Madison, Wisconsin - His background is in police work and he teaches law enforcement, security and risk assessment at Herzing University - Madison. He is also the senior security manager at Covance Laboratories. Michael Ramstack, 39, has been named to this year’s “20 Under 40 List,” by Security Director News, an international news source for security professionals. Once per year, the publication recognizes “Up-and-coming” industry members.
“I don't view myself as being anything special, just someone who loves what he does and is committed to doing the best job he can,” Ramstack said. “I believe in hard work, dedication, and above all, an open and honest approach to my job. I am very honored and proud to have been recognized, it keeps me motivated and excited for my future.”
Ramstack’s enthusiasm about the security business can be traced back to his younger days.
“Security was always something I was interested in, going all the way back to my first job as a night security officer at a local resort while in college,” he said.
His next position as a loss prevention supervisor for a large retail chain added another dimension. A 13-year career as a police officer followed, but Ramstack did security surveillance consulting on the side.
“I began my law enforcement career, but never lost that interest,” he said.
Today Ramstack oversees security at one of Dane County’s largest employers. He loves being able to blend all of his previous experience into a fulfilling career.
“To move from the public sector into the private sector provided the opportunity to expand my experience to a corporate environment,” he said. “It provided exposure to a variety of experiences ranging from the security side as well as the business management side. I think the security professional gets a good mix of both and needs to learn how to balance both while accomplishing a good security program.”
Opportunities in the security field are plentiful, according to Ramstack, and he shares his devotion with his Herzing University students.
“I think it is critical to be able to base your conversations on real life experiences and examples versus just using information from a text book,” he said. “I attempt to bring in not only my own personnel experiences, but those things going on currently in the world and relate those to the topics we are currently discussing in class.”
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