We keep the Best Advice Q&A series going with Nathan Leaphart, chief financial officer at AMAROK. He shares the best advice he’s ever gotten, gives tips to young security industry pros and names his ultimate business inspiration.
Security Sales & Integration: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Nathan Leaphart: I’ve often told people that I started life with few advantages. I had the good fortune to be born in the United States with two parents who wanted their children to be able to build better lives. My dad was a believer in the power of hard work and that lesson has been the difference in my life and career.
Ben Franklin said, “I’m a strong believer in luck and I find that the harder I work, the more I have of it.” I’ve been “lucky” to spend the last two decades helping to grow AMAROK from a 35-employee business in the shadows of the industry into a 600+ employee perimeter security leader. At no point has that been easy, but I consider myself fortunate to be part of something special.
SSI: What advice would you give to those looking to achieve success in the security industry?
Leaphart: Never stop learning! Read books. Take classes. Listen to podcasts that teach you something. If you are a leader, you should be relaying this advice to your team. This advice applies to everyone but could be the difference between success and failure in security.
The security industry is constantly evolving and changing as technology advances. The pace of change driven by artificial intelligence is likely to be more rapid than anything we’ve experienced. You don’t need to look any further than the advances in video monitoring through the use of AI to understand how imperative it is to keep yourself up to date with the latest trends and information.
SSI: If you could point to one person in the security industry and tell up-and-comers, “Make sure to listen to what they have to say,” whom would you pick and why?
Leaphart: There are so many great people around the security industry that I couldn’t possibly limit myself to one person. I’ll tell you who I’m watching: Alper Cetingok of Raymond James and Tom Galvin of Evolon Technology, Inc.
Alper is deeply plugged into the best and the brightest across the industry. On top of that, Alper is a great partner and someone that I’m proud to have worked with. He’s at the top of my list whenever I want to know what is new and exciting in the industry. Alper has helped to build many great companies by helping them find the right capital partners.
I also follow Tom Galvin closely in my role as a member of Evolon’s board of directors. I was an advocate for AMAROK’s investment in Evolon because I believed in Tom’s vision and the strength of our partnership. He and his team are driving innovation in one of the fastest-evolving areas of the security industry, making him someone well worth watching. I’m excited to see what they can accomplish next.
Click here to check out all entries in SSI’s Best Advice series!
