SIA RISE Profile: Brendan McFall of Northland Controls

Read our interview with Brendan McFall, Project Manager, Northland Controls, as the Security Industry Association (SIA) spotlights a young professional on the RISE!

Are you a young security professional under 40? We want your story! Contact Bryan Miller at bmiller@securityindustry.org to be featured in a monthly profile!

What first got you interested in security and safety as a career choice?

I actually stumbled into the security industry by accident. Upon graduating from college with a degree in Economics, my first job out of school was working for Northland Controls CEO Pierre Trapanese as an Executive Assistant. I knew nothing about security when I started, but I have been able to learn so much from him and the rest of our management team. Now, I’m hooked!

What has your career path been?

I would argue that I have had about as wild of a start to my career as anyone in the industry. As I said earlier, I first began as an Executive Assistant. During my stint as an EA, I wore a number of hats. In addition to scheduling events and helping out with whatever Pierre needed, I was also our office admin and logistics guy, aided our Procurement Department, spent two months out in the field pulling cable and installing devices alongside our technicians, assisted managers on projects, and supported business development. You name it, I just about did it. After a year of working as the EA, I was promoted to a full-time project manager. In this role, I ran projects along the East Coast. Then, earlier this year, I was given an opportunity work and live in Singapore for four months as an Interim APAC General Manager. That was an incredible experience that I will never forget. Once my tour in Asia was over, I came back to the States and currently work on one of biggest accounts helping to standardize and improve our internal processes and services.

Who has influenced you or mentored you, either within the security field or outside?

I think if you asked anyone in our company this same question, they would have the same response–Pierre! I am very fortunate to have the chance to work closely with him, and I am extremely appreciative of everything he has done to help me along my journey. I wish I could also individually acknowledge all of the Northlanders that have supported me along the way. We have an amazing company culture where everyone emboldens each other to “Take on Challenges and Have Fun!”

What do you think you need to enhance your career?

I actually just took a large step in my career by acquiring my Certified Security Project Manager (CSPM®) certification from SIA this past May at PSA TEC. I would encourage everyone to study and apply for the CSPM certification. In the future, I plan to pursue additional certifications such as PMI’s PMP, ASIS’ PSP and ASIS’ CPP.

Any advice to young professionals just starting out in the industry?

Security is an industry where innovation is always valued and rewarded. If you have an idea of how to improve or fix something, don’t be afraid to speak up!

The views and opinions expressed in guest posts and/or profiles are those of the authors or sources and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Security Industry Association (SIA).