Areas of Expertise
Cybersecurity and Information Security | Fraud Investigation and Prevention | Financial Crime | Physical Security | Business Continuity | Corporate Investigations | Risk and Security Consulting
About Joe
Joseph Ford previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Security Officer of Bank of the West and earlier had a 30-year career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he served as Associate Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer. At The Chertoff Group, he supports Cybersecurity and Security Risk & Resilience engagements.
Recent Engagements
- Supported all-hazards cyber tabletop exercises – planning, design, conduct and after-action analysis for technical and leadership audiences
- Supported the development, deployment, and assessment of enterprise Trust & Safety maturity frameworks across large-scale digital marketplaces, on-demand service platforms and identifying capability gaps.
- Supported enterprise assessments of physical security and executive protection programs across large-scale technology organizations, evaluating program maturity, identifying capability and control gaps, benchmarking leading practices, and developing prioritized recommendations to strengthen security and resilience.
Career Highlights
- Executive Vice President and Chief Security Officer, Bank of the West (2008-2016), managing all aspects of the security program including cybersecurity, information security, investigations, fraud prevention, physical security and business continuity; created an integrated team of security and anti-fraud professionals focused on reducing cyber and fraud risk
- Associate Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; previously served as the FBI’s Chief Financial Officer
- Lead investigator and Inspector-in-Charge for the FBI’s corporate fraud investigations of Enron and Arthur Andersen
- Authored federal health care fraud legislation, developed the FBI’s national program in combating health care fraud, and led the FBI’s investigation of Columbia/HCA Healthcare, resulting in convictions and the company paying a record $1.6 billion in criminal and civil fines and penalties
- Led the FBI’s investigation of National Medical Enterprises, resulting in the company pleading guilty to conspiracy and paying a criminal and civil fine of $379 million
- Following the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, played an instrumental role in creating a newly formed team focusing on developing financial evidence related to international terrorism
- Senior advisor to the FBI on financial and business matters, providing risk and security consulting services to Fortune 1000 companies
- Recipient of the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Service, the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service, the FBI Director’s Award for Excellence in Investigation and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ Donald R. Cressey Award for Excellence in Fraud Detection and Deterrence
Boards and Affiliations
Former Member, Board of Regents, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners | Former Chairman, Bay Area Crimestoppers
Education
University of Baltimore – Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business