Meet the Team
Christa Steele, CEO
Christa initially became affiliated with the Bay family of companies as a member of its Board of Directors in December 2020. Prior to joining BALCO Holdings, Inc., she led Mechanics Bank as its President and CEO. At the time, Mechanics Bank was a $3.5 Billion asset bank with market capitalization in excess of $500 million, and located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Christa was also a Partner and Board Member of FIG Partners, a full-service boutique investment bank, headquartered in Atlanta, GA Prior, she spent two decades in senior level positions within the financial services industry where she led the execution of strategic initiatives, streamlined operations, implemented technology, led digital transformation, underwrote, structured and managed credit functions, grew new markets, and oversaw M&A activity.
In addition to serving on the BALCO Holdings, Inc. board, Christa has served on eight public, private, and family-owned company boards. The industries served include financial services, P&C, D&O, Life Insurance, Wealth Management, Investment Banking, Neural Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Transportation, Equipment Leasing, Waste Collection, Real Estate, and Food and Agricultural Industries. She is a recognized expert in corporate governance, finance, and emerging technologies.
Christa and her better half, Jeff, are the proud parents of two adult children. In her spare time, she enjoys exercise, golf and travel. Christa holds an MBA from University of Southern California (USC) and an undergraduate degree from California State University Sacramento (CSUS).
Matt Westphal, President
Matt grew up in the alarm industry, shadowing his dad Bruce Westphal during meetings with customers and other alarm owners. While attending Southern Methodist University, Matt worked at Bay Alarm as an installer. Many years later, he is part of the third generation of Westphals actively working at Bay Alarm. As President, Matt oversees efforts in every area of the business and plays a key role in the company’s growth strategies, including acquisitions.
Throughout his career in the alarm industry, Matt served as a past president of the California Alarm Association and received the George Weinstock Lifetime Achievement Award. He is currently on the Board of Directors for NetOne, ADS Security, and the Western Burglar & Fire Alarm Association (WBFAA).
True to Bay Alarm’s values, he proudly serves the communities in which we operate. Matt has been a past president of the Moraga Baseball Association, a past president of the Campolindo High School Cougar Club, and is currently a Bay Area Boy Scout Advisory Board member.
Matt enjoys skiing, kiteboarding, fishing, and reading in his free time.
Tim Westphal, COO
Tim grew up in the alarm industry, often accompanying his dad Roger to alarm industry events and learning about the business from an early age. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Whittier College and working for a few years in the telecom and internet industries, Tim started his career with Bay Alarm. He worked as an installer in our San Francisco branch, as a service technician in our Oakland branch, and also spent time working in our monitoring center. He later moved to Southern California and opened our first office in Orange County, CA.
After moving back to the Bay Area, Tim earned his MBA from St. Mary’s College of California and deepened his focus on field operations overseeing all branch installation and service efforts. Today, as Chief Operating Officer of Bay Alarm Company, Tim leads several teams, including Information Services, Monitoring & Customer Care, Training & Engineering, and Codes & Standards Compliance.
Tim is active in the alarm and security industry and has served on various boards and committees throughout his career, including as past president of the California Alarm Association. He currently serves as a board member of The Monitoring Association.
After many years of playing lacrosse, Tim enjoys coaching and volunteering with Bay Area lacrosse clubs. He spends his free time mountain biking, enjoying the outdoors, and supporting his three kids with their activities.
Jonathan Surridge, CFO
Jonathan joined the Bay Alarm family in 2019 as Chief Financial Officer.
In addition to leading Bay Alarm’s finance and accounting departments, he negotiates and executes acquisitions, oversees the investment of funds, and analyzes operational and sales figures to identify areas of improvement. He also works closely with other executives on planning for Bay Alarm’s future, including expanding into new product areas, studying long-range economic impacts on profitability, and deciding on priorities for the strategic planning process.
Before Bay Alarm, Jonathan held several financial leadership positions at software and investment companies, including Chief Financial Officer at Lumity, Inc., Vice President of Finance at RealtyShares, and Chief Financial Officer at Motif Investing.
Jonathan holds an undergraduate degree from Yale University and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business.
In his free time, Jonathan enjoys mountain biking, home improvement, landscaping, and spending time with his wife and four children.
Julia Keevey, CHRO
As Chief Human Resources Officer, Julia oversees the strategy and direction for Bay Alarm’s human resources function, including diversity & inclusion, employee engagement, recruiting, compensation, benefits, employee relations, training, and risk management. She works with a team of talented professionals to ensure that we hire the best candidates and then provide them with the right training, education, engagement, opportunities, and support so they can build meaningful careers.
Before Bay Alarm, Julia was the Director of Human Resources for Esurance (an Allstate Company) and the Head of Human Resources, North America, for Berlitz Languages.
She received her undergraduate degree from Shippensburg University, holds an MBA from Temple University, and is a Senior Certified Professional by the Society of Human Resource Management.
In her free time, Julia enjoys spending time with her family, running, and reading.
Andrew Conrad, CTO
As Chief Technology Officer, Andrew is responsible for all of Bay Alarm’s technical infrastructure. He oversees the teams that keep Bay Alarm running securely and efficiently 24/7, including data centers, network operations, product management, help desk, engineering, and application development.
Before Bay Alarm, Andrew was COO at Sweda, LLC and CTO/COO at Autoland, Inc. He received his bachelor of science degree in 1995 from Buffalo State College.
Outside of work, Andrew spends most of his time coaching youth sports and supporting his school-aged children with their various activities. He enjoys building and racing cars, fly fishing, and getting out on the water in his free time.
Eric Taylor (SVP, Sales & Marketing)
As Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Eric oversees all new revenue generation for the company. This includes all aspects of selling and marketing Bay Alarm’s intrusion, access control, fire, guard & patrol, and video surveillance products and services.
Before Bay Alarm, Eric held sales leadership roles within the banking industry and led a global sales organization in the publishing industry. After joining Bay Alarm in 2002, he quickly became instrumental in both the professional development of the organization and the sales growth of the company.
As an active alarm industry leader, Eric is a key member of NetOne, an elite network of independently owned security companies from across the country. He is also a board member of other independent alarm companies and sits on the board of the Sheriff’s Charities of Contra Costa County.
Eric graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing. He is married with two grown children and enjoys riding motorcycles, fishing, and being outdoors.
John Foster, SVP, Operations
John is a prime example of what building a successful career at Bay Alarm Company is all about. He started as an installer and worked his way up through several branch management positions in installation, service, sales, and operations before returning to the corporate office to head up the operations management team.
As Senior Vice President, Operations, he is responsible for everything branch-related: from service and installation to sales and facilities. John is a key player in operationalizing Bay Alarm’s many acquisitions and was instrumental in expanding the organization into Southern California, Arizona, and Washington.
John holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Phoenix and an MBA from Cal State Monterey Bay. In his free time, John loves being outdoors – backpacking, fly fishing, and camping – and spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Michal Kubicki, Corp. Counsel
Michal joined Bay Alarm as Corporate Counsel in 2016. As the company’s in-house legal expert, he oversees commercial contracting, compliance, corporate matters, and litigation management. He also provides legal counsel to Bay Alarm’s board of directors and senior management.
Before Bay Alarm, Michal worked as an attorney at several law firms in San Francisco. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University and Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law.
In his free time, Michal enjoys spending time with his wife, Jen, and son, Theo. You can also find him rock climbing, playing table tennis, reading, and cheering for Duke Basketball and the Golden State Warriors.
Interested In Starting a Career At Bay Alarm?
To see a list of available positions, or to receive job posting notifications, view our hiring portal!
Bay Alarm’s Core Values
Our leadership team sets the tone for the 1,100+ members of the Bay Alarm family. We believe in doing everything the “Bay Way,” which means we put customer service above all else and commit ourselves wholeheartedly to our core values.
Family Values
As part of the Bay family, we are responsible for each other in word and action. We support each other in accomplishing our goals and dreams by helping bring out the best in each other.
Integrity
We believe in doing the right thing, even when it is difficult. Our communication is straightforward and professional.
Accountability
We live by our commitments, to our customers and to each other. When we’re needed, we’ll be there. When we say we are going to do something, we do it – no excuses.
Community
We gain so much from the communities where we live and work, we believe in giving back to them.
Inclusion
We believe that our differences - when embraced with openness and respect - drive smarter decisions, stronger performance and a culture where everyone can be themselves.