Sam Pfanstiel Ph.D.

Principal, Technical Compliance, PCI

As Principal Analyst at Toast, Sam is responsible for heading the Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance programs for this cloud-based fintech company. Over the past 27 years, Sam has held key roles in security, technology, and management, and developed expertise in multiple disciplines, including payments, PCI compliance, fraud, cloud service delivery, application development, mobile technology, infrastructure, and cryptography. This diverse knowledge enables him to support the secure implementation of Toast's cloud-based restaurant payment systems, while helping drive efficiency and innovation across their portfolio of hospitality products.

Sam holds multiple certifications, including CISSP, CISM, CEH, PCIP, and ISA. He is co-chair of the CSA Cloud Key Management Working Group, former chair of the ETA Risk, Fraud, and Security Committee, and remains an active contributor on the PCI Security Standards Council Board of Advisors, Technology Guidance Group, Special Interest Groups, and Task Forces. Sam has had the privilege of speaking at numerous conferences held by PCI SSC, ETA, ICMC, Verifone, ACI, Mastercard, Treasury Institute, MAC, Conexxus, and NACS. In 2022 he received his Ph.D. in management, having published his dissertation on the impacts of retail management perceptions on cybersecurity investment.

Sam lives in Broomfield, Colorado, where he enjoys trail running, skiing, and training his two dogs. He and his wife, Melinda, have been married for 27 years and have three children.