40 under 40: Michael Newsome, associate consultant, Butchko

YARMOUTH, Maine—Michael Newsome, 29, is an associate consultant at Butchko, a designer of converged physical and cybersecurity solutions that safeguards assets, mitigates risks, and delivers sustainable business value, based out of Houston. 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. 

NEWSOME: Simply put, I create solutions that solve problems. Knowing that our solutions make people safer and organizations more secure is an extra bonus. Being a security professional requires a variety of technical skills and specialized knowledge, but at the end of the project none of the details matter if the expectations and success criteria are not met. The resolution of a camera is meaningless if it is looking in the wrong direction to begin with. Our job to meet the needs of our clients is to ensure at every step that our solution’s intent is properly captured, designed, implemented, operated, and maintained.

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

NEWSOME: Like most, I fell into the security world by circumstance. I was enrolled in a college course for CAD drafting as part of my mechanical engineering major and my professor offered me a drafting job that happened to be for physical security with Benjamin Butchko. I later switched majors to computer information systems but kept the job. I have been taking on more responsibility ever since.

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

NEWSOME: Being nominated and recognized by SSN is such an honor. I am surrounded by a talented group of peers who challenge each other to do more and be better. There is so much to learn, and I feel that I have just barely scratched the surface.

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

NEWSOME: Security is typically known to lag behind other industries in terms of innovation with slow adoption of new ideas. More and more the gap is closing. Now security is on the cutting edge of technologies with the help of IP, cloud computing, sensors, analytics, and AI. It is astounding to see the progress that has been made in my short tenure and the new possibilities that were once impossible. We are entering a new era of security solutions where the lines between physical and cyber are blurred, and the walls between traditional departmental silos of security, operations, and safety are being torn down. It’s a very exciting time.

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

NEWSOME: This is a complex issue that has existed long before COVID and cannot be pinpointed to one singular factor. Security (cyber aside) is rarely someone’s first choice in a career path. Part of this is a recent stigma against trades in favor of college education, but more importantly it is due to lack of optics. The industry, with the help of leadership communities such as SIA and ASIS, must place heavy emphasis on advertising and marketing to young individuals entering the workforce that security is not only a potential option for their future, but an attractive option.