Mark Fessenden has been elected to serve as the new Managing Director of the International Fire Suppression Alliance (IFSA). Mark was hired as the result of a 9-month search process, and began serving in his new position on 1 March 2024. Mark brings the advantage of a strong working knowledge of IFSA programs and policies, having served on the Board of IFSA since 2019 as the representative of Johnson Controls (JCI), where he held the position of Director of Industry Relations. IFSA Chairman Mike Bosma expressed the Board’s enthusiasm about the new appointment, saying “We are exceptionally happy that Mark will be leading the organization forward, because he brings with him not only an extensive knowledge of the fire sprinkler industry, but also his experience and understanding of the mission and goals of the IFSA.”

Mark began his career in the fire sprinkler industry with Central Sprinkler in 1994 following service as a chaplin’s assistant in the U.S. Army and in 1996 moved into a technical support position for the company in Lansdale, PA. When Central was acquired by Tyco in 2000 he remained in technical services, but accepted the position of Manager of Technical Training in Cranston, RI in 2002. Two years later he was named Director of Technical Services. In that position he was originally based in Cranston, but was relocated to Enschede, Netherlands in 2007 and to Marinette, WI in 2008. In 2017 he was named Director – Industry Relations for Tyco Fire Suppression Products, a division of Johnson Controls. For the past year, Mark has also served as the President of the nonprofit Firefighter Air Coalition, based in Marinette, WI.

Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering as well as an MBA. He has served as a member of more than a dozen NFPA technical committees, and has also served as a member of the Board of the National Fire Sprinkler Association. He is presently serving as the chair of the Continuing Professional Development Committee of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers, and in 2021 was honored by that organization with its Harold E. Nelson Service Award.