Larry Pfeiffer is a Senior Advisor to The Chertoff Group, where he advises the Firms clientele on the current risk environment while helping them better understand the policy and program impacts arising from todays threat vectors. He is a highly respected and recognized expert in the areas of national and homeland security policy, crisis management, secure networked communications, intelligence strategy, analysis and collection, overt and covert operations, and budgetary matters.
Mr. Pfeiffer had an influential career spanning 32 years with positions at the White House, Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and National Security Agency, including a decade as a senior executive making and influencing decisions at the highest levels. During this time, he advised and worked closely with respected intelligence, military, and national security leaders across the highest levels of government, spanning the Executive Branch and Intelligence Community.
While at the White House, Mr. Pfeiffer served as Senior Director of the Situation Room where he independently led the Presidents 24/7 operations and intelligence center, providing timely intelligence and information to the President and most senior National Security advisors. Additionally, he initiated the Situation Rooms coverage of cyber-related activity, working closely with the National Security Councils Cybersecurity Directorate and cyber-related watch centers around the National Capital Region. He also expanded and managed the Presidents national security secure communications and information technology infrastructure to better support senior leaders during times of greatest emergency.
Building on an expansive career across multiple intelligence organizations, Mr. Pfeiffer served six Directors and two Acting Directors at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), including three years as Chief of Staff. In this position, he served as the primary adviser to the Director, developing a deep understanding of the organization and a broad array of relationships across all aspects of the organization. He later served as Chief for Policy and Coordination at the CIA, building and leading a new organization able to anticipate and analyze policies impacted internal, national, and foreign intelligence relationships. Most recently, Mr. Pfeiffer advised the Director on privacy, civil liberties protection and oversight.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Pfeiffer served as the sole executive assistant from the Intelligence Community to the Acting Director of Central Intelligence and was instrumental in the reforms following 9/11 that redefined the leadership and management of the Community. Following the creation of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Mr. Pfeiffer served as the lead staff officer to the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence where he was influential in setting initial organizational structure, policies, and procedures.
Mr. Pfeiffer began his career with the National Security Agency, rising from a signals intelligence analyst to Chief of Staff to the Foreign Affairs Director, overseeing all foreign relations activities at NSA as well as the management of over fifty partnerships worldwide.
Mr. Pfeiffer is a recipient of numerous awards, including the National Security Medal and two Central Intelligence Agency Directors Awards, as well as recognition from the President, Vice-President, and National Security Advisor for his efforts supporting them. Mr. Pfeiffer graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Russia Area Studies and earned a Master of Arts in National Security Studies from Georgetown University. He also benefited from senior leadership and executive training at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
Expertise
Cybersecurity
Threat Intelligence and Communication
Intelligence Program Management
Crisis Management and Watch Operations
Networked and Secure Communication Design
Intelligence Policy and International Coordination
