I was born and raised in Montana, becoming a 5th generation Montanan. Montana is a spectacularly beautiful place full of adventure and kindness. While it is a place that will forever hold my heart, in 2023 I decided shifted to a nomadic lifestyle and have been traveling around the US and working remotely full-time.
I am the CIO at LMG Security, a cybersecurity consulting firm. We specialize in offensive security (penetration testing), compliance and advisory, and educating professionals in the cybersecurity industry. I have been part of LMG's internal IT team for 9 years while also working in other areas of the company. I have done extensive penetration testing, social engineering, project management, forensics, just to name a few!
When I was in college at the University of Montana, I was not aware that I could find a profession in cybersecurity, more specifically around penetration testing. It was just not on my radar at the time. However, I noticed a need for technically skilled individuals in the job market, not just programmers and backend developers, but also those who could effectively communicate between technology teams and business leaders. That led me towards a Management Information Systems (MIS) degree, which gave me technical experience as well as exposure to business management concepts.
After college, I started as an IT Administrator for a local company. It didn't take long before I stumbled upon a start-up company in Missoula that specialized in cybersecurity! It seemed like such a cool concept, I was determined to get involved. I applied and was hired, starting out doing internal IT and project management. As the company grew, I jumped in to help in other areas, most notably consulting. I shifted to a full-time consultant doing penetration testing, social engineering, wireless assessments, risk and gap assessments, you name it. It was easy to be passionate about this awesome field and getting to feel 'Bondesque'. That led to senior roles in the company as well as equity ownership. Wanting a shift out of the consulting roles (mostly due to travel) and using the insights I gained working in various parts of the company, I became LMG's CIO to provide direction and guidance to a unique and complex IT environment.
While I love the technical hands-on components of my role and previous roles, it has always been my goal to reach a C-level position. From a young age, I've found fulfillment in leading teams and offering mentorship. This inclination has manifested in various roles, starting by participating in youth leadership conferences and captaining several sports teams to becoming a senior manager at a competitive company. Climbing the ladder was a natural progression for me and I am honored and thankful to have the privilege to be where I am at in my career today.
Technology leaders are there to solve problems and there is almost never a single right way to solve those problems. Looking forward is then further complicated by the number of new solutions that are arriving on the market. A solution to a problem might seem like a good fit today, but is it just a band-aid? Will it be a good fit in a year? 3 years? Are you building a foundation that will enable you to adapt to changes as they come? Technology leaders are transitioning from a reactive stance towards new products or services to one where they establish the groundwork, facilitating effortless growth and expansion for their organizations.
What skills do you think leaders of the future will need in order to thrive?
This runs the gambit! However, if I was going to prioritize skills, it would be around privacy and data regulations. You need to understand what data you are collecting and storing, where it is held or processed, who has access, how long to retain it, and why you are doing each of those activities. If you have a thorough grasp and understanding of these requirements, your decision-making process gains depth and purpose, enabling your company to reach its desired goals.
I enjoy pursuing additional certifications to understand new technologies and how they can be used to make a better or more robust solution. Attending conferences and roundtable discussions, both local and virtual, help to keep me connected to real world examples instead of theoretical examples displayed in training content. Ultimately, the vast majority of what I have learned over the years comes from working directly with clients or from my incredible peers at LMG.
Of course, the emergence of AI is poised to impact almost every industry, but especially cybersecurity. It will help the good guys (like LMG) help clients in securing their environments but at the same time, it will enable threat actors to evade security measures and cause more damage. Trying to stay one step ahead of them is the key to success.
The next evolution of my career will likely be a venture of my own. I would like to take on the responsibility of not just my department, but ultimately the direction of the company as a whole. That is yet to come, and I am excited at the possibilities!
A big thank you to Paul Martin from LMG Security for sharing his journey to date.
If you would like to gain more perspective from Tech Leaders and CIOs you can read some of our other interviews here.