Integrators '20 under 40' 2016—Chris Neumann

Chris Neumann, 26

Director of corporate strategy, Security ONE

Leamington, Ontario

From Chris Neumann's perspective, newer technologies, like smart home products, are making security more interesting for the consumer as well as for the potential employee.

“[Security is] becoming a technology and an industry you're really proud of and excited to talk to people about at a dinner party. You can pull out your phone and say 'Hey, check what I can do from this app,'” Neumann said.

New technologies also benefit companies “from a hiring standpoint,” he said. “People are a lot more excited to work in our industry because of the technology—it's very cool, it has that 'tech' factor.”

Neumann has seen this technological interest in the hiring process at Security ONE. “When we're having some interviews with [candidates from] the millennial generation, one of the first things we do is show them the product, and I think their eyes light up, and they [say] 'Wow, you can do that?'” he said.

At Security ONE, Neumann looks after several parts of the company's business. “My main focus is: I lead the residential and small commercial sales team, as well as all of the company's sales and marketing efforts,” Neumann said.

“I've taken—primarily in the last year—a stronger focus on inorganic growth, focusing on some acquisition opportunities. In the past year, we closed on two new acquisitions.”

Neumann started with the company about four years ago, beginning in an outside sales role. “After a year-and-a-half, I became the sales manager,” he said. “After that, when I became an equity holder, my position grew from there and I took on some extra responsibilities on the corporate strategy side.”