COUNSELORS

cyber security & critical information infrastructure defense

Ron Shamir

Senior Consultant

Avraham Ben Josef

Senior Consultant

Mr. Avraham Ben Josef is a renowned expert in the field of water technology, with over 30 years of dedicated experience in relevant fields, water technologies and disciplines including, but not limited to, water resource management, water quality, desalination, operations and maintenance and Command & Control.  During his distinguished career, Mr. Ben Joseph was responsible for the maintenance and operation of Israel’s main water supply system.  He also drafted Israel’s strategic plan for the Water Sector in 2050.  He also initiated and led the brackish water desalination plant project in the South of Israel.

Mr. Ben Josef served for over 10 years as a Board Member of Mekorot, Israel’s national water company.  During his distinguished career with Mekorot, he held a wide range of senior ranking capacities including, but not limited to Vice President of System Integration Engineering and Head of the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Division, responsible for all operational, engineering and maintenance activity within the company.  He also carried out a number of measures aimed at improving efficiency and reduced maintenance costs overall by roughly 20 percent without comprising quality.

Prior to this he served as the Vice President of Engineering and Technology which includes responsibility over water resources, water quality, desalination, Command and Control, operations and maintenance, safety and the Research, Sustainability, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center (WATEC).  He was also chiefly responsible for drafting multi-year work plans (including energy efficiency and emergency preparedness, among other areas), managing survey and research activities and promoting collaborations between Israel and international partners, among other roles.

Also with Mekorot, Mr. Ben Josef served in the capacity of Head of Engineering for the Southern District of the State of Israel which included supervising 75 engineers as well as laboratories, maintenance, information systems and development and operating water supply systems for the entire Southern district including urban communities, settlements and agriculture, managing complex engineering systems which include electrical, cathodic, civil, electronics, machinery, pumps and hydraulic valves.

As the Director of Development and Projects Department with Mekorot, Mr. Ben Josef led a number of large-scale projects in conjunction with the Water Authority from inception and master planning thru implementation.  Prior to this, he served as the Director of the Water Quality Department which included managing and overseeing operations at water and wastewater testing laboratories, the water quality engineering department and the water monitoring system.  He also served the capacity of Project Manager for the construction of water desalination plans in the Arava Valley in the State of Israel.  In addition these roles, Mr. Ben Josef began his career with Mekorot as a Water Engineer in the Negev and Arava regions in Israel and then as a Senior Engineer and Deputy of the Water Engineering Department within Mekorot.

Mr. Ben Josef holds a B.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering from the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and an M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) in Haifa, Israel.  His Master’s Thesis was on the topic of “Flood water treatment for domestic use.”

forensic sciences and technical security

John W. Piper

John W. Piper, senior counselor, ASERO Worldwide, is a domestic and international security consultant who retired from the U.S. Secret Service in 1991 after serving as a manager of the Forensic Sciences Division and the Technical Security Division. He held responsibility for security engineering and risk management at the White House and Treasury Department complexes along with a number of other related facilities. Mr. Piper was chairman of the White House Information Systems Security Advisory Group for six years and implemented CIA and NSA trusted system criteria.

Mr. Piper went on to hold the position of vice president, Special Projects Sector, for Scientech Engineering and was primarily engaged in technical security projects for U.S. Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Department of Transportation. He then served 13 years as the manager of global security engineering and risk management for ExxonMobil Corporation and since September 2006 has worked as a consultant to both government and private sector organizations.

Mr. Piper holds considerable experience in the security domain for all phases of gas production from the wellhead to market. In a security capacity, he has worked on a number of projects for countries and regions including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Gulf Coast, the United States, the Netherlands, the North Sea, Scotland and Russia Sakhalin Island. Mr. Piper has applied elements of integrated security management systems as well as considerations regarding facility exposure into his international risk management decision science techniques.

While at ExxonMobil, Mr. Piper developed risk management and security engineering best practices. He implemented these through the conduct of over 450 risk assessments in virtually all aspects of petrol chemical operations. He sat on U.S. Department of Homeland Security advisory panels with regard to liquefied natural gas security and petrol chemical sector security. Mr. Piper was also a member of the ExxonMobil Information Systems Security Committee for 12 years.

Mr. Piper holds a Master of Science in Operations Research from the University of Pennsylvania. He also served as an adjunct faculty member in the Forensic Science and Engineering Departments at George Washington University for 12 years. He has attended over 40 specialized training sessions over his career, mostly in technical and information security and possesses an active top secret national security clearance.

aviation security

Ian Hutcheson

Mr. Ian Hutcheson, a Senior Consultant for ASERO Worldwide, is the former Security Director of BAA Airports, Ltd. a leading airport company which owns five airports in the UK including the largest, London Heathrow as well as London Stansted, Southampton Airport, Glasgow Airport and Aberdeen Airport.

In that capacity, Mr. Hutcheson was responsible for identifying current threats and risk to business and airport operations from terrorism, protest or other criminal acts; assisting the Executive and Group Managing Directors to mitigate identified risks; interpreting and ensuring compliance of all BAA Airports with National Aviation Security Programme regulations, among others; interfacing with the European Commission, UK government, airlines, police and Border Force on security related matters; ensuring that effective physical, technologies and managerial controls are in place at all Airports and Group Companies to protect critical assets and prevent incidents of crime; working with Government technical departments, manufacturers and academia toward researching and developing new technologies for enhancing airport security; ensuring best practice industry standards are adopted and implementing within the aviation domain; and, ensuring the security of BAA Information Systems against electronic attack as well as compliance with the Data Protection Act, among other roles.

Prior to his position as Security Director, Mr. Hutcheson served for 30 years with the Metropolitan Police Service in a number of senior positions including: Commander of Heathrow Airport Division, Commander of Richmon-upon-Thames Division, Operations Manager – Notting Hill Division and Chief Inspector – Heathrow Division.

In his role as Commander of Heathrow Airport Division, Mr. Hutcheson managed a team of 400 police officers and 60 support staff who provided policing services to staff and passengers at Heathrow Airport. He also designed and implemented a programme aimed at establishing a more flexible, integrated and cost efficient workforce. During his service, Mr. Hutcheson led the Heathrow response to the IRA terror campaign in the mid-1990s.

As Chief Inspector of Heathrow Airport, Mr. Hutcheson managed and led the armed counter-terrorist unit comprised of 140 officers; reviewed and reorganized the counter-terrorist unit following the attacks on Rome and Vienna Airports in 1985; and, commanded the initial response team to the bombing attack on an El Al Aircraft at Heathrow Airport in 1986.

Mr. Hutcheson holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management Studies from Middlesex University.

financial crime

Denis Constant

Mr. Denis Constant comes to ASERO from a distinguished career as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) where Mr. Constant played a key role in delivering organizational improvement therefore striving to achieve an organization of excellence. He played a central role in the development of policies within Border Security, Financial Crime and International Policing by holding several senior positions within the RCMP. During his thirty year career, Mr. Constant held a variety of positions at home and abroad reaching its pinnacle as the Director General, Financial Crime, a position he held until September 1, 2008 following his retirement.

Prior to his tenure with Financial Crime, Mr. also served as Director General of International Policing between 2002 and 2005 where he led the re-engineering process of all core activities within the International Division. The new re-engineering process contributed to a re-alignment of five additional Liaison Offices around the world. He led the negotiation with the Government of Canada for the purpose of securing permanent positions for Peacekeeping Mission in which Canada participates on ongoing basis. Mr. Constant led the tsunami relief efforts on behalf of Canada following the natural disaster in Asia by providing strategic and operational advices to the Canadian government for the purpose of enhancing Canada’s contribution to the region.

Mr. Constant held the position of Chief of Staff for the Commissioner of the RCMP where he interacted on a daily basis with Senior Government Officials such as Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness, Privy Council, Department of Finance, Treasury Board and several other Government Departments on policy issues. In the capacity of Canadian Diplomat to the following countries namely; Italy, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Cyprus, Malta, Syria, Greece, Sudan, Egypt and San Marino, Mr. Constant accepted operational responsibility on behalf of the law enforcement community in Canada and also promoting Canadian interest on behalf of the government.

Mr. Constant served as Ambassador at Large on the International Policing Committee of the International Association for the Chiefs of Police. He also held the position of Canadian Representative on the International Association of Chiefs of Police Private Sector Liaison Committee as well as the RCMP representative on the same Committee for the Canadian Association for the Chiefs of Police (CACP). Since September 2006, he has occupied a position on the Board of Algonquin Forensic Accountant Program. During his entire career with the RCMP, Mr. Constant was a key speaker at several National and International forums on a variety of topics such as the role of Peacekeeping within International Operations, Identity theft, Major Frauds, Money Laundering etc.

Mr. Constant has attended the faculty of law at the University of Ottawa. He has been the recipient of the Queen Golden Jubilee Medal and Canada 125th Medal.

luxury goods protection & security

Peter Montalbano

Peter Montalbano, senior counselor of ASERO Worldwide, has been involved in the jewelry trade in excess of thirty (30) years, having previously worked for companies including GAB Business Services, Graham Miller & Co., and Quantum International.

Over that time he has, and continues to travel throughout the world conducting both investigations of claims (internal and external) and Security Inspections and/or Consultations to Wholesale, Retail, Diamond Mining and Manufacturing Operations.

Mr. Montalbano has conducted Security Seminars in Hong Kong, Israel, London, Canada and throughout the United States focusing on topics including: Internal Theft; The Perils of Traveling with Valuables; and Retail Theft.

Current clients include: Lloyd’s of London; Jewelers Mutual Insurance Co.; Allianz, Germany; Aris, Germany; Peltours; and Israel.

On behalf of those clients, Mr. Montalbano has performed inspections and/or consultationsto companies including Tiffany & Co, Richline Group, Harry Winston, Leviev, and others.

protective structure and geotechnics

Pr. Eng. Yaakov Yerushalmi

Pr. Eng. Yaakov Yerushalmi formerly served as the project leader in the development of assault bridges for the Israeli Defense Forces. Between 1975 and 1979 he served as the head of the protective structure and geotechnics branch of the IDF Corps of Engineers.

Since then, Eng. Yerushalmi has been a senior consultant on numerous government and private projects including the detailed design and implementation of over 480 physical security projects (structures and installations to resist the effects of terror attacks) in Israel and abroad. He has also served as a permanent consultant to numerous Israeli government agencies and has past military experience in various tunneling projects and demolition of tunnels and bridges.

Eng. Yerushalmi was a consultant on protective structures to C.R.S.S. A@E and Construction Management firm, Washington branch (1985–1987), associate in Lapage & Dipponar South-Africa consulting firm protective structures (1980-1990), founder and manager of Y.Y.Ltd, Consultation on Protective Structures and Physical Security Projects (1979), and head of protective structures and geotechnics branch, L. Colonel Corps of Engineers.

Eng. Yerushalmi attended the Haifa Technion School of Engineering from where he holds his Bachelor of Science in Water and Soil Engineering. He also attended the Technion’s Post-Graduate School of Structural Engineering.

continuity of operations, risk management and security deployment

Peter Metzger

Peter Metzger , Vice Chairman of the global executive search firm DHR International, serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Asero Worldwide. Mr. Metzger is an expert in the fields of continuity of operations (COOP), risk management and security deployment.

Leadership roles are a distinguishing element of Mr. Metzger’s early career. As a Second Lieutenant with the First Marine Division in Vietnam, he led an infantry platoon in a number of major combat operations against enemy forces. He was personally decorated for valor by both the United States and Republic of Vietnam governments for his actions. He later served in the Central Intelligence Agency and as the Marine Military Assistant to President Ronald Reagan. In this capacity, Mr. Metzger was responsible to the President for assisting him with carrying out his constitutional responsibilities as well as continuity of government operations. As a senior officer he commanded the 26 Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) and Landing Force, US Sixth Fleet.

Mr. Metzger’s personal experience in the risk management and security sectors (both inside and outside of government) enable him to provide exceptional advice and planning to clients across industries. While in government service he served and operated with the United States Secret Service, CIA, DEA (Operation Snow Cap), and the FBI (Hostage Rescue Team). His personal relationships with the leaders of the nation’s intelligence, law enforcement and military departments and agencies provide special access and personal relationships. He offers considerable expertise in building global executive security teams for clients throughout the world.

Mr. Metzger earned a BA in International Relations from the University of Colorado and later completed graduate studies in National Security Policy and Latin American studies. He is a graduate of the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute and The Inter-American Defense College of the Organization of American States.

in process improvement, internal audit, cargo & logistics

Yechiel Leiter

Yechiel Leiter, Senior Counselor ASERO Worldwide, has years of experience working with clients to improve corporate results, including business planning and analysis, financial training of managers, process improvement and strategy implementation, and internal audit. He is also the Israeli representative of BGI Benchmark Group International, a global consultancy specializing in recovering overpaid tax and other payments for MNCs.

Mr. Leiter has a broad international background in Controlling and FP&A. His experience ranges from needs identification and conceptual design through delivery of solutions.

He worked as an auditor and internal audit manager at accounting firms in Jerusalem. Joining DHL Israel in 1998, he set up the Management Accounting Department including redesign of local controlling processes and overseeing the first implementation of Activity Based Costing. Later moving to international controlling and planning positions in DHL Marketing & Sales Europe and DHL Human Resources EMEA both located in Zaventem, Belgium his roles included setting up international financial planning and controlling processes in the course of a multinational merger and acquisition as well as finding opportunities for improvement within the merged entities.

Upon returning to Israel in 2007 and leaving DHL, he became an external consultant for Deutsche Post DHL and other corporations largely in the logistics sector, and held positions including as CFO establishing the Israeli subsidiary of AstraZeneca and as Finance Director and General Manager of Kedumim Local Council and its Economic Development Corporation.

Mr. Leiter is a BA graduate of Economics and Accounting at the Hebrew University Jerusalem.and an MBA graduate cum laude from the Lev Academic Center in Jerusalem. He is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Management Accountant, and a Certified Internal Auditor.

Mr. Leiter has spoken at professional conferences in Israel and the Unites States on organizational change and financial software implementation, and has provided business training across four continents.

Explosives and Blast Mitigation

David Shatzer

Mr. Shatzer is a foremost expert in designing, managing, characterizing, evaluating and analyzing tests in the areas of explosives effects on vehicles and structures, utilizing analytical tools to evaluate potential effect and back analysis. Mr. Shatzer was responsible for managing the development of Large Vehicle Signature Analysis Software, Vehicle Explosion Analysis Software (VEXAS), for use in the analysis of VBIED events. The creation of such software involved the intimate understanding of vehicle bomb effects in various sizes and configurations, including vehicle glass breakage. Mr. Shatzer also developed and published the first vehicle bomb threat card, currently translated and referenced by numerous agencies and countries worldwide.

Throughout his career, Mr. Shatzer was involved in a number of large-scale projects. He directed, coordinated and managed a number of large scale tests in areas including, but not limited to, VBIEDs and explosive materials, for leading First World Countries throughout the world. He also coordinated and supervised personnel for conducting tests and quality control reviews of test information and data.

Additional relevant projects and experience include: the design, coordination, and management of a test program designed to characterize the effects of explosives on non-pressurized fuel tanker trucks; the coordination of several vulnerability analyses for federal courthouses, federal landmarks, hydroelectric facilities, airport fuel storage facilities, and other facilities as requested;participation in a 10-person public-private advisory team that developed an automated quantitative risk assessment tool developed and designed to enhance public safety associated with the storage of high explosives; and, the evaluation of accidental and criminal fuel-air-explosive events and preparation of reports with regards to fuel-air explosive events.

Mr. Shatzer holds a BS in Science from Pennsylvania State University and has completed a number of additional courses and certifications, including: explosive ordinance disposal (phases I, II, and III, Advanced Access and Disablement, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Refresher Training, ATF Explosive Specialist Training, Chemistry of Pyrotechnics and Explosives (I and II), Hazardous Materials First Responder, Criminal Investigator’s Training Program, Modern Protective Structures, Advanced Render Safe Training, and Advanced Application of Pyrotechnic Techniques.

Furthermore, Mr. Shatzer has published the following works: “Preventing the Use of Illegal Explosive Materials”, ATF and DOJ Report to Congress (2008), “A Guide for Explosion and Bombing Scene Investigations”, National Institute for Justice (2000), NFPA Codes 1123, 1124, 1125, 1126, 1127, 160, 495, 498, 400 (various publication dates), and “Indicators and Warnings for Homemade Explosives” (2008). Mr. Shatzer is affiliated with the following professional bodies as well: International Society of Explosives Engineers; International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators; International Group of Experts on Unstable Substances (IGUS), Explosives, Pyrotechnics and Propellants Subgroup; and, National Fire Protection Association, Technical Committees on Hazardous Materials, NFPA 400, Explosives, NFPA 495 and Safe Havens, NFPA 498.

facility protection, VIP protection & event and crowd management

Maxim Gutman

Mr. Maxim Gutman is an expert in a wide range of relevant fields for anti-terror, homeland, and protective security including but not limited to the protection of soft targets, information protection, VIP protection, and crowd management. 

Mr. Gutman is the Founder of KASPIT GmbH, offering a wide range of security management, due diligence, and investigation solutions, as well as search and rescue services for clients globally.

Among his professional experience, Mr. Gutman serves as the Counter Terrorism and Soft Targets Protection Expert for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the world’s largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization. 

Mr. Gutman served for five years in the Israel Defense Force (IDF), achieving the rank of Captain. In this capacity, Mr. Gutman served as a platoon commander in a special Airborne Anti-aircraft unit and as an Operations Officer in a unit dedicated to electronic warfare.  During his service, Mr. Gutman was awarded the Operational Service Badge for extended service in a combat unit.  He also earned a Military and Strategic Leadership Diploma from the IDF Officer Tactical Command College.

Today, Mr. Gutman is a member of the International NGO Safety and Security Association (INSSA), a Fellow lifetime member of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management (ISRM), ASIS International, and the Security Industry Association (SIA), among other associations and entities.

Mr. Gutman holds a BA in International Relations and Political Science from the Open University in Israel. He also earned an MBA from the University of Minnesota – Carlson School of Management in the United States and an Executive MBA from WU Executive Academy in Vienna, Austria.  Most recently, Mr. Gutman earned accreditation as an Industrial Engineer degree in Operations Management.

He has also successfully completed several professional courses including, but not limited to, Security Risk Management Professional Regional and Country seminars (SRMP-R/C) carried out by the International NGO Safety and Security Association (INSSA) and the Information Security Awareness under the UNDSS, among other courses focused on risk management, among other relevant fields.

dignitary & VIP protection, risk analysis, multi-agency & international cooperation & mass event planning

Heinz-Wener Aping

Mr. Heinz-Werner Aping holds almost forty years of professional experience in dignitary and VIP protection as well as risk analysis, multi-agency and international cooperation and coordination and mass event planning derived from distinguished service in a number of senior ranking positions including Head of the German Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt, BKA) Protection Division.

In his capacity as Head of the Police Protection Division, Mr. Aping was responsible for the protection of all members of the constitutional branches of the Federal Republic including, but not limited to, chancellor, president and foreign dignitaries.

Also during his career with the Berlin Police, Mr. Aping served as the head of various criminal investigation departments including Regional Criminal Investigations responsible for general crime scene investigation and first response and Central Criminal Investigation responsible for aggravated property crimes such as burglary, robbery, organized crime and large scale theft.

Mr. Aping previously served in the Berlin Police Commissioner responsible for all matters of criminal investigation including, but not limited to, the development of doctrine and policy against major crimes such as kidnapping and hostage taking; coordination between and among local and national law enforcement agencies; audits and inspections and, evaluation of crime statistics in real time.

Mr. Aping holds a BA in Public Administration from the Berlin School of Economy and Law. He is a regular lecturer at Steinbeis University in Berlin on the topic of criminal investigation. Mr. Aping is also the former Chairman of the Association of Personal Protection Services (APPS) and is a current member of the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) Board of Senior Experts. He is fluent in English and German.

emergency planning & business continuity management

Choy Kin Chong

During his service with the SAF and the Mindef, Choy held a number of senior appointments, including, but not limited to, Head of the Mindef Operations Control Centre, Head of Operations Planning under the Mindef Operations Department, Head of Army Exercises and Planning and the Commander of the 9th SAF Artillery Division.

In the private sector, Choy served as the Head of Security and Emergency Planning for the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) Corporation Ltd. In this capacity, Choy played a pivotal role in the National Critical Infrastructure Assessment and system vulnerability study of SMRT, which was carried out by the Defence Science Organization and the United States Sandia National Laboratories. He also updated the Rail Major Incident Management Command and Control structure and plan to include Green, Orange and Red Alert level activation protocols and introduced the Corporate Pandemics Response Plan, among other contingency plans, aimed at managing corporate level crises and incidents.

Also within the SMRT, Choy introduced business continuity and resilience through the development and execution of an annual exercise regime and led SMRT’s participation in two national scale exercises, specifically NorthStar 5 and NorthStar 7. He also facilitated the achievement of double certification in Business Continuity in categories SS540 and BS25999 under Singapore and British BCM standards. Choy implemented a public education program, titled the SMRT Community Emergency Preparedness (SCEP) Program, and the Citizens on Patrol program designed to train, incorporate and harness the public into the security effort and to make them aware of security and safety issues within the mass transit system and how to report them.

Finally, Choy institutionalized Counter Terrorism training for all frontline staff and introduced courses on a wide range of relevant topics including, CRBE, Threat Mitigation, Counter Surveillance, Red Teaming and Behavioural Analysis, among others.

During his tenure with SMRT, the company was awarded the Minister of Defence Award for its continued efforts toward enhancing security and the provision of security training.

Prior to this, Choy served as the VP, Head of Security at Swiss Securitas Asia Pte Ltd. In this capacity, Choy conducted numerous threat, vulnerability and risk assessments on a wide range of sites. Choy also served as Deputy Chief of Operations for the United Nations Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission in 1997 as a Colonel and Singapore Defence Advisor to the Republic of the Philippines from 1997 – 2000.

Choy graduated with honors, including award of the Sword of Honor, from the 5th Basic Artillery Officers Course in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). He as attended numerous conferences related to emergency management and business continuity including, but not limited to, UITP Security Commission meetings in Belgium, Copenhagen and Lisbon. He has also developed and conducted a number of training seminars including, but not limited to, Disaster Management Response and Recovery and Transit Security Framework and Vulnerability Risk Assessment.

security management

Kelvin Tan Wee Peng

Kelvin Tan Wee Peng is managing director of GBE Investments Pte Ltd, a private investment vehicle focused on investments in Asia, based out of Singapore.

Prior to this appointment, Mr. Tan was president of AETOS Security Management Pte Ltd, a position he assumed in August 2004. Over a three-and-a-half year period, Mr. Tan successfully merged three constituent auxiliary police forces into one, developed new security capabilities for the company and tripled the company’s business and staff strength. AETOS also consistently achieved top grading by the Singapore police regulatory department under Mr. Tan’s leadership.

Before joining AETOS, Mr. Tan was with the PSA International Ltd group of companies, where he held senior management positions as the chief executive officer of PSA India Pte Ltd and global head of business development of PSA International Ltd. In those positions, Mr. Tan restructured and decentralized the international business development arm, expanded PSA’s presence in China and India and set up the PSA India strategic business unit.

Until 2003, Mr. Tan was with Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd, a global investment firm, where he held senior appointments in the area of direct investments covering a diverse range of sectors including infrastructure, services, transportation and logistics, and private equity fund-of-funds investments.

Mr. Tan also worked as a consultant advising companies investing in China and was with the Singapore police force for six years, serving in both staff and line positions.

Mr. Tan was a Local Merit Scholar (Police Service) and graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy (first class honors) degree from the National University of Singapore in 1987. He also graduated with a Master of Business Administration from the same university in 1997 and attended the Program for Management Development at the Harvard Business School in 1999.

Mr. Tan has also held other appointments including being an Honorary Aide-de-Camp to the president of Singapore and, more recently, the chairman of the Security Industry Skills and Training Council set up under the auspices of the Workforce Development Agency, Ministry of Manpower, Singapore.

threat assessment & targeted violence

Dr. Marisa Randazzo

Dr. Marisa Randazzo, counselor at ASERO Worldwide, is a national expert on threat assessment and targeted violence, operating in consultation with a network of security experts across the United States to help businesses, educational institutions and security professionals assess threats and prevent violence.

Prior to joining the private sector, Dr. Randazzo served for 10 years with the U.S. Secret Service, most recently as the agency’s chief research psychologist. She directed U.S. Secret Service research on presidential threats and attacks, insider sabotage, security breaches, stalking and other types of targeted violence. She has interviewed numerous stalkers, school shooters and other attackers in prison. She has reviewed and consulted on hundreds of investigations involving threats against the U.S. president and other public figures, including presidential children.

Dr. Randazzo works with law enforcement agencies and celebrity protective services to investigate threats and stalking cases, and trains individual clients on basic and advanced threat assessment strategies. She also trains high-profile clients, their families and their protective details on kidnapping prevention and escape tactics; advises clients on sensitive internal investigations; and trains investigative professionals how to detect deception and interview more effectively.

An accomplished public speaker, Dr. Randazzo has trained more than 10,000 law enforcement, intelligence and security professionals, throughout the United States, Canada and the European Union, on threat assessment investigations and threat management strategies. Her work has been credited with preventing planned attacks.

Dr. Randazzo has testified before the U.S. Congress and briefed Cabinet secretaries and White House staff. She has been interviewed by various national and local television, radio and print news outlets, including “60 Minutes II,” “TODAY,” “48 Hours,” “Dateline NBC,” MSNBC, The New York Times and National Public Radio. She has published numerous articles and book chapters on threat assessment and violence prevention (including under her maiden name, Marisa Reddy) and served on the editorial board of the Journal of Threat Assessment.

Dr. Randazzo received a doctorate and master’s degree from Princeton University in social psychology, and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and religion from Williams College. In 2005, Dr. Randazzo was awarded the Williams College Bicentennial Medal for her work in preventing violence. She is co-author of the new book, The Handbook for Campus Threat Assessment and Management Teams.

Airport business improvement processes, airport technology

Mr. David Tamir

Mr. David Tamir has over three decades of experience as a systems engineer and senior project manager leading innovative technology applications to improve business processes at over 26 airports mostly throughout the United States as well as the Space Shuttle Program.  Through his expertise he has developed an efficient and practical gap/risk analysis methodology for identifying and prioritizing airport improvement projects.   The methodology includes: identifying and grading airport functions, systems, assets, etc., defining respective criticalities, calculating consequent risks, identifying dependencies and finally developing a five-year phased funding plan based on priorities derived previously.  To achieve success with airport improvement projects, Mr. Tamir diagrams the old “as-is” airport business processes in order to design the new “to-be” improved processes.    He has improved hundreds of airport business processes spanning Finance & Procurement, Planning, Engineering & Construction, Facilities Management, Operations, Properties & Leasing, IT, Human Resources, Legal, and more.  Mr. Tamir has extensive skills in systems project/program management, systems planning, systems design-build and systems commissioning.

Mr. Tamir has managed multiple high profile technology projects at various airports throughout the world including Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Calgary International Airport, Los Angeles World Airports, and with the Israel Airports Authority.   Mr. Tamir has supported Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s Technology Program Management Office (T-PMO) and developed a needs/risk assessment on over 400 of their airport systems which resulted in a five-year IT road map masterplan.  At Calgary International Airport, Mr. Tamir developed an Airport GIS/BIM needs assessment and implementation plan.  He developed an updated enterprise IT/GIS needs assessment and implementation plan that includes a technology applications roadmap, change management plan and business processes, procedures, QC/QA and metrics plan for the Los Angeles World Airports.  Additionally, Mr. Tamir has developed an enterprise IT/GIS recommended approach and mobilization plan based on airport industry best practices for the Israel Airports Authority.  Along with the projects at these specific airports, Mr. Tamir has developed, for x-Spatial, an enterprise IT/GIS system architecture for airports, a white paper on airport 3D spatial applications for Skyline Software Systems and a study on airport training requirements for various aspects of FAA compliance for Britannica Knowledge Systems.

Previously, Mr. Tamir was Vice President at DMJM Aviation/AECOM Technology Corporation.  In that capacity he assembled and managed the Airport IT Systems department consisting of 35 specialized professionals.  He also developed the IT Master Plan for Chicago O’Hare’s International Airport in support of a multi-billion dollar Capital Improvement Plan (CIP).  Additionally, he founded and chaired the Airports Consultants Council (ACC) IT & Systems National Committee, the Airport IT & Systems Guidelines for Planning, Design, Construction and Commissioning, and the American Association of Airport Executives’ (AAAE) Spatial Airport Assessment Management System (SAAMS) Cloud Computing Solution.  Finally, Mr. Tamir managed the development and implementation of various integrated IT systems at over two dozen airports throughout the United States, including but not limited to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and Denver.

Prior to that, Mr. Tamir served as Vice President for Carter & Burgess/Jacobs Corporation where he focused on IT/GIS technology.  During his five years at the company, Mr. Tamir published the first technical paper regarding electronic Airport Layout Plans (eALP), leveraging IT/GIS technology, which was later adopted by the FAA as a new standard.   Before that, Mr. Tamir managed the Airport Information Management System (AIMS) IT/GIS program for Los Angeles’s airports:  LAX, ONT, VNY and PMD and launched and supported enterprise IT/GIS Programs for Silicon Valley’s San Jose’s International Airport, Houston Airport System and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

Additionally, Mr. Tamir worked as a Senior Project Manager at Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (1996-2000) and as a Lead Design Engineer/Project Manager at Rockwell International/Boeing (1984-1996).  In the former, Mr. Tamir developed a fast-track airport improvement plan that included various airport areas including ground transportation, parking and passenger and baggage processing terminals, while in the latter, developed a computer automated electro-fluid-mechanical solution to reduce time and cost in processing the Space Shuttle fleet, while still upholding flight safety and produced NASA required engineering documentation and safety analysis, among other tasks.

Mr. Tamir has a M.Sc in Systems Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) and a B.Sc. in Aeronautical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University.  He also received a specialized certification in airport systems from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States.   He has been a member of the Airport Council International (ACI) Business Information Technology (BIT) Committee, and the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and former member of the FAA National Airspace System (NAS) Information Architecture Committee.