Security Industry Association Welcomes New Leadership of Security Practitioners Advancing Real Conversations (SPARC) Community

With several new members, the SPARC steering committee, under the leadership of chair Rob Kay, guides the SPARC community in supporting end-user technical practitioners to deliver impact in the security industry.

SILVER SPRING, Md.—The Security Industry Association (SIA) has named new members and leadership of the steering committee for Security Practitioners Advancing Real Conversations (SPARC), a community designed to support end-user technical practitioners with a network of technical professionals to deliver impact in the security technology industry and engage in technology standards and compliance. Rob Kay of Netflix has assumed the role of SPARC chair.

In this role, Kay will guide SPARC in advancing state-of-the-art security technology, offering SPARC members access to cutting-edge research, training and networking opportunities and working to influence the direction of security technology standards and compliance.

Rob Kay is a security technology leader with more than 20 years of experience driving innovation, engineering excellence, and digital transformation across the physical security industry. Currently at Netflix, Kay has held senior leadership positions at Rivian and Northland Controls, where he has led global engineering teams and helped organizations design, deploy and optimize complex security technology ecosystems. A passionate advocate for the evolution of physical security, Kay believes technology should empower people, simplify operations, and deliver meaningful outcomes. He is particularly interested in advancing interoperability, embracing emerging technologies and bridging the gap between security practitioners and technology providers. Throughout his career, Kay has championed collaboration, knowledge sharing and professional development as essential drivers of industry progress. As chair of SPARC, he is committed to amplifying the voice of technical end users, fostering open dialogue and helping shape a more connected, innovative and effective security industry.

“It’s a privilege to take on the role of chair of SIA SPARC. Throughout my career, I’ve believed that technology works best when it empowers people and that our industry advances when we’re willing to share knowledge, challenge assumptions and learn from one another,” said Kay. “As technical practitioners, we shouldn’t just be consumers of security technology; we should help define its future. I’m excited to build on SPARC’s strong foundations, bring more voices into the conversation and help translate our collective experience into real progress for the industry.”

The SPARC Steering Committee now includes the following members:

• Chair: Rob Kay, manager of enterprise security technology, Netflix
• Membership Chair: Shanel Balloo, senior manager, new technology and innovation, global security and safety, Salesforce
• Events Officer Chair: Josh Heisler, director of global security systems and technology, NVIDIA
• Benchmarking Officer Co-Chairs:
  • David K. Hernandez, director, global security design and engineering, the Walt Disney Company
  • Prem Patel, program manager, BAPS
• Tech Representatives:
  • Heather Warner, global physical security executive
  • Phil Jang, converged security leader, TikTok USDS Joint Venture
• Banking/Financial Representatives:
  • Jeremy Hedman, program manager, corporate security systems and infrastructure, Stripe
  • Jason Wright, global security and safety, Visa
• Health Care Representative: Zebulon Moore, director, physical security systems, Centene
• Education Representative: Lisa Poltar-McCrimmon, manager, Integrated Security Services, Carnegie Mellon University

“The SPARC community has continued to elevate its work in sharing information, improving the knowledge and skills of technical end users, driving the industry forward and enhancing optimization, interoperability and data enablement,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “The important work of this talented and passionate community would not be possible without the leadership of our dedicated members, including new SPARC Chair Rob Kay. We thank outgoing chair Bobby Louissaint for his leadership as the driving force of SPARC, we welcome our new SPARC members and we look forward to collaborating with the committee to build on SPARC’s programs and offer even more opportunities for collaboration, innovation and growth in our industry.”

SPARC is designed for end users and practicing security professionals who are seeking to share security practices, collaboratively solve problems and feed off each other’s ideas to better secure organizations and advance professional growth. Membership is open to individuals and companies representing end users (active security practitioners) and excludes membership from vendors, suppliers, installing and support companies—allowing SPARC to have a private, end-user-only community for open sharing of ideas and technical feedback. Learn more about the community and get involved here.

About the Security Industry Association

SIA is the leading trade association for global security solution providers, with over 1,700 innovative member companies representing thousands of security leaders and experts who shape the future of the security industry. SIA protects and advances its members’ interests by advocating pro-industry policies and legislation at the federal and state levels, creating open industry standards that enable integration, advancing industry professionalism through education and training, opening global market opportunities and collaborating with other like-minded organizations. As the premier sponsor of ISC Events expos and conferences, SIA ensures its members have access to top-level buyers and influencers, as well as unparalleled learning and network opportunities. SIA also enhances the position of its members in the security marketplace through SIA GovSummit, which brings together private industry with government decision-makers, and Securing New Ground, the security industry’s top executive conference for peer-to-peer networking.