AlertMedia has announced that Cheryl Steele has joined its board of directors. Steele brings a depth of experience working in physical security, enterprise resilience and employee safety to her role on AlertMedia’s board. Steele will help guide the company’s strategic growth in the emergency communication software market.
Steele is the Vice President of Global Security & Resiliency (Chief Security Officer) at Starbucks Coffee Company, where she oversees safety and security operations, including executive protection, business continuity, risk intelligence, and crisis management strategy. She serves as the subject matter expert on security and risk mitigation best practices.
Prior to joining Starbucks, Steele held several executive management roles spanning both the private and public sector, including leadership positions at FleishmanHillard, an international communications firm, and Booz Allen Hamilton. Earlier in her career, she served as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State where, for more than seven years, she tracked and provided intelligence and analysis on a wide range of geopolitical issues impacting the Middle East.
Steele’s appointment to the AlertMedia board was sourced through Vista Equity Partner’s independent board program, which leverages the firm’s network to source qualified board candidates for its portfolio companies, amongst other activities.
“The goal of keeping people safe drives my work every day. Separating noise from actionable insight is critical in our information-saturated world, and it’s one of the primary reasons behind my decision to join AlertMedia’s board,” said Steele. “The company’s mission and commitment to helping its customers during high-stakes situations is necessary in today’s environment of increasing and interconnected threats. I’m looking forward to helping AlertMedia accelerate its growth by bringing the perspective of the security professional to the board, informing how it approaches the market with its innovative approach to safety.”
Steele also serves on the Extended Executive Board of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) and is a member of the International Security Management Association (ISMA). She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Affairs Council, Seattle. Steele earned her Master of Arts degree in Political Science from Columbia University in the City of New York and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Economics from Hobart & William Smith Colleges.
