Today, Derek Harp interviews Fred Gordy in another episode in the Security Leaders series. Fred is the Director of Cyber Security at Intelligent Buildings.

Fred hails from Atlanta, Georgia. He is an author, musician, woodworker, technologist, travel enthusiast, and grandfather. He is also well-known as an evangelist around cyber security for building control systems and building management.

Fred has worked with electronics, computers, IT, and even robotics along his career path. He had his first computer experience back in the days of basic programming in the mid-1980s when he did electronic engineering technology at college. Although his direction as an electronic engineer in technology should have been to get in on a board level, he was always more fascinated with the computer part.

In this episode of the (CS)²AI Podcast, Fred tells his story, discusses his career trajectory, and talks about the highlights of his career. He shares his insights and experience and offers some helpful nuggets of advice for listeners considering a career in the controls space. If you are at the entry-level of our industry and wondering where to go next, you will not want to miss this episode! Stay tuned for more!

Show highlights:

• Fred had the opportunity to experience control systems when doing an internship while in college. (5:01)
• How Fred inadvertently got exposed to computer control systems early on in his career. (6:27)
• Having had a computer background before moving into the world of control systems allowed him to speak both languages. It helped him a lot in his career. (8:15)
• Fred sees a career role emerging that will require individuals to know the full range of IT and OT. They need to understand computers and control systems. (9:01)
• Fred discusses the work that Intelligent Buildings does in the commercial real estate industry. (13:03)
• How buildings intersected with his career path. (14:22)
• For Fred, there is nothing quite as exhilarating as having the power, capability, and know-how to make a massive piece of equipment work in concert with hundreds of other devices. (15:55)
• Everything Fred has done in his life has in some way built upon itself. It's why he encourages listeners to draw on all their experiences, no matter how small they might seem. (17:40)
• Fred talks about overcoming challenges. (21:40)
• When he started his career, he knew little about what he was doing. He attributes his success to the mentors who helped him, encouraged him, and ignited his inner fire. (28:00)
• Fred discusses ways to get people in different areas of the building-control space to work better together. (36:18)
• Fred believes that the path for people in the controls industry will become easier now, since the advent of the MSI (Master System Integrator). (44:38)