With over 19 years of experience in IT, Mark Alvarado is a digital risk expert. He assists corporate organizations in identifying areas where digital hazards are present and making recommendations for controls or solutions to close any gaps as the Director of Cyber Security & IT Compliance at Academy Sports + Outdoors. Additionally, he has had formal training in IT security and is knowledgeable in endpoint security, vulnerability management, identity management, DLP, threat remediation, and best practices for protecting IT infrastructure.
Mark spent 11 years in high-speed production prior to his stint in IT, working for organizations including Pepsi, Cold Water Seafood, and Caltex Citrus Juice. His three children range in age from 26 to 16 years old. He holds three degrees: a bachelor’s degree in information technology, an MBA in information technology management, and a master’s degree in cybersecurity and information assurance.
Below are highlights of the interview:
Why did you choose Cyber Security & IT Compliance industry to work in?
As I matured in my career in IT, I figured that I needed to specialize in something. As I evaluated the different areas of IT, cybersecurity appealed to me because it was mentally challenging and made me feel like I was doing meaningful work.
Tell us more about the company.
Academy Sports + Outdoors is one of the nation’s largest sporting goods and outdoor stores. With 270 stores and counting, we offer a broad assortment of quality hunting, fishing, and camping equipment and gear, along with sports and leisure products, footwear, apparel, and much more. Katy Academy is headquartered out of Katy, TX, a suburb of Houston, TX.
Over the last several decades, the company has grown substantially from its small beginnings. In 2003, sales were one billion dollars, two billion dollars in 2007, three billion dollars in 2012, and four billion dollars in 2014.In fiscal 2021, sales exceeded $6.77 billion.
What are your responsibilities as the Director of Cyber Security & IT Compliance of the company?
I am in charge of the entire cybersecurity program. This includes strategy, operations, compliance, and staffing.
What have you failed at and how do you overcome challenges?
I had many failures in my career. Let me explain a little failure; when I first started working in IT, I found that I was better at some things than others. Initially, I found networking complicated and struggled to understand the IP schema concept. Also, in my learning of how IT works in an enterprise environment, I made mistakes like crashing an email server and corrupting databases. What I have learned is that mistakes are a necessary part of learning. It’s what you do with that learning that the difference in your growth.
What are the key attributes of becoming successful tech leader?
In my opinion, becoming a good leader requires being humble, showing humility, and listening.
What changes do you wish to bring in society?
I think people should practice more tolerance instead of just talking about being tolerant.
In your opinion, what are the primary technologies that have the potential to revolutionize the future of security and information sector?
Artificial Intelligence and Deep Machine Learning
What advice would you give to the next generation of tech leaders?
Listen more, understand and learn about finance and pertains to your tower of responsibility.
What are your future plans to sustain the company’s and your success?
Continue to be a student of the business and plan for succession on a regular basis.
Website: www.academy.com
