T2 has some of the brightest minds in the parking industry, and each employee brings a unique set of talents and experiences to the table. We thought you might like to learn more about these talented individuals. In our Employee Spotlight series, you’ll get to know one employee each month. This month we talked to Andrew Baxter, Security and Compliance Manager.
Where did you grow up?
I spent most of my childhood in Wolfville, Nova Scotia on Canada’s east coast.
What drew you to working in IT?
My family got our first personal computer when I was about 8 years old, and I was instantly hooked. In university I did a double major in Business and Computer Science. I’d originally thought I might be an accountant or a business analyst, but when I graduated, it was IT jobs that were most abundant. I’ve been fortunate to work for companies (including T2) that have allowed me to grow my career and diversify my skills while still being under the IT umbrella.
How did you end up in the parking industry?
I moved to Vancouver in 2006 and was pounding the pavement looking for IT opportunities. One of the places I stumbled across that was hiring was Digital Payment Technologies. I figured “digital payments” sounded interesting from an IT perspective. I soon discovered they manufactured digital pay stations for the parking industry and frankly, I didn’t know much about the industry at the time. I pursued the opportunity and was successful in getting onboard at DPT, starting out as just a general IT guy. After almost 15 years, I know a lot more about parking, and I’m happy to talk to anybody who will listen about the important role our industry plays in the global economy.
What do you do as a Security and Compliance Manager for T2?
We have a number of security channels at T2, but probably the most visible is our payment security. Maintaining our various PCI compliance programs is a big part of my job. It is vital that we keep our end users’ credit card data safe. The standards are constantly evolving, and when combined with bringing on new payment channels through acquisitions and partnerships, it’s a job that keeps on changing. I’ve got to stay on my toes.
In addition to payment security, we need to keep our customers’ non-payment data safe as well. Since many of our applications are web-based, we maintain a similar level of security that we have in our payment environments for our standard customer data environments as well. We know that many customers are subject to regulatory frameworks of their own and we’re happy to help them succeed in their own security initiatives.
Finally, I’m responsible for the security of our corporate environment. We have seen a number of recent examples of how damaging cyber-attacks can be on corporations. We need to keep our environment safe so we can continue to provide our customers with the high level of service they have come to expect from T2. We do this through a combination of technical tools and employee education.
What’s something that you think people don’t know about parking that you find interesting?
Like most people in the industry, somewhere along the way I came across the book The High Cost of Free Parking by Donald Shoup, and it really opened my eyes to how parking policy can be used for so much more than just generating revenue.
What do you enjoy about working at T2?
The culture here is great. We get a lot of work done, but at the end of the day we have a lot of fun while doing it.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
I once did the Grouse Grind 11 times in one day. It was an event raising money for the BC Children’s Hospital.
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