Five Questions: Jeff Auman

Jeff Auman is vice president of residential sales for ADT. Before joining the company last November he held a number of leadership positions at Sprint, most recently as vice president, product operations.

You're relatively new on the job. What are some things your coworkers might not know about you?

My favorite job was as a beach lifeguard in Pompano Beach, Fla.—that's what I want to retire back to. I got to run the 1996 Olympic torch in Coconut Grove, Fla., on July 4. And, I raced [NASCAR's] Danica Patrick in a peddle-car race. I beat her by one-tenth of a second. She made it clear she was not happy about that.

Where do you call home?

I'm originally from South Florida. I live in Overland Park, Kan., [a suburb of Kansas City, Mo.] It's a hidden jewel, a great place to raise a family. It's a soccer capital; the youth soccer program and activities are some of the best in the nation.  We've got the Sporting Kansas City MLS team and the Kansas City Royals. It's also fast becoming a leading technology geography, the Silicon Prairie. I am looking for a place in South Florida [where ADT is headquartered.] Right now I'm commuting. With 120-plus offices nationwide I spend half my time in the field and half my time at headquarters.

Do you have children?

I have three, two boys and a girl, 13, 12 and 10. Two are soccer players and one is a swimmer. Both boys are scuba divers and they're helping me pick out a new residence in South Florida. One of the prequalifications is that it has easy access to the water.

Do you have pets?

I have Fergie, who was supposed to weigh 30 pounds but now weighs about 70. She's a shelter dog. We call her our 'Clifford.' I also have a 120-gallon saltwater aquarium built by the Fish Tank Kings [as seen on the National Geographic Channel.] That takes more maintenance than the dog.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I spend a lot of time raising the kids, but I like exercise—running, lifting and swimming. I love the water, so surfing, skiing, skating is what we do—and scuba. We snow ski, too, anything outdoors. I also love to cook, especially fish. Seafood in general is what I'm assigned. And I love wine.