We interviewed Marc Dixon, one of MindPoint Group’s Partners and Co-Founders. Marc is one of four MPG founders that came together to create a top-notch IT security firm dedicated to innovation and excellence. In this blog, you’ll hear about his background and experience as a partner and how he balances his many roles at MPG, like leading community outreach and philanthropy.
Walk us through your background. How did you get started with working in technology/security?
I’ve actually been in IT my entire professional career. Starting 34 years ago, I first got my start as a Cryptologic Specialist in the U.S. Navy. From there, I continued working in technology, mostly provided business development related support. My first foray supporting IT security was when we started MindPoint Group in 2009.
How did the idea for MPG come about, and when did y’all know you wanted to start the company?
It’s a funny story, actually! I met Mariam first, when we both worked for another IT company, back in 2007. A year later, she left that company to go work with a childhood friend who turned out to be Patti. Matt also worked at that company, and that’s how the foursome got started. Shortly after meeting, we all four decided to leave our current employers and start our own company. Each of us brought a skill set to the mix; mine was business development operations, specifically, proposals for federal contracts.
Describe your current role as MPG's Co-Founder and Partner, and walk us through the typical day?
As I mentioned earlier, I started out managing BD at MindPoint Group, which I did for 8-years. After that, I switched to Facility Security Officer support, along with Corporate Administration as well as Community Outreach, which most employees know as VIP.
A typical day finds me supporting the company by bouncing between those three roles. The bulk of my day is taken up by FSO work, processing the security clearances that MPGers hold. Next is Corporate Admin tasks like NDAs and GSA requirements. Bringing up the rear is VIP, which meets bi-weekly and hosts various activities throughout the year.
What are the biggest challenges you face in a day?
I think like a lot of people in the corporate world, my biggest challenge is that there are not enough hours in the day. :)
Everything I do is consumer-based. It starts with a request which needs to be processed for someone. When a request comes in, that person becomes my client. And clients always need something usually at all hours of the day. I’m pretty good at time management, but some days are more challenging than others.
What is your favorite part being an MPG Co-Founder and Partner?
My favorite part of my job is that I get to work with awesome people every day — I seriously love it. My colleagues are fantastic, and I am always astounded by the great work that our security professionals are providing our customers. It’s gratifying to get to help support their efforts as part of our back office.
Why do you love cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is such a fascinating and forever evolving industry. Ours is an industry that is sustainable in pretty much any economic ups or downs. And perhaps most importantly will continue to be relevant no matter what direction I.T. takes as our industry continues to revolutionize technology.
What do you like to do outside of work:
Most people don’t know this, but outside of work, I’m actually the lead singer of an original rock band. The band has had a couple of names but is currently called The Shallowz. For the past 25-years, as a lead singer and songwriter of several groups like Hughes & Dixon, envy waits, and Opus Jones. I’ve released six albums, 3 that were indie rock, and 3 others that are acoustic in nature. In January of 2020, I started getting my songs digitally remastered, and today you can find my stuff on all the major platforms, Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon, etc. I think it’s safe to say that music is a huge passion of mine!
What is your favorite part of MindPoint Group, and what are you most proud of as an MPG Co-Founder and Partner?
My favorite part of MPG would have to be the awesome people that I get to work with. Our employees are truly like one big happy family in a lot of ways, and we’re lucky to have such amazing employees. I definitely have to say that I am so proud of our success and growth as a company. We went from 4 people to over 100 — and still growing!
When you look forward to MPG’s next ten years, what excites you the most?
As we look toward the next ten years of MPG, I’m most excited to see how Cybersecurity continues to evolve. This industry is continuously changing, and I know that it will be leaps and bounds from what we view today. In many ways, we are amid a new space race. We don’t know where technology will take us over the next ten years. But, I’m pretty sure that Cybersecurity will still be relevant and be delivered in some method or capacity that we haven’t even thought of yet. And hey-who knows? Some of us might still be at it, protecting the cyber highways of IT.
