GREAT FALLS, VA, December 09, 2024 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Steven Hersem has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Hersem is a distinguished professional with a robust National Security and Business Risk Management career. He has served as the Senior Director of Corporate Security and Resilience at Avangrid Management Company, a member of Spain's Iberdrola Group, since 2021; he has been instrumental in building a best-in-class corporate security program for this thriving energy company and proactively identifying and addressing potential threats to cyber and physical security operations. He managed security and resilience for various assets, including electricity and gas distribution infrastructure in the Northeast United States, onshore and offshore wind turbine farms, solar energy systems, and hydroelectric facilities. He collaborates closely with organizations such as the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and the Connecticut Intelligence Center (CTIC) to monitor, assess, and mitigate threats to the electrical grid.
Before his current position, Mr. Hersem was a Senior Director for global security operations at Live Nation Worldwide Inc. from 2018 to 2021 based in Beverly Hills, California. His extensive experience in National Security matters includes service as Deputy Director of Community HUMINT at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2017 to 2018 and as Deputy Assistant Director for the FBI's Counterterrorism Division from 2014 to 2017. Mr. Hersem started his career as a Special Agent with the FBI in the Houston, Texas Field Office from 1995 to 2003, working on various federal criminal violations, including Violent Crime and Major Offenders, Organized Crime, Counternarcotics, and Counterterrorism. Notably, leading the dismantling of the Southwest Gorillas cocaine distribution conspiracy in Texas and Louisiana, which the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA) recognized with a unit citation award. Later, Mr. Hersem volunteered to deploy to Afghanistan after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, initially as a team member and then becoming a team leader of the FBI's expeditionary counterterrorism fly team until 2009. Mr. Hersem served in various conflict zones and austere locations including Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Kenya, and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in Pakistan. Mr. Hersem was awarded the FBI's Shield of Bravery for actions during a militant attack on a U.S. Army Special Forces Team in Zabul Province, Afghanistan.
Mr. Hersem then served in counterterrorism program management roles at FBI headquarters until assuming leadership of the National Capital Region's (NCR) Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). During his leadership tenure, the NCR's JTTF prevented notable acts of terrorism, including an effort by a radicalized individual to commit a suicide bombing at the United States Capitol Building. After leading the JTTF, Mr. Hersem was promoted to an Assistant Special Agent in Charge role at the Washington Field Office, leading extraterritorial investigations, and later to Section Chief of the FBI's International Operations Division.
In addition to his professional roles, Mr. Hersem has been involved in several industry-related organizations such as InfraGard, the Domestic Security Alliance Council (DSAC), and the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC). He has also been a consulting partner to the Chicago-based PAX Group and served as an expert advisor to Big Media TV, which has produced documentaries such as Terrorism Close Calls, First-In, and Cole: Al Qaeda's Strike Before 9/11.
Mr. Hersem's academic background includes a master's degree in security and risk analysis with a focus on Homeland Security from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. He completed graduate coursework in public administration at the University of Michigan in 1995 and holds a bachelor's degree from Saginaw Valley State University. His certifications include organizational leadership from IE Universidad in Madrid, Spain, a graduate program certificate from the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, Insider Threat Management from Carnegie Mellon University, Purpose Driven Leadership from Yale University, and an executive program in change management from Northwestern University, among others. Mr. Hersem was also a Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and a Special Agent Bomb Technician (SABT) for the FBI.
In his personal life, Mr. Hersem cherishes spending time with his family while enjoying activities like international travel, hiking, scuba diving, rappelling, and climbing. Both his son and daughter are university students and avid scuba divers. His daughter is completing her real estate license while his son is attending university on scholarship as a member of the U.S. Army's Reserve Officers' Training Corps and recently obtained his private pilot's license. Looking ahead, Mr. Hersem envisions leveraging his skills and experiences to make meaningful contributions to Avangrid by enhancing the company's value through prioritizing energy security – a fundamental aspect of the United States critical infrastructure. Additionally, he aims to promote stronger collaboration between private and public sectors related to national security while supporting his family as his children transition into adulthood.
About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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