Get to know Rik Lisko, CPP, president of the ASIS Professional Certification Board (PCB). Lisko is also vice president and general manager, South TX for AlliedBarton Security Services.
How did your career in security begin? Why did you decide upon this profession?
My original interest as a criminology major was to pursue a career in Federal Law Enforcement. While attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania my advisor, Dr. Jim Shannon, introduced me to the emergence of private security. Dr. Shannon was a true visionary. His insight into the growing need for corporate security professionals intrigued me. Dr. Shannon stressed the importance of my involvement in a business curriculum to supplement my major and to position me for a successful career in the private security sector. In addition, a then graduate student at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Bill McCool, (a current practitioner who holds the CPP Certification) stressed the importance of ASIS and professional networking and continuing education. I joined ASIS in 1979 as a student member of the Pittsburgh Chapter. After becoming a member and enjoying the benefits of the organization, my interest in a career in security was solidified. Shortly after graduation I accepted my first position in security management for a financial services organization.