credibility behind that person’s potential.

A sponsor also helps ensure your skills and capabilities are recognized by people who can influence your career advancement. That recognition can be especially important when pursuing leadership positions, high-visibility assignments, and access to professional networks.

The panel explored what happens when someone advocates for you while you are not in the room. Decisions about promotions, assignments, and leadership opportunities often happen in conversations you never hear.

Panelists shared examples from their own careers when someone spoke up for them in those settings. They discussed the opportunities that followed and how those experiences shaped their career paths.

Building Relationships That Lead to Sponsorship

Raquel next asked Lisa, Bert, and Tristin why sponsorship is not always a relationship that can be established through a direct request.

The panelists agreed that while someone can ask for mentorship, sponsorship develops as a leader recognizes a professional’s contributions and gains confidence in their abilities. Advocacy requires trust in the person and their potential.

That led to a discussion about the behaviors that help build this trust and attract a potential sponsor’s attention:

• Deliver consistent results. Demonstrate the skills, reliability, and judgment that give others confidence in your abilities.
• Build a clear professional reputation. Help others understand your contributions and the value you bring.
• Develop relationships across the organization. Give people beyond your immediate team opportunities to get to know you and your work.
• Nurture the relationship. Schedule conversations, share progress, and come prepared with thoughtful discussion topics that respect the sponsor’s time.
• Keep your sponsor informed. Give them the information they need to advocate effectively on your behalf.

The panelists emphasized that the professional receiving sponsorship has an active role in sustaining the relationship. Regular communication helps a sponsor understand your progress and where their advocacy can make a difference.

Expanding Access to Sponsorship

The conversation also addressed access to sponsorship, particularly for professionals from underrepresented backgrounds.

Many talented individuals receive valuable career advice and encouragement but lack access to influential leaders who can advocate for them. Even when professionals have the qualifications, experience, and potential to succeed, those gaps can limit their opportunities for advancement.

Closing that gap requires intentional effort from both professionals and organizations. Professionals can expand their networks, seek cross-functional opportunities, communicate their career aspirations, and build relationships beyond their immediate circles.

Organizations and senior leaders have an equally important responsibility. The panelists discussed the need to address bias, including the tendency to gravitate toward people with similar backgrounds or experiences.

Leaders can help by creating equitable access to high-visibility assignments and identifying emerging talent beyond familiar networks. Advancement opportunities should extend beyond those who already have influential relationships.

As the discussion neared its conclusion, Raquel invited audience members to share their perspectives on responsible, intentional sponsorship. Equity remained a central theme, along with the importance of leaders recognizing their own blind spots and looking beyond professionals who naturally remind them of themselves.

Helping Others Move Forward

The discussion at GSX 2026 offered a reminder that career advancement is rarely an individual journey. Professional growth is shaped by the people who advise us, challenge us, believe in us, and create opportunities for us to succeed.

For emerging and mid-career professionals, the challenge is to build credibility, relationships, and visibility that support meaningful advocacy.

For established leaders, the challenge is equally important: Whose name are you putting forward when an opportunity arises?

Developing future leaders is a shared responsibility across the security community. It requires sharing knowledge, building trusted relationships, and helping talented professionals access opportunities to contribute and lead.

That commitment connects SCEA’s work to The Security Foundation’s broader focus on education, collaboration, and the future of the security profession. Helping others move forward strengthens the community we all depend on.

Explore Mentorship and Sponsorship Resources

Whether you are seeking career guidance or looking for ways to support others, explore SCEA’s Mentorship & Sponsorship Programs resource page.

You can also visit the SCEA Resources hub for additional professional development resources.