Riyaz Somani is the Director of Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Welfare (EDI&W) of the International Professional Security Association (IPSA). IPSA supports front-line officers, employees of the security sector, and companies that offer services related to fire and security-related activities.
Previously, Riyaz worked as a front-line officer in the United Kingdom. Being from a humble background in India, he developed a sense of affinity towards a holistic workforce and hence started working towards EDI&W.
He speaks passionately about the welfare of frontline personnel and aims to create a more robust understanding of EDI&W. He also serves as the head of security of the British Library, where he works towards incident management and protective security, among others.
He is the co-chair of Public Space Security, a non-profit that helps member organizations be more secure from threats. Through his work, Riyaz aims to encourage equality and inclusivity while maintaining a secure cyber space. Riyaz has also been a volunteer fundraiser at the Leicester City of Sanctuary.
In this interview with The Cyber Express, Riyaz discussed how background, gender, belief, etc., contribute to the building of certain characteristic traits and skills among different sets of people. He spoke about encouraging equality, breaking stereotypes, forwarding people of all genders, and supporting frontline workers. And how he contributes to gender diversity through his role at IPSA as the EDI&W director.