Corey Russell, a Technical Solutions Specialist within Gallagher Security, has been awarded the 2026 Security Innovator Award by Security Business and SecurityInfoWatch.com. This accolade is distinctive as it is the sector’s sole recognition based entirely on nominations from industry peers. The award acknowledges Corey Russell’s innovative work tackling a persistent issue in the security sector: the complexities involved in transitioning a site from a legacy access control system.
Gallagher Security’s introduction of QuickSwitch, a tool developed to facilitate simple and cost-effective migrations, was heavily influenced by Corey’s pivotal inquiry concerning the handling of data during such transitions.
Corey Russell, a self-taught programmer, initially started his journey by learning to write basic Python scripts. This foundation enabled him to delve into the intricacies of legacy ODBC-style databases, discovering how to effectively map them onto Gallagher’s Command Centre access control platform. His work led to the creation of a solution capable of extracting and converting data from various outdated systems, thereby eliminating one of the major hurdles faced by End Users considering a change.
Jeff Ogborn, Gallagher Director of Complex Solutions, who nominated Corey for the award, highlighted the significance of Corey’s contribution, saying, “Way too often the data/software side of conversions is pushed off to ‘someone else’. Corey’s contribution to this program removes yet one more obstacle for End Users and contributes to the streamlined approach that QuickSwitch offers.”
Corey’s focus on enhancing the user experience prompted him to develop a window viewer application. This innovation allows users to extract connective data into standard CSV files for cleaning, error correction, and configuration completion before importing into a new system. This process significantly reduces the manual, error-prone data entry that has traditionally been a laborious aspect of system conversions.
The feedback from users transitioning to Gallagher has consistently noted substantial time savings and a relief from the need to manually reconstruct databases from scratch during the migration process.
Expressing his gratitude for the recognition, Corey Russell stated, “It’s an honor to be recognised as a 2026 Security Innovator, especially for work that grew out of trying to solve a very practical problem for our customers. I’m grateful to Jeff for the nomination and for recognising the work behind QuickSwitch. This project has really been about listening to the people doing these migrations, understanding where the process creates unnecessary friction, and finding ways to make that experience faster, easier, and more reliable.”
The 2026 Security Innovator Award highlights a diverse range of professionals in the security industry, including developers, consultants, field leaders, and executives, celebrating their contributions and innovations within the field
