End Users '20 under 40' 2015—Jason Brown

Jason Brown, 40

Site security supervisor, Wells Fargo,

Portland, Ore.

Jason Brown got his first taste of security as a U.S. Marine manning a tower in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. “I didn't like the location, but it was a very interesting job,” he said.

After four years in the service, Brown went to Portland State University and earned a bachelor's degree in architecture. While he was pondering whether to pursue a master's degree, he took a job with armored transport company Loomis.

“I quite literally drove to my next job here at Wells Fargo,” he said. He started as a security guard and now supervises an armed security force and oversees the operation, testing and maintenance of the physical security system at a Wells Fargo cash vault.

What kind of technology would Brown like if money were no option? “A high res IP-based CCTV with nice advanced analytics,” he said.

Wells Fargo faces threats such as theft, internal theft and emergency management, for example, but Brown said his biggest challenge and what he likes best about his job is “challenging and motivating his team to self-develop, get certified in areas that may not be requirements for their jobs, but will help them do their jobs.”

“Technology and threats come and go and there are always emerging threats, but if your team is well developed and educated and certified and trained, they can resolve almost any challenge,” he said. “You can have the greatest technology but if your security team is not trained, you'll be bumbling in a world of hurt.”

Brown maintains a small library of security publications, textbooks and other materials from his graduate studies in security management at American Military University.

The library is there for Brown's staff members to peruse. “You hope to lead by example and encourage [team members] to educate themselves not just for the company but for themselves.”