Life Safety Alliance Announces Third Annual List of Top 40 Global Thought Leaders in Security and Life Safety
- Jul 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 16
A tie for the No. 40 spot expands the Class of 2026 to 41 honorees,
with 19 representing countries outside the U.S.
Arian Avila 
Christopher Stitt 
Shawnee Delaney 
Dr. Fene Osakwe 
Top 40 Global Thought Leaders 
Bonnie Butlin 
James Junkin 
Tannu Jiwnani 
Fayadh Alenezi
The Life Safety Alliance (LSA), a not-for-profit organization advancing global life safety and security through partnership and collaboration, today unveiled its annual list of the Top 40 Global Thought Leaders in Security and Life Safety. Now in its third year, the recognition continues to refine its methodology for identifying individuals shaping the industry's future. A closely contested race for the final spot on this year's list ended in a tie, pushing the number to 41 honorees.
The 2026 honorees span the breadth of the industry, from physical security and life safety to cybersecurity, risk and crisis management, and occupational health and safety. The list brings together practitioners, technology and service providers, researchers, and academics from 13 countries across six continents.
The 2026 scoring criteria added two new categories: Expert Witness, recognizing individuals called upon to provide specialized testimony in litigation, insurance, or investigations; and Legislative & Regulatory Testimony, for those who influence policy through formal testimony before legislative bodies, regulatory agencies, or standards organizations. The additions acknowledge that shaping the industry doesn't always happen on a stage or through a press hit; sometimes, it’s in a courtroom or hearing room.
The Class of 2026 reflects a healthy mix of continuity and change: 13 honorees are recognized for the third consecutive year, another 14 are returning for their second appearance, and 14 are new to the list. Nineteen of the 41 honorees are from countries outside the United States, and four of those — Austria, India, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay — appear on the list for the first time.
For the second year, Andrew Thorburn, Enterprise Security & Risk Manager at Wesco Anixter (formerly Atlas Gentech NZ Limited) in New Zealand, led candidate outreach on behalf of the committee and helped refine the scoring criteria for this year's field.
"Introducing new categories for 2026 enabled us to identify types of influence previously overlooked," said Thorburn. “We will keep refining these categories for the program to make sure we include the most important efforts shaping our industry.”
As with past nominees, final scores for this year’s period, May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026, were calculated using a proprietary algorithm that weighs factors such as conference speaking engagements, webinar and podcast appearances, authored articles and mentions, academic instruction, awards and honors, board positions, and volunteer leadership.
LSA reviewed the credentials of hundreds of professionals across the life safety and security fields and invited more than 200 candidates identified as leading voices in the industry to submit evidence supporting their nominations.
“A tie at the very bottom of the list tells you everything about how competitive this recognition has become,” said Becky Lane, CEO of LSA. “Rather than artificially break the tie, we chose to honor both candidates, and I think that decision reflects the spirit of this program.”
"What strikes me every year is how differently thought leadership can look," Lane continued. "Some of our honorees have built decades of visibility in this industry, while others are only now stepping into that role. Both belong on this list.”
“If you're doing work that's moving this industry forward, whether that’s on a stage, in a courtroom, or on a podcast, we encourage you to participate," said Thorburn. "That's the spirit behind the list, and it's why we're opening nominations for 2027 now. If you think you're pushing boundaries, or you know someone who is, make sure to register for consideration at lifesafetyalliance.org/top40."
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