'20 under 40' 2012 - Muawia 'Maui' Bishr

Muawia “Maui” Bishr, 36
Senior director of dealer development and national accounts
Monitronics International
Dallas, Texas

How did you get into the security industry?

As a college student, I started as a central station operator in 1998 (at Monitronics) with no intentions of still being in the industry 14 years later. A friend of mine called me, and (the position worked well) with school schedules. At the time Monitronics was only 50 or so employees. � I worked in the central station, I worked in the service department. I found my niche after being promoted into a role that focused on the dealer; that's when I really started to get hooked on the industry. I went from account management to a sales role into managing national dealers.

What can be done to attract more young people to the industry?

Technology is advancing fast and it's young people who have helped to drive this push. This helps industry growth through more revenue opportunities. Young people bring fresh ideas and perspectives, so a technology-driven field like security is perfect for them. For those of us in the industry, it's important to encourage that by promoting and recognizing young people. � (and) by actually going after college graduates, whether it's a job fair or a recruiter.

Who in the industry has helped you most in your security career?

Mike Haislip, our CEO, has been a big influence on me. He gave me my first opportunity. There are several people on our executive team who also have been influential. I give credit to Barb Holliday for getting me into a role that was dealer-focused, and she helped me out the first couple of years with my working knowledge. Mike Meyers, our CFO, has also been a big influence.