Meet the SimpliSafe Leadership Team
Christian Cerda
Chief Executive Officer
Christian Cerda is the Chief Executive Officer of SimpliSafe, responsible for the overall success and strategic direction of the company. Christian joined SimpliSafe in 2019 with a deep passion for developing innovative products that positively impact people’s lives. Under his leadership, SimpliSafe has become the third largest and fastest growing home security company in the U.S., with over five million people protected throughout the U.S. and U.K. Christian is committed to SimpliSafe’s mission of making every home secure and upholding the company’s legacy of disruption and innovation. As a pioneer of the “DIY” home security industry, SimpliSafe’s innovative, affordable, and easy-to-use products have given customers flexible alternatives to legacy competitors. Under Christian’s leadership, SimpliSafe has positioned itself as a leading home security player, launching breakthrough products that integrate advanced AI and security experts to prevent crime before it happens. Christian was recently named an Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2024 New England by Ernst & Young LLP and one of the 20 most influential Latinos in the tech industry 2018 by CNET Español. Before joining SimpliSafe, Christian was Chief Operating Officer at iRobot, overseeing global product development, commercial operations, and supply chain functions. He played a key role in driving product innovation and global expansion, helping to accelerate the growth of iconic products like the Roomba® robot vacuum. Christian’s career also includes over two decades of international leadership experience at The Boston Consulting Group, Procter and Gamble, and Whirlpool. Christian holds an MBA with Distinction from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a degree in Computer Engineering from Universidad Simón Bolívar.
Ai-Li Lim
Chief People Officer
Ai-Li Lim is the Chief People Officer at SimpliSafe, where she leads global human resources strategy, driving a people-first culture that aligns with the company’s rapid growth and innovative mindset. Since joining in 2020, Ai-Li has been instrumental in shaping SimpliSafe’s talent strategy, focusing on fostering an inclusive, high-performing organization that thrives on collaboration and customer-centered values. Ai-Li brings over 20 years of experience in human resources leadership across diverse industries. Before SimpliSafe, she served as Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources at Continuum, where she spearheaded HR initiatives during significant organizational change. She has also held senior roles at The Boston Beer Company, Vistaprint, Fidelity Investments, and Monitor Group, where she developed deep expertise in leadership development, talent management, and organizational effectiveness. Ai-Li holds an MBA with Distinction from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a degree in Political Psychology from Williams College.
Mark FitzPatrick
Chief Financial Officer
Mark FitzPatrick is the Chief Financial Officer at SimpliSafe, where he oversees all financial operations, capital strategy, and long-term growth initiatives, ensuring the company’s continued leadership in the home security space. With over 25 years of experience in high-profile financial leadership roles, Mark has built a strong track record of driving growth and strategic transformation across industries. Before joining SimpliSafe in 2022, Mark served as the Chief Financial Officer and an Executive Vice President of Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE), a world leader in live experiences with a portfolio of iconic venues and entertainment brands. At MSGE, he played a key role in navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while driving strategic growth initiatives, including the acquisition of MSG Networks. Before MSGE, Mark was the Deputy Chief Financial Officer of WeWork, a leading worldwide provider of community-based workspace. He helped scale WeWork’s business and prepared it for a potential IPO, while securing over $10 billion in equity and debt capital. Previously, Mark held a variety of senior finance roles at Time Warner Cable, most recently as the Chief Financial Officer of Residential Services, as well as leadership positions at AOL and Citigroup. Mark graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame and received a joint J.D. / M.B.A. with honors from Georgetown University. He currently resides in Darien, CT with his wife Elizabeth and their three children.
Brian Bloch
Chief Legal Officer
Brian Bloch is the Chief Legal Officer at SimpliSafe, leading the company’s legal, compliance, and regulatory efforts. Brian joined SimpliSafe in 2016 as Vice President and General Counsel and has continued playing a critical role in navigating the company’s legal challenges and supporting its mission to provide innovative and affordable home security solutions. With over 20 years of experience in corporate law, Brian has extensive expertise in managing legal functions for rapidly growing companies in the technology and consumer goods sectors. Before joining SimpliSafe, Brian held senior legal roles at several prominent organizations, including Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at SharkNinja, where he managed the company’s legal affairs across commercial and operational functions. Brian has served as Senior Legal Director at Vistaprint and Vice President and General Counsel at Kaspersky Lab, overseeing global legal operations and regulatory compliance. Brian also held key positions at Salary.com and Digimarc, after commencing his private practice experience at Edwards & Angell. His expertise spans corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, privacy and compliance. Brian earned his JD and MBA from Boston College Law School and the Carroll School of Management. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Russian Language & Literature from Brown University.
Don Nelson
Chief Information and Global Supply Chain Officer
Don Nelson is the Chief Information Officer and Head of the Global Supply Chain at SimpliSafe, overseeing enterprise information systems, IT infrastructure, information security, direct procurement, manufacturing, and inbound/outbound logistics. In his role, Don is focused on enhancing the company’s ability to deliver innovative home security solutions by optimizing operations, improving system integration, and advancing technology infrastructure. His work is key to ensuring SimpliSafe continues to provide seamless, secure, and scalable products to its customers. Prior to his tenure at SimpliSafe, Don held senior leadership positions at Cimpress and Vistaprint. As Chief Operating Officer and President of Cimpress' Mass Customization Platform, he managed large, diverse teams across software engineering, IT, infrastructure, and manufacturing. At Vistaprint, Don served as Senior Vice President of Engineering and CIO, where he was part of the team that scaled the company from $150 million to $1.2 billion in revenue, growing the engineering team from 30 to over 600 people. His early career included roles at Sapient, where he served as CIO and led IT strategies to support a global workforce of 4,000. Don holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Gordon College.
Rebecca Zavin
Chief Technology Officer
Rebecca Zavin is the Chief Technology Officer at SimpliSafe, where she drives the company’s engineering and technology vision to create innovative and reliable home security solutions. In her role, Rebecca leads SimpliSafe’s technology teams across engineering, product, and security to ensure the company continues to pioneer advancements in home protection. Before joining SimpliSafe, Rebecca served as Senior Vice President of Software at Sonos, Inc., where she led a large and complex engineering organization and was instrumental in new product launches, such as the launch of Sonos Voice Control. Rebecca also served as the Vice President of Software Engineering at Palo Alto Networks, where she led the development of Okyo, an enterprise-grade cybersecurity Wi-Fi mesh system designed for homes and small businesses. Rebecca’s leadership career includes her role as CTO and Board Member at Essential, where she was a founding member and grew the company’s engineering team from the ground up. Additionally, Rebecca worked at Google for more than a decade, contributing to the development of Android from its early stages and leading engineering efforts for several iconic Google devices, including the Motorola Droid and Nexus series. Rebecca holds a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Brown University.
Crystal Caligiuri
Chief Customer Experience Officer
Crystal Caligiuri is the Chief Customer Experience Officer at SimpliSafe, where she leads a diverse team across sales, customer support, loyalty, retention, marketing, and data analytics to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Her leadership has been instrumental in driving SimpliSafe’s customer-centric initiatives, including the company’s award-winning customer service, recently awarded for customer service excellence by USA Today and Newsweek. Before joining SimpliSafe, Crystal was Executive Vice President of Customers at Lightspeed Commerce, directing customer success and strategy. Earlier in her career, she served as Chief Customer Officer at ShopKeep, driving growth in Payments and Capital businesses, and held senior roles at Gilt.com, where she focused on business operations and international expansion. Crystal also brings valuable consulting experience, working with high-growth companies to optimize their operations and customer experiences. Crystal holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Hooman Shahidi
Chief Product Officer
Hooman Shahidi is the Chief Product Officer at SimpliSafe, where he leads product strategy, innovation, and development to deliver cutting-edge home security solutions. With extensive experience in product management, marketing and leadership, Hooman oversees the company’s product portfolio, monitoring services, and technology platforms to support SimpliSafe’s mission to “make every home secure.” Since joining the company in 2022, he has played a pivotal role in advancing product offerings and shaping the future of home security. Before joining SimpliSafe, Hooman spent nearly seven years at iRobot, where he held leadership roles as Vice President of Product Management and Senior Director of Product Management. At iRobot, he drove product innovation for the company’s consumer robotics line, working across multiple product categories. Hooman’s career began at Procter & Gamble, where he spent 10 years in Brand Management and Marketing and 10 years in R&D, developing a deep expertise in global brand strategy and consumer products. His roles at Procter & Gamble included Senior Brand Manager for Gillette, North America and Brand Manager for South and East Africa. Hooman also led R&D for the launch of Crest Whitestrips. Hooman holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University.
Scott Braun
Chief Growth Officer
Scott Braun is the Chief Growth Officer at SimpliSafe and is responsible for driving the company’s growth strategy, including customer acquisition across all channels, brand development and the consumer website experience. With over 25 years of experience in marketing, brand strategy, and growth leadership, Scott is a seasoned executive with a proven track record of scaling businesses across diverse industries. At SimpliSafe, he plays a key role in expanding the company’s customer base and enhancing its market position as a leader in the home security industry. Before joining SimpliSafe in 2022, Scott was the Chief Marketing Officer at Drizly (acquired by Uber), leading the company’s marketing and product functions. Under his four years of leadership, Drizly’s business surged and it became a household name in the alcohol delivery space. Scott has also held senior roles at Auto Europe Car Rental, Vistaprint, and Procter & Gamble, where he spent 12 years launching global new products, as commercial marketing director for UK & Ireland and in his last role leading Gillette’s global product innovation and marketing in emerging markets. Scott has an MBA from the University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Duke University.
Vanessa Karlis
Chief of Staff and Head of Transformation
Vanessa Karlis is the Chief of Staff and Head of the Transformation Office at SimpliSafe, where she plays a pivotal role in driving the company's strategic initiatives. In her role, Vanessa works closely with SimpliSafe’s Chief Executive Officer and executive team to streamline decision-making, oversee program management, and lead the execution of key strategic goals. Vanessa has been with SimpliSafe since 2019, initially building the global procurement organization from the ground up before advancing to her current role. Before joining SimpliSafe, Vanessa held senior procurement and operations leadership roles at several organizations, including Wayfair and Topco Associates. At Wayfair, she led a global strategic procurement transformation, overseeing more than $1 billion in spending. Additionally, at Topco Associates, she managed procurement efforts across various indirect spending categories. She also gained experience in managing procurement, vendor compliance, and corporate social responsibility programs at The Boston Beer Company, Hasbro, and Reebok. Vanessa holds an MBA from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Stonehill College.
