Co-Chief Executive Officer

Bob Ashley retired with 36+ years of leadership, operational, and combat experience in intelligence, global security, and risk management. He served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency responsible to the Secretary of Defense for global security. He also served as US Army G2, the senior intelligence officer in the Army responsible for security, counter-intelligence, and intelligence systems development for an Army. As the commandant for the Army’s Intelligence Center, he was responsible for training Soldiers and Officers in cyber, counter-intelligence, analysis, open source intelligence. Bob holds Masters degrees from the US Army War College and Defense Intelligence College and a Bachelor of Science degree from Appalachian State University.

Founding Partner | Co-Chief Executive Officer

Ed Cardon’s 36+ years in the US Army encompassed command at all levels, culminating in Army Cyber Command. He scaled the Command from 2 to 41 Cyberspace Teams including documentation. He created the Army Cyber Branch and designed and commanded Task Force ARES. He also served as Director of the Army’s Office of Business Transformation where he led the effort to build Army Futures Command, the most extensive reorganization of the Army in 4+ decades. After transitioning to the private sector, Ed has served on the boards and advisory teams for several public and private entities supporting national defense and the Intel Community. Ed is a graduate of West Point and the National War College.

Founding Partner | President

Ken served more than 31 years in the US Army, serving in command and senior leadership positions at a variety of intelligence, special operations and cyber-related organizations. He was instrumental in building Army Cyber Command, both as the organization’s Chief of Staff and later serving as the Commandant of the Army’s Cyber School. In the private sector, he led a major defense contractor’s portfolio in Augusta, GA, growing their portfolio within the Army and Intel Community significantly during his tenure. Ken is a graduate of West Virginia University, the Joint Military Intelligence College, and attended the Army War College as a senior fellow at the Central Intelligence Agency.

Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer

Eric is an Army combat veteran with 25 years of serving in various infantry, intelligence, and special operations organizations. His military experience spans Joint, Interagency, Corps, and Service Component levels. After leaving the military, he spent the last ten years in the defense contracting industry, maturing in successive roles to an Executive Vice President and Program Manager, growing the corporate portfolio in special operations and intelligence services under CENTCOM and SOCOM. Eric holds a Doctorate in Business Administration specializing in leadership and master’s degrees in Management and Human Resources Development. He served as an Associate Professor for an MBA program, including the capstone course. Eric is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) through PMI and an Intelligence Professional through the USD(I).

Dave Branch retired after 31+ years of service in the US Army where he led armor, intelligence and cyber formations and contributed to advancing the Army’s Human Capital endeavors. Dave commanded the Army’s Offensive Cyber Brigade, providing and expanding strategic support to all Services in multiple locations. His joint service during deployments provided opportunities to integrate intelligence efforts among U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force Service members as well as representatives from DIA, NSA, CIA, NRO, NGA and multiple Coalition Nations. Dave graduated from the University of North Georgia, holds a Master’s in Public Administration and completed the Army War College as a fellow in the National Security Agency.

Paul served in the US Army for 35 Years as an intelligence, electronic warfare and cyber operations officer. Paul has supported intelligence and cyber operations at the tactical, operational and strategic levels at every echelon both within the US and through multiple worldwide deployments. Paul was by name requested to serve as the first Chief Warrant Officer of the Cyber Branch (CWOB) and was instrumental in building the first new Army branch in 70 years. Paul also served as the command chief warrant officer for the Cyber Protection Brigade where he was responsible for recruiting, managing and training over 150 subject matter experts in defensive cyber operations. After retiring from the Army Paul transitioned to the private sector and served as a program manager and lead for a global defense contractor from 2020 to 2023 focusing on business development in the cloud, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning arenas as well as growing IT services and intelligence opportunities. Paul has been a University of Maryland Global Campus faculty member for 17 years and currently teaches Information Systems Management.

Nelson served more than 33 years in the US Army in command and operational assignments with intelligence and signal formations. He has operational experience in capability building with US Army South and emergency response operations with US Army North. Nelson has worked in the civilian public and private sectors as consultant, project manager, university professor, and advisor to a governor. Nelson graduated from the University of Puerto Rico – Mayaguez as a civil engineer, and has a Master’s and PhD from Texas A&M University. He attended the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security and Cooperation and the Interamerican Defense College. He is a licensed professional engineer.

Dan served more than 31 years in the U.S. Army where he led infantry and intelligence units from platoon to brigade level. He worked in operational positions with the U.S. Army Intelligence & Security Command (INSCOM), the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), and NATO Special Operations Component Command in Afghanistan (NSOCC-A). Most recently he worked in the space satellite industry. Dan graduated from the University of Notre Dame and earned master’s degrees from the University of Michigan, the National War College, and the Army School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS).

Dave’s 35 years in the US Army included commands at a variety of intelligence organizations, including Corps and Service Component levels. He was instrumental in developing solutions for Army Intelligence as a TRADOC Capabilities Manager. His joint experience involves serving in multiple joint task forces and commands. Dave graduated from Iowa State University, has an MBA, and attended the Army War College as a senior fellow at the Central Intelligence Agency.

Chris is a U.S. Army combat veteran and former Central Intelligence Agency staff officer with more than 20 years of experience as an executive leading the capture, delivery, and growth of technical, operational, and analytic solutions. He started his career in the Infantry deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. He transitioned to the CIA where he led programs focusing on disrupting counterterrorism threats. After leaving government service, he has served as a senior leader for multiple defense and Intel contractors. He is a certified Project Management Professional who earned his undergraduate degree from the Virginia Military Institute and MBA from Virginia Tech’s Pamplin School of Business.

Joe served over 31 years in the US Army, culminating in successive strategic senior leadership positions in major Defense Department organizations including the Defense Information Systems Agency, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, Headquarters Department of the Army CIO/G6, and United States Cyber Command. In his final military role as the Chief of Staff for USCYBERCOM, he was instrumental in elevating the command to full operational capability. Joe had made significant contributions and gained a wealth of operational, tactical, and institutional experience in organizations such as XVIII Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne Division, 3rd Infantry Division, the Army Cyber Center of Excellence, and the US Military Academy at West Point, NY. After retirement, Joe started a consulting company and has excelled in helping clients in the Defense Cyber and Information Technology sectors. Joe is a graduate of Cornell University, the Army’s School of Advanced Military Studies, and the National Defense University’s Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He serves on several boards and advisory teams in public and private entities in support of Defense Cyber and Information Technology companies.

Corey served as a US Army Signal Officer for 29 years and has commanded up to the brigade level. He has extensive joint and operational experience including assignments with the Joint Staff, Army Staff, Defense Information Systems Agency, and various army major commands. He specialized in providing US Forces and coalition partners with robust and resilient information technology capabilities to enable mission command and decision advantage. Corey received his undergraduate degree from Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, holds master’s degrees from the National War College, Georgetown University, and University of Oklahoma. He is currently transitioning from the military and is serving as part of the Hiring our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program.

Abel served in the US Army for over 31 years serving in cyberspace operations, cybersecurity, business and systems analysis, project management, and technology integration within the Army, Department of Defense (DoD), Interagency, and Industry Partner communities. He has supported Network and Cyberspace Operations at the Tactical, Operational, and Strategic levels within the Army and the DoD. Abel served as a Defensive Cyberspace Operations (DCO) Mission Lead for the United States Cyber Command, Command Chief Warrant Officer (CCWO) for the US Army Cyber Protection Brigade, and CCWO for the US Army Cyber Center of Excellence & Fort Gordon in support of Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) and Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2). After retiring from the Military, Abel transitioned to the private sector and served as a Cyber Strategy and Growth Lead for a Global Cybersecurity Company from 2019 to 2022 focusing on designing and delivering end-to-end cybersecurity solutions resulting in immediate operational value for Federal Government and Department of Defense clients.

Enrique is a US Army combat veteran with 34 years of enlisted and officer service leading arctic, mountain, airborne, and mechanized infantry units and multiple high visibility program offices as a DoD Certified Acquisition Professional in Program Management, Information Technology Systems, and Contracting. He led multiple Army, US Special Operations Command, and DoD Joint Program and Project Management Offices responsible for executing the development, delivery, deployment, and sustainment of Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) capabilities and critical infrastructure worldwide for POTUS, the National Command Authority, Intelligence Community, USSOCOM / JSOC enterprise, ARCYBER, Army Installations, and CENTCOM Contingency Operations. He culminated his career as the Director of the Operational Integration Office for the National Reconnaissance Office. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at San Antonio, master’s degrees in Procurement and Acquisition Management from Webster University, and in National Security and Resource Strategy from the Eisenhower School of the National Defense University.

Jose concluded a 21-year US Army career as an All-Source Military Intelligence Officer, focusing on operational design, analysis, and development at tactical and operational levels. He worked on multiple defense projects as a production manager for the Defense Intelligence Agency in the Midwest facility. From his experience in the government and private sectors, Jose has formulated and executed projects for major Department of Defense contractors, state governments, and local jurisdictions in roles such as project manager, disaster recovery and business continuity SME, crisis management, operational research, and lead instructor. Jose holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and is a US Army Command and Staff Advanced Operations Course graduate.

AJ Forysiak is a seasoned senior executive with more than 27 years of experience within the Department of Defense as an intelligence and cyber professional leading complex and multi-national programs supporting Cyber, Military Intelligence, ISR, and NSA. AJ is a graduate of Seton Hall University and holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from American University, a Master’s degree in Cybersecurity from Brown University, and he is a Senior Executive Fellow from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Mike retired after more than 36 in the US Army and commanded at nearly every rank he held culminating his career as the Deputy Commanding General for US European Command. He served principally as an infantry officer but also had assignments with Special Operating Forces - JSOC and The Ranger Regiment. His experience includes joint, interagency, multinational assignments primarily in CENTCOM and EUCOM, including a number with NATO units. Much of his service was during times of conflict and crises. Michael earned his Bachelors Degree from Mercer University in Macon, GA and his Masters Degree from the National War College in Washington, DC.

Tim retired from US Government service after 33 years of leadership and operational roles in law enforcement, intelligence, and computer network operations. Tim retired from the National Security Agency in December 2021 as an SES-3, where he held senior leadership positions at NSA Georgia, NSA’s Tailored Access Operations (TAO) at Fort Meade, MD, Canberra, Australia, and United States Cyber Command Headquarters. Before NSA, he was a Master Forensic Examiner for the FBI’s Computer Analysis Response Team and supervised a large digital forensics laboratory in the FBI, responsible for computer forensics results in prosecuting federal criminal activity. Tim holds a Master of Science Degree from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Baltimore.

Jason is a 20-year Army combat veteran serving in various tactical and strategic intelligence organizations. His military experience spans Joint, Interagency, Division, and Service Component assignments to include NSA, The National Reconnaissance Office, and Space and Missile Defense Command. After leaving the military in 2015, he spent three years as a Department of the Army civilian for Army Cyber Command and in years since has served in the defense contracting industry as a portfolio manager for Army Cyber programs at large, medium, and small companies. Jason holds a master's degree in Public Administration.

Keith Lawless is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel and a former Defense Intelligence Agency’s Senior Executive Service cadre member, totaling more than 43 years of government service. During his three-decade Marine Corps career, Keith served in various senior intelligence positions at the battalion, regimental, group, wing, task force, expeditionary force, and service component levels. His command tours included the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity (MCIA) and the Marine Corps Intelligence Schools. He was also the first G2 assigned to the newly established Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC), tasked with building a formidable and sustainable intelligence organization for the command. After military service, he spent ten years as the Deputy Director of Intelligence for the US Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida, and another two years as the Deputy Director of Intelligence for NORAD and the U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Keith is the recipient of numerous military and government civilian awards and citations and holds advanced degrees in strategic intelligence and military history.

Rob served almost three decades in the U.S. Air Force as a senior national security professional, cyber and technology leader, and strategist. He held succeeding senior executive positions in Defense organizations including Headquarters Air Force A2/6, U.S. Transportation Command, Joint Special Operations Command, Air Mobility Command, and the U.S. Department of Transportation among others. He has applied his deep experience in cyberspace operations, logistics, and joint special operations to mission challenges including digital transformation, air and port operations, talent management, global operations, and crisis response & resiliency.

Elaine McCusker is a senior executive with over 30 years of defense and national security expertise developed through complex policy, strategy, budget and leadership positions in the private sector, academic community, government service and on Capitol Hill. As Acting Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), Elaine oversaw the development, justification and execution of an average annual $700 billion defense budget supporting the National Defense Strategy. She led complex engagement strategies with multiple stakeholders, including the U.S. Congress, to explain difficult, sometimes contentious issues. As a professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Elaine provided research and recommendations to Senators conducting oversight on a wide range of issues and drove pertinent sections of the annual National Defense Authorization Act, including provisions such as: Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART) scholarship for service program; and an initiative for the prevention, mitigation and treatment of blast injuries.

Gus is a retired Army Colonel and a retired Department of the Army Civilian with 41 years of service. He served 34 years in the Army and led Infantry and intelligence units from platoon to brigade level. He served as an exchange officer to the United Kingdom Defense Intelligence Staff, advisor to the Iraqi Ground Forces Command, and combat developer for Special Operations. As an intelligence officer, he served at every level, from the Battalion to the Service component as the principal. He served as a bilingual training technician with the Panama Canal Commission and the US Army School of the Americas. Gus has almost twenty years of experience as a trainer and intelligence officer with Latin American militaries. He is a native Spanish speaker and qualified in two other foreign languages. His education includes a Master of Science degree from Troy State University and the Army War College.

Erick is an accomplished former Special Operations operator and Intelligence professional with 29 years’ combined experience in the United States Marine Corps and United States Army. He spent over 23 years serving within United States Army Special Operations and Intelligence Community in a variety of leadership positions, with tactical to strategic assignments. He led and conducted sensitive operations involving signals intelligence, computer network operations, and human intelligence enabling activities across multiple combat and contingency operations. He is currently a Ph.D. student in Cyber-psychology with focus on Cognitive effects of Offensive Cyber and Computer Network Operations. He holds a M.S. in Cybersecurity from the National Intelligence University.

Tom served in a series of commands and senior leadership positions in the Army over the course of 30 years of his intelligence career. His areas of expertise include Human intelligence (HUMINT), Counterintelligence, Integrated Risk Management Strategies and corporate continuity. He was Group Commander for the Army’s HUMINT Brigade, a Senior HUMINT Advisor at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and a senior staff officer in the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Dick served with the Army for 38 years, 20 of them overseas. He was senior legal advisor for leaders and staffs at every level of command both in garrison and deployed environments. These include various Army, NATO, and coalition organizations. His final position was as the Army’s National Security Legal Advisor. He earned a BA from Williams College, his JD at Albany Law School, and his LLM at The Judge Advocate General’s School.

Mike served more than 35 years in the Department of Defense as a senior civilian, culminating as the Vice-Director of the Defense Logistics Agency where he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the global organization responsible for the nine supply chains that enable warfighter missions. Mike is an expert in material process management, oversight, policy, and performance as well as navigating complex government budgetary and contracting processes. Today, Mike serves a variety of defense-related clients in the areas of supply chain security and logistics management. He is a graduate of the Ohio State University, USAF Air War College, and Harvard Kennedy School’s Executive Leadership Series.

Joe served in the US Marines and Army National Guard for 40+ years. He has deep experience in Defense Systems Acquisitions, Operational Logistics and Supply Chain management, strategic business planning and execution, and warfighting. He is the only Marine general officer to lead the Marine Corps Systems Acquisitions and Logistics Commands, offering a unique mix of expertise in Defense Systems Total Life Cycle Management, Force Sustainment, and the Defense Organic Industrial Base management. Joe’s warfighting and operational experience as a ground combat arms officer includes command and key staff officer tours in Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, and the 2004 Tsunami Relief in Indonesia. Joe is a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Defense Acquisition University (Executive Level), Marine Corps University, and Bluefield State University.

Tricia served more than four decades in a variety of civil service roles, culminating as the Senior Executive for the Defense Vetting Service within the Defense Counter-Intelligence and Security Agency. In that role, she led the effort to modernize the personnel clearance process from periodic reviews to continuous vetting. Tricia’s experience is wide ranging - from special access acquisition programs to operational testing of critical missile defense technology - transcending all facets of security.

TJ White retired with 30+ years as a national security practitioner, strategist, and cyber operations expert leading joint military formations and combined intelligence community organizations. He has commanded at all levels within the Navy and Joint Service, most recently as the Commander, United States Fleet Cyber Command / United States 10th Fleet and previously as the Commander, United States Cyber National Mission Force / USCYBERCOM. He is also a former Director of Intelligence for United States Indo-Pacific Command and maintains deep connections within the Navy and Intelligence Community.

Patrick Willis is a retired US Army officer with over 28+ years of operational and leadership experience with DOD and the Intelligence Community. Pat is an enterprise leader specializing in organizational development, innovation, integration, cybersecurity, and risk management. Pat's key joint assignments included serving as the SOCOM J2 Director of Operations, Plan, and Policy, SOCCENT Director of Intelligence, and the Counter-Terrorism Director for the Joint Staff J2. Pat also led numerous infantry and intelligence units from platoon to the Division level in both the CENTCOM and INDOPACOM areas of responsibility. As a senior intelligence officer, Pat led intelligence enterprises during 12 combat deployments with the 10th Mountain Division, 82d Airborne, JSOC, Special Operating Forces (SFOD-D), and 1st Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. Pat graduated from the University of North Georgia and earned master's degrees from the US Army War College and National Intelligence University.

Ed Wilson recently retired from nearly four decades of government service, culminating as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, responsible for policies, strategies, and plans to guide DoD’s operations in cyberspace. While in uniformed service, Ed commanded at all levels, including a triple-hatted tour as the 24th Air Force/ Air Force Cyber / Joint Force HQ-Cyber at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. These roles placed him at the forefront of cyber and space operations.