NATACS has welcomed former TSA chief information officer Russ Roberts as chief experience officer (CXO). NATACS serves the aviation industry through a government/industry partnership with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) including vetting and credentialing solutions for regulated aircraft operators along with other DHS, DOT and FAA regulatory compliance services.

Roberts will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of NATACS' external and internal stakeholder experience, which includes clients, strategic partners and vendors. He will also serve as a subject matter expert/advisor.

“We are excited to announce Russ Roberts has joined NATA Compliance Services,” says CEO Michael Sundheim. “Russ' executive leadership at TSA and more than 30 years' experience with airline, air carrier and airports puts him in a unique position to assist our clients, industry and partners.”

Prior to joining NATACS, Roberts spent 18 years with the TSA, where latterly he was responsible for defining and implementing the agency's information technology services, managing all aspects of IT governance and cybersecurity for more than 450 US regulated airports and 50 worldwide international offices, including vendors and other parties that partnered with TSA to ensure transportation security. He led the delivery of all IT services for the 65,000 plus federal and contract staff to ensure the successful deployment of modern IT services and innovations across TSA, while addressing the agency's counterterrorism mission to keep the travelling public safe and secure.

His TSA career began in 2004 and he has more than 33 years of experience as a transportation professional and leader. Prior TSA assignments include deputy CIO; executive director in the Office of Intelligence and Analysis; executive director for security threat assessment operations in the Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service; as well as various leadership assignments overseeing TSA's criminal and terrorism vetting portfolio.

Notably, Roberts was the lead senior executive who oversaw the effort to create and implement Pre-Check, along with oversight of Secure Flight, air carrier, air cargo, airline and airport security programmes, vetting and credentialing, biometrics and other programmes.

Roberts served as an officer in the US Air Force and was a senior management consultant supporting Department of Defense and US government clients in the national security arena. He holds a Master's degree in public administration from Golden Gate University and a BSc from Florida State University. He is also a FAA-licensed pilot.

NATACS has served the aviation industry for 22 years as a solution provider for regulatory requirements involving fingerprinting, credentialing, badging, online training, background checks and third party administration for drug and alcohol programmes.