40 under 40: Jeremy Reich, Unlimited Technology Inc.

YARMOUTH, Maine—Jeremy Reich’s daily responsibilities vary in his role as General Counsel for Unlimited Technology Inc.

As a member of the Nutley, N.J.-based company’s executive leadership team, the 34-year-old Reich has provided practical business-minded guidance and advice at all levels of the organization since he joined the company in 2014.

“My day-to-day varies significantly based on the organization’s priorities and needs,” he explained. “While my responsibilities often include typical legal functions such as reviewing and negotiating vendor and customer agreements, my day usually involves touching most aspects of the business. Whether it be a human resources initiative or the day’s operational challenge, I work with individuals at all levels of the organization to ensure we are driving toward our strategic objectives.”

Reich, 34, noted that his initial draw to the security industry was less about the industry itself and more about the unique opportunity his role at Unlimited Technology afforded.

“Being able to meaningfully contribute to the organization’s success on day one was very appealing to me,” he said. “I soon came to realize that I had joined an industry filled with some of the most dedicated and hardworking individuals I have known working in concert to keep people and property safe.”

Physical Security and IT

Reich pointed out that the most meaningful trend he sees in security today revolves around the convergence of traditional physical security and traditional IT.

“The risks the security industry protects against have expanded significantly to include much more than physical assets,” he said. “In today’s world, doors and windows are not the only access points for a would-be evildoer. Any asset on a company’s network is now vulnerable to attack, which can often be far more damaging financially than a broken window. Security companies that are not taking a more holistic approach to security that includes a comprehensive understanding of IT and cyber-related risks are doing their clients a disservice.”

One of the new security technologies that Reich is excited about comes from his own company, the Exero.

“Exero is a private cloud-based business intelligence tool that delivers data and insight from interconnected devices and other physical and networked environments through a user-friendly dashboard,” he explained. “Exero offers real-time analysis and visualization from interconnected devices which provides decision makers with critical information needed to be proactive in a dynamic security environment. With Exero, a company can proactively assess the well-being of devices on its network regardless of whether those devices are traditional security devices like access control panels or cameras.

“With Exero, Unlimited Technology is often able to preempt security threats or shore up other network vulnerabilities before the end user is even aware a potential problem exists.”

Flexibility and Creativity

As the war against COVID-19 continues, Reich pointed out that one of the most important keys to success both personally and in business during these unprecedented times is to remain flexible and think creatively.

“While this outlook holds true in most settings, it is even more critical in today’s unpredictable environment,” he said. “Each obstacle is an opportunity to create value. A primary goal of my job, individually, as well as the overarching mission of the security industry is to mitigate risk. In a time when risks to individuals and businesses seem to be at an all-time high, it is important to recognize that so too is the opportunity to bring technology-enabled solutions to our stakeholders which can help curb these potential perils. In the security industry, if you can problem-solve by thinking outside of the box, you have the power to improve people’s lives and businesses for the better.”

Greater IT and Cyber Competencies

In regard to security moving forward, Reich noted that the future of the industry will require greater IT and cyber competencies.

“Security companies whose approaches remain exclusively limited to the installation of card readers and cameras will play a smaller and smaller role in the industry going forward,” he stated. “Physical security and cyber security are not mutually exclusive, and the industry will need to adopt this more holistic view to be successful now, but more so going forward. Fortunately, companies like Unlimited Technology recognize this reality and deploy tools like Exero to meet the market’s growing needs.”

Reich also looked ahead when proposed collaboration with other industries as a way to attract young, talented, diverse professionals to the security industry.

“I think one of the most important things companies can do to get more talented, diverse young people involved in the security industry is to be open to experiences from other industries,” he said. “The security industry is expanding to include a broader array of technology enabled services and products which, in turn, makes a broader scope of backgrounds and experiences relevant. Individuals with perspectives from other industries can be a source for valuable quality talent.”