Max Sparks: Managing the IICRC Team Keeping 50,000+ Technicians Moving
For the tens of thousands of technicians and certified firms that rely on the IICRC each year, Max Sparks’ team is often the first—and only—human they’ll talk to. As logistics manager of operations, Sparks oversees the customer service staff who keep certifications, exams, and renewals moving.
In this Q&A episode of Unscripted, an IICRC video production, learn about his role and the immense effort that goes into what his team ultimately provides the industry.
Tell us about the role of your team and the impact they make.
As manager of a team of more than 19 people, I see the impact of my role is immediate and daily. My teams are directly in charge of our customer service teams. We have over 50,000 IICRC technicians and over 8,000 IICRC-certified firms globally, and about 15 of my staff are the ones directly answering those calls, emails, and chats. So we’re the face of the IICRC, in a sense.
My team is often the one solving problems that keep technicians and firms working. These certified firms or certified technicians reach out to us, and they need assistance with renewing their certifications, getting access to their exam, or any kind of needs they have. We’re here to get them that solution as fast as possible and make sure they can get back to what they need with their day-to-day operations. The type of impact I look for from my team is that we’re doing our best for these individuals, because these certifications are their livelihood. This is what makes their world go round. This is their job. So, we want to help them in any way we can to make sure that their jobs are taken care of.
What makes your work easier and more effective
I will always thank my team for the excellent effort they put in every single day. It’s a pleasure to oversee them as their manager. They make my life extremely easy because they’re dedicated and working hard to take care of our technicians and our certified firms. I don’t have to worry about that—all I have to worry about is making improvements for our certified firms and technicians on our website or on our database. I just want to thank my team so much for doing an excellent job every single day. I couldn’t do it without you.
To the volunteers of the IICRC and our instructors, the volunteers on our TAC committees, the volunteers on our board of directors, they are fantastic. To do what they do without getting a paycheck at the end of the day is admirable. It’s not only serving our industry, but also the 36 employees we have here who rely on them to keep their day jobs. I thank you guys, because without you, this is impossible.
What does your typical Saturday night look like?
I’m an old man, as you can tell from the graying and the balding. So, I typically spend a Saturday night at home. I’m at that age. We have a full house, and my partner, Rebecca, and I have five kids together. On a Saturday night, we’re barbecuing, swimming in the pool, playing board games, walking the dog, doing Pokémon Go. That’s typically our Saturday night.
But probably my favorite Saturday night is when we go down to the drive-in. It’s a little nostalgic for me. We take the kids. The drive-in allows you to bring food and drinks, and we bring pizzas and a cooler full of drinks. We just have a great time spending together as a family. That’s how I like to wind down on a Saturday night.
