Brian Hess is a Director at The Chertoff Group, where he uses his diverse background and two decades of security experience to assist Fortune 500 clients to manage risk.

He works with clients to understand their threat picture from an adversarial standpoint while guiding them through the process of assessing risk and mitigating vulnerabilities. He helps develop strategic frameworks and pathways for companies and individuals to better prepare for all-hazards threats. Brian is a Certified Protection Professional through ASIS International.

Prior to joining The Chertoff Group, Brian served as a Security Forces Officer in the United States Air Force for over twenty years. In this capacity, Mr. Hess led thousands of force protection and risk management professionals in combat zones, numerous foreign locations, and throughout the United States. As a subject matter expert in protection and defense, Mr. Hess was chosen as the first-ever Security Forces Officer to the elite Skunk Works division of the Pentagon where he focused on deep-future concepts and developed the Air Force’s strategic pathway for the defense of Air Bases spanning the next two decades. While at the Pentagon, Mr. Hess also authored the security policies and procedures covering the Air Force’s entire nuclear enterprise and managed the Air Force’s nuclear security risk portfolio, advising the nation’s most senior leaders on mitigation techniques and compensatory measures.

Engagement Highlights

• Conducted an organizational risk assessment focused on managing active shooter threats for a Fortune 200 technology company; assessed branded locations in Asia and developed executive recommendations to improve the effectiveness of its global security program.
• Assessed a Fortune 20 communications company’s developmental and research laboratory against physical security threats and provided an open-source intelligence picture to highlight potentially exploitable vulnerabilities.
• Assisted in developing a risk-based executive protection program for a prestigious government agency; transformed dated approach to protection and implemented effective, threat-driven, close protection operations.
• Conducted residential security threat assessments, vulnerability assessments, and risk assessments for numerous private and public sector executives.
• Developed a strategic messaging campaign for a leading biometrics corporation to compete and win a multimillion-dollar military contract for future base access control and force protection.

Education

• M.A., Norwich University
• B.A., American Military University
• FBI National Academy (271st Session)