This Head of Security Wears High Heels (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780994045201)

Rose Catalano's business is in the Greater Toronto area and surrounding cities. Her early childhood was very sheltered; she grew up on a farm in Italy with very traditional parents. Her family immigrated to Canada from Italy when she was a very young girl and, though her father attempted to learn enough of the English language for his work, the family spoke little English at home. Rose has always been interested in numbers and, from the time she was a teenager, investment was a fascination for her. A series of unexpected events headed her towards the security business, and that was the beginning of her unconventional life and accomplishments in this unconventional business. Once she discovered the technology of security, Rose was captivated, and she began to learn all she could about security systems for schools, banks and other large buildings. She spent many months researching the subject, quickly realized that the whole industry was speedily evolving, and knew it was time to jump in. Rose began with two male employees and herself in a small rented office space and soon recognized her main challenge; she was a woman. All the associates she met were men, and they treated her with contempt. In fact, they didn't even acknowledge her presence most of the time and talked to the men in the office - her employees. But this woman in a man's world was equal to the task and pressed on with her goal, to build her company. From those early beginnings Rose developed Gems Security Systems and Gemstar Security Service into a very successful company with hundreds of employees. She has used some unorthodox methods to deal with issues of her mostly male employees, and her approach has worked. Rose lives in Toronto with her husband. She has one beloved grandson, and two grown children.