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Top 10 Under 40: Matthew Cormier, Design manager, Centurion Alarm & Lock, 27

What does your typical day look like? Tell us more about your security roles and responsibilities.
I usually wake up around 5 a.m. and start my day off with some stretching, coffee and emails. Then I’ll pack up all my stuff for the day and head in around 7:30 or 8:00. My days are sporadic, but very full. They involve answering a ton of phone calls and emails for various reasons, like technical support or requests for service. I drive around, meet clients and discuss solutions and recommendations. On bigger projects, you can find me at site walkthroughs and meetings. I respond to emergency calls when all of the technicians are booked up solid. I get to play with some of the new stuff, beta-testing. After I’ve done all that (after 5 p.m.) I’ll decompress by doing some Shotokan karate and learning Japanese. Outside of that I take a fair number of phone calls after-hours.

What do you enjoy most about working in the security industry?
Solving puzzles is my favourite thing to do. I started in security doing identity fraud investigations and travelled a long way to security system design and installation, but my passion is still sourced in unraveling a solution by exposing the true motive for the request for “better security” and what that means to each unique client.

What are your career goals for the future and how do you plan to achieve them?
I would like to own and operate my own security business. I love cutting-edge technology and making it function and integrating it in ways unspecified from the manufacturer. I want to lead a team of happy employees who are proud of where they work. Keeping others well paid in a job they love to do and love to be skilled at. I would also like to be more involved in the security sector.

What have you learned about the security industry during your career and what advice would you pass on to newcomers?
The biggest lesson I can impart to anyone considering security is “consume information.” I have helped a few newbie installers in my time and if I had a nickel for every time I have heard “there’s a lot more to this than I thought,” I could almost afford a litre of gas. I love to learn, which I think is essential in this sector due to changing standards and technology.