After working around the globe, we are super-happy that instructor Asen Georigiev has found a home in CAT’s Network Security department.

 

Tell us a bit about your background.

I am originally from Bulgaria, I live in Burnaby and I came to Canada about 2 years ago.

I spent the preceding 10 years working on Telecom projects in different countries mostly in Europe. The list is: Bulgaria, Switzerland, Denmark, Northern Ireland, Belgium, North Macedonia, Faroe Islands, Nigeria.

How did you get into Network Security?

As kids we built a network in our building so we can play ‘Warcraft’ and ‘Doom’.

I started my career path by maintaining PCs in a game club after school at the age of 15, went through building my own last mile ISP and transforming GSM/UMTS/LTE/WiMAX/WiFi networks around the globe.

I attained two master’s degrees and a number of industry certifications and now I shape the future of tomorrow at CAT.

Where did you train?

‘Did’? I haven’t stopped!

I graduated in Bulgaria. Now I enjoy ‘pmi.org’, ‘brilliant.org’ , ‘udemy.com’, ‘duolingo.com’, ‘oreilly.com’, ‘coursera.org’, ‘wikipedia.org’, ‘youtube’…

What companies/roles have you worked in previously?

I’ve worked for Wireless RAN @ huawei.com/en/ (with sunrise.ch; tdcgroup.com; telenor.com; ft.fo/en/; vivacom.bg/en/; one.mk); Network Deep Technical Support @ dxc.technology; and a few more… 🙂

You can check out my profile

What was it about the area of computers and Network Security that originally most interested you?

a) Freedom. b) Dynamic. It is the least regulated and fastest developing industry.

Is that interest still the same, or do other elements interest you more now?

I am definitely still in love with my occupation. Nevertheless, I started spending some time watching Peppa Pig in the last couple of years. 🙂

What is your favourite thing about working in this area?

Having a country-independent profession. It’s almost the same all around the globe.

Your least favorite thing?

Micromanagement and formalized business.

What is the funniest/scariest/weirdest thing you have ever had happen to you at work?

I remember the following conversations with one of my favorite bosses:

Boss: Hi. Have you ever been to the Faroe Islands?
Alex: No. At least not yet.
Boss: Do you know that now is the best season to explore the place.
Alex: Are we talking about the next week?
Boss: Come on, it’s Tuesday now. They need you there. Thursday, please.
Alex: For how long?
Boss: It’s just for 2 months.

What do you like best about teaching at CAT?

Teaching in CAT is a great way to share my experience and knowledge while staying up to date with the coming generations’ mindset.

What advice would you give to Interior NSS students who are graduating? Any words of advice or wisdom?

Smile and assume manageable risks . ‘A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.’

What do you, or the companies you work with, look for in a new hire/employees?

Professionalism, dedication, and soft skills.

When you aren’t teaching or working on NSS things – what could we find you doing?!

Having fun 🙂 Besides studying, which is a never-ending journey, I have a wife, two kids, numerous hobbies and I’m always willing to try something new.