AN INTERVIEW WITH
Anthony Hopkins & Daniel Lewis
Anthony Hopkins, Executive Director, Information Security and
Daniel Lewis, Information Security Consultant II
AN INTERVIEW WITH
Anthony Hopkins & Daniel Lewis
Anthony Hopkins, Executive Director, Information Security and
Daniel Lewis, Information Security Consultant II
The beginnings
In the beginning of 2003, Anthony Hopkins first stepped foot on the Fort Polk Army base in Louisiana. He was 18 and fresh out of boot camp. It was there he met Daniel Lewis: a more senior soldier who had already been enlisted for four years. A couple of months later, they deployed to Iraq together. Almost 20 years later, they’re still working together … on NCR’s Global Security team.
How did you two meet?
Lewis: We originally met at Fort Polk but didn’t become friends until we deployed. We flew into Kuwait and took a Humvee to Baghdad. That came with all sorts of adventures. Once we were established there, we got to work. We both were doing signal work. At first, we were working with very old equipment, but that was upgraded after a few years. We spent a lot of time working on missions together and even more time finding ways to keep ourselves entertained during our downtime. He went from an acquaintance to a brother.
How did your time in the service shape your worldview?
Hopkins: I definitely grew up a lot. I look back and think about how I went into it with no idea what to expect. I learned a lot along the way. I was so far out of my element that I didn’t even understand the severity of the situations I was in until I looked back on them later.
Lewis: For me, it was perspective. You learn to appreciate all the little things that you take for granted without realizing it. So much of what we are used to is a luxury.
What did the transition into civilian work look like for you two?
Hopkins: Daniel got out of the military before me and was still doing contract work on secure systems, which is slowly what our work turned into in Iraq. I had been focused more on the network side of communications and Daniel was doing more computer-based IT security work. I got a job doing network engineering for an energy company and then joined Cardtronics. As I advanced in my career and was ready to take on direct reports, Daniel was my first call. Four years later, we were acquired by NCR, and now here we are today on an awesome team.
What makes the NCR Global Security team special?
Lewis: There are definitely some cultural differences between the Army and corporate America. But what remains the same is that we all will rally behind a strong leader. I have worked for Dan [Antilley] for five years now. He’s relatable, which you don’t always get with leaders at his level. He cares about his people and wants them to succeed. And that’s a contagious attitude to have. It also helps that there are quite a few veterans on our team. We understand each other’s methods and there is a community of us to support each other.
What did you learn from your time in the service that has helped you succeed at NCR?
Hopkins: In the Army, we were responsible for everything, implemented everything, monitored everything, learned all the new technologies. I think that made us into team players, which plays well into our customer-first mindset and NCR.
