Richard Perry vs Jim DeVries

Richard Perry

CEO of Ackerman Security Systems

BIO: Ackerman Security Systems, having been acquired in 2015 by private equity firm Imperial Capital and partner OPTrust in 2017, appointed Richard Perry as CEO in that same year. With more than 30 years’ industry experience founding and growing security alarm businesses including Security Networks (acquired by Monitronics in 2013 for $507 million), in Ackerman Perry is now leading a business whose 300 employees serve 145,000 customers with revenues of $65 million including $4.4 million in RMR. “Prior to stepping in I was on the board and an owner. I had spent a year or so interacting with the management team, and getting to know the company,” says Perry. “Before I took the role on, I spent about a month meeting with all the folks on the team. What I saw was really an enthusiastic group of people. Ackerman being as large and dominant as they are in such a tight geographical space is somewhat unique. I thought it would be fun to try to figure out how to leverage that.”

Jim DeVries

CEO of ADT Corporation

BIO: In December 2018, after leading many of ADT’s recent operational and strategic improvements, Jim DeVries was promoted to CEO and President. Jim had served as President since September 2017 and had joined ADT as Chief Operating Officer in May 2016. Prior to joining ADT, Jim held senior leadership roles at leading companies in the insurance, financial services and telecommunications industries, including most recently as Executive Vice President for Allstate Brand Operations. Before joining Allstate, he was Senior Vice President of Human Resources at the Principal Financial Group, and Vice President for Corporate Services and Human Resources at Ameritech’s Monitoring and Security Services Division. He received a bachelor’s degree from Trinity College, a master’s degree from Loyola University, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.