40 under 40: Matthew Sullivan, account executive, Alarm.com

YARMOUTH, Maine—Matthew Sullivan, 25, is an account executive at Alarm.com, a platform for the intelligently connected property, based out of Tysons, Va. Find out what inspired him to pursue a career in the security industry, what being a "40 under 40" winner means to him, what appeals to him about the security industry, and more. 

SSN: Describe your roles, duties, and tenure at your current job. 

SULLIVAN:  I've been with Alarm.com coming up on four years now and still have not been able to nail down a definitive list of my responsibilities, but I'll give it a shot.  As an account executive I am focused on helping grow security companies through our products and services. For both existing partners and prospective partners I am the product expert on core security solutions, video, automation, and expanding markets such as water protection, solar, vehicle tracking, access control, and more.

Using this variety of offerings and a data-backed platform I aim to make our partners more efficient in operations, sales, installation and support, marketing, and administrative duties.   You can look at me as a sounding board, consultant, trainer, or even an extension of your team. I know my current partners reach out to me for anything I mentioned above, and hopefully I can do the same for you and your business, whether you are just starting out or face new challenges and pains, my job is to help your security company grow. 

SSN: What inspired you to pursue a career in the security industry?

SULLIVAN: Nothing drew me to security when I was a college student on the job hunt, however, once I got started it became apparent why this industry is so great.  Starting out, I wasn't sure what to expect. Sure! Being in tech is cool and sexy these days, but tech companies are a dime a dozen these days and security is interesting because it is different. Our industry actually provides technology and systems that everyone can use and benefit from; it’s not a niche application designed for CIOs or HR personnel, anyone can see the hardware or software we provide and actually use it! 

A huge benefit to sticking around is the people who make up this industry. I have many mentors that I can now call friends who have spent their lives in security, whether they are master technicians or have built security companies. There is great camaraderie everywhere I go and always so much to learn from those people. Ultimately, we spend our days protecting people and the things that matter most to them. That is what keeps me motivated and excited about this industry. 

SSN: What does being named a winner of SSN's 40 under 40 mean to you?

SULLIVAN: Being part of this year's 40 under 40 class makes me feel grateful for all the people who have helped me accomplish what I have early on in my career. It also validates the commitment I have to all of the security companies I work with, knowing they value what I bring to the table means more than anything.  Like I said earlier, the people truly make this industry great. My partners, bosses, peers, competitors, and everyone in between have never missed an opportunity to help me learn and grow in this industry. I want to be able to do the same moving forward for aspiring leaders in the industry.

SSN: As a young leader, what appeals to you about the security industry?

SULLIVAN: Innovation. Being able to talk to partners whose tenure in the industry predates me is always cool and eye-opening. Think about how long our mission in protecting people and their property has always been the same, but how we have advanced that mission through creative thinking and technology is extremely appealing.    Knowing that the meaning of "security" and the means by which we accomplish security has been rapidly evolving gives me a feeling of optimism. There are countless products and technologies that are growing the scope of what we do, and the opportunity to create and drive impact for the sake of security and protection is virtually endless.

SSN: With the hiring, recruitment and retention challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, how can the security industry engage young talent?

SULLIVAN: I like to think that we have almost completely bounced back from the negatives that COVID brought into our industry. When we were first locked down, our challenges were very different than they are today. In 2020 we were concerned with how to sell and install with minimal contact, how to keep monitoring centers staffed and safe while social distancing, and many similar challenges. We adapted extremely well and created new opportunities that have stuck around; like more remote selling, DIY/DIT installation and flexible work. 

Since we have cooled off and gotten our heads back on our shoulders, the challenge has become hiring, retention and growth. Almost every day I get asked if I know any techs or salespeople looking for work which, in a pretty hot job market, is always a head-scratcher. In a market where jobs are abundant, how can we attract talent to jobs that require labor and in-person work? Well, the recent behavior of some tech giants and their mass firings gives us hope for hiring in security, the world cannot be fully remote. There is a balancing point between remote work and skills/labor that do require in-person interaction and physical presence.  

One of the most successful trends I have seen to grow interest and attract talent is through social media. Sure, there are tons of people preaching digital marketing, influencing but the truth is those "jobs" are saturated and take more work than people realize. The trends I have seen are actually from trades and salespeople; contractors, home inspectors, welders, electricians, door-to-door salespeople and many more. These people are showing what their jobs are like and are transparent about the money they are making. We have a large and accessible platform and should be thinking more generally about attracting talented and driven individuals to a career in the industry and not just to a job.