Hirsch Advances in Government Security Market

Appoints Scott Elliott to lead government sales

Building on the success of its Government Program Group, Hirsch announced it is expanding its resources for the U.S. and international government markets by promoting Scott Elliott, formerly eastern district manager, to the newly created position of Director of Government Sales.

Elliott will team with Hirsch's well-respected Government Program Group (GPG) and its Director Lars Suneborn. Hirsch's government group has built a leading presence within federal agencies, working closely with customers to optimize the business value of their technology investments. With their deep understanding of government requirements and trends, Elliott and the Hirsch Government Program Group will continue to develop strategic client security plans and interface with standards bodies and industry associations.

Additionally, Elliott will oversee an integrated process to ensure customer engagements continue to be strategically directed and that their requirements are fully defined, documented and tactically managed. He will also manage third-party, channel and key contractor engagements for government-related projects.

“Scott will provide that all important bridge between the key relationships Hirsch cultivates and the actual system sale and implementation,” said John Piccininni, Hirsch's VP of Sales. “Scott has a proven track record of helping our customers navigate the complexities of regulatory compliance and technological change. He is also expert at managing internal resources to achieve the objectives of our clients' projects.”

The US Secret Service's physical security specialist, John Wills, lauded the appointment. “I have been dealing with Scott for over 10 years supporting the security management, access control, and video system needs for the United States Secret Service field offices,” Wills explained. “If Scott can't answer the question, which is unlikely, he will marshal the appropriate resources and develop the appropriate response to our satisfaction. He has always served the USSS in a professional, knowledgeable and personable fashion. We look forward to continuing our successful relationship with Scott and Hirsch Electronics.”

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD), one of the early implementers of FIPS 201 compliant solutions, also applauded Hirsch's announcement. “I'd like to thank Scott and the entire Hirsch team for serving such an important role on HUD's HSPD-12 team — as a trusted advisor,” said Ron Salazar with HUD's Office of Security & Emergency Planning. “With Scott's support, HUD has been able to achieve our HSPD-12 PACS, IDMS and CMS mission objectives, allowing us to produce, proliferate and begin using our PIV-II credentials ahead of mandated schedules and with outstanding results.”

The Hirsch dealer/integrator partner channel also showed support for the move. “I have had the pleasure to work with Scott on over 100 federal security presentations, designs and installations,” said Ken Knight, VP of Government Operations for security integrator TER. “His professionalism, industry knowledge and communications skills demonstrate to each and every client that Hirsch indeed has and delivers the total solution.”