About
Board of Advisors
Rick Knop
Chairman, Board of Advisors
Rick Knop is a lawyer turned investment banker and private equity principal. After
working on Capitol Hill (as a legislative assistant to two Congressmen) and practicing
international corporate law Rick co-founded The Windsor Group in 1992. The Windsor
Group was the first investment bank focused on the government/defense contracting
industry. As CEO he built Windsor into the premier investment bank for that industry
and led many M&A transactions. In 2005 BB&T Bank (now Truist) acquired Windsor. After
the acquisition of the Windsor Group, Rick was Co-head of BB&T Capital Markets until
2009.
In 2010 Rick, with his wife Leslee Belluchie (a senior executive in the defense industry), cofounded FedCap Partners - private equity fund that invested in Federal technology, cyber security, and national security companies.
Rick was a member of the Board of Trustees of The George Washington University for 8 years, founder and Chairman of the George Washington University Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, President of the National Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, Vice Chairman and member of the Board of the World Affairs Council of Washington DC.
Full Bio here
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Frank J. Cilluffo
Director of Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber & Critical Infrastructure
Security
Cilluffo serves as Director of Auburn University’s McCrary Institute for Cyber & Critical Infrastructure Security. He has decades of national and homeland security experience derived from working inside and outside government including serving as a Special Assistant for Homeland Security to President Bush in the White House, immediately following the 9/11 attacks on the US. He recently served as a commissioner on the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission and chaired a handful of committees for the Homeland Security Advisory Council on economic security, cybersecurity and counterterrorism.
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Chris Galvin
Founder and Chairman of Gore Creek Asset Management LLC and former Chairman and CEO
of Motorola
Galvin is the Co-founder and Chairman of Gore Creek Asset Management LLC. Additional roles are Board Member of Colliers International, Three Ocean Partners, Infleqtion, and Chairman and Board Member of UncommonX. He is the former Chairman and CEO of Motorola, Inc.
His current outside activities include: Life Trustee and member of the Executive Committee of Northwestern University’s Board of Trustees; Executive Committee and member of Dean’s Advisory Board of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern; American Enterprise Institute Board; Legion D’Honneur; Advisory Board of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Managements (Beijing); Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy of the US Department of State (ACIEP), member of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School.
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Larry Handen
Senior Managing Director and Global Head
Macquarie Capital Growth and Technology Group
Larry Handen has more than 35 years of experience as a principal investor, operator, and consultant, primarily in the field of technology, government, and professional services. He currently leads Macquarie Capital's Growth and Technology group, which specializes in growth investments and buyouts.
During his career, Larry has been involved as a principal investor in more than 175 transactions and served on the Board of Directors of more than 50 companies throughout the world. Additionally, he has advised over 100 other companies in various capacities.
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General (Ret) James L. Jones, USMC
Former National Security Advisor
As President of Jones Group International (JGI) and one of America’s leading authorities on foreign policy, energy security, and national security, General Jones provides JGI clients with strategies for navigating the complex nexus of business, international affairs, and public policy.
General Jones was appointed by President Barack Obama as National Security Advisor to the President on January 20, 2009. During his tenure in the White House, General Jones served as a trusted Presidential advisor, represented the President as an envoy to American allies and partners, provided steady leadership during times of conflict, and oversaw an expansion of responsibilities of the National Security Council to include cyber security, homeland security, and strategic foresight.
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Lesley Kalan
Corporate Vice President, Chief Strategy and Development Officer
Northrop Grumman
Lesley Kalan is corporate vice president and chief strategy and development officer for Northrop Grumman Corporation, a technology company focused on global security and human discovery.
Kalan leads the company’s growth strategy, including mergers and acquisitions activities, portfolio alignment, commercial partnerships, and strategic planning. She is responsible for ensuring the company and its portfolio are positioned to serve its customers and their missions. Kalan also leads Northrop Grumman’s public policy, regulatory and government affairs activities. In this role, she guides the company’s interactions with the executive branch, Congress, and state and local officials.
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Cathy Lanier
Senior Vice President of Security, National Football League
Over her 26 years in law enforcement and counterterrorism, Cathy Lanier has come to be known for her game-changing leadership. Prior to serving in her current role as Senior Vice President and Chief of Security at the National Football League, Lanier held the position of Chief of Police with the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) from 2007 to 2016. Lanier was the first commanding officer of Homeland Security and Counter-Terrorism for D.C. Police.
In her current role as Chief of Security for the National Football League, Lanier safeguards the security of all 32 NFL teams and their venues, liaises and collaborates with federal, state and local law enforcement, and ensures security for League events like the Super Bowl.
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Kirstjen Nielsen
Former Secretary of Homeland Security
Nielsen was sworn in on December 6, 2017 as the sixth Secretary of Homeland Security and served until April 10, 2019. She previously served as White House Deputy Chief of Staff. Secretary Nielsen joined the Trump administration in January 2017 as Chief of Staff to then-Secretary of Homeland Security, John Kelly. In that position, she was responsible for advising the Secretary on all operational, policy, and legal matters, including counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and border security.
From 2012 to 2016, she served as the founder and President of Sunesis Consulting LLC, a private consulting firm focused on preparedness strategies, policies, plans, tools and tabletop exercises to prevent, protect against and respond to catastrophic events with a focus on critical infrastructure interdependencies.
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Chip Walter
Managing Director of Marlinspike Disruptive Technology Fund 1
Walter is currently the Managing Director of Marlinspike Disruptive Technology Fund 1 with over 30 years of experience in serving the US Navy and the Federal Government in innovation, operational, executive, and legislative leadership roles. Prior to Marlinspike, he was selected as a Senior Director to stand-up and lead Northrop Grumman’s Ventures and Partnerships program during which he ran their enterprise-wide technology investment and sourcing program.
He is a recognized expert in the Intelligence Community for leveraging start-up technology and bringing innovative initiatives to impact a wide array of mission areas. Prior to joining Northrop Grumman, Walter served as a Senior Executive at CIA. During his tenure, he was handpicked to lead the Directorate of Science and Technology’s innovation and technology sourcing strategy as the executive agent for In-Q-Tel, the Strategic Investment arm of CIA.
Full bio here
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