Ms. Tannor is a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Supervisory Special Agent who began her foreign service career 19 years ago as an Agent in the DSS Chicago Field Office. She now joins OSAC on the heels of her service as the Security Advisor to the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) in Stuttgart, Germany. There, Ms. Tannor acted as a key interlocutor among DSS, EUCOM, and U.S. Diplomatic missions across Europe, synchronizing planning, operations, and crisis response efforts.

Previously, Ms.Tannor was the Branch Chief for Counterintelligence Policy, focusing on mitigating threats by foreign intelligence services against U.S. diplomatic personnel. She served as the Congressional Affairs Advisor in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Diplomatic Security; the Management Officer and acting Deputy Chief of Mission in Luanda, Angola; and on the International Organized Crime Task Force. She was the Regional Security Officer at U.S. Embassy Djibouti, and Assistant Regional Security Officer in Algiers as it normalized operations, following more than a decade of violent civil unrest. Ms.Tannor also served on Secretary of State Colin Powell’s security detail in the lead-up to the Iraq War from 2003-2004.

Ms. Tannor was selected as the Department of State’s 2017/2018 International Women’s Leadership Fellow, completing executive leadership training at Harvard Business School and INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau, France. She has also received multiple Department Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards.

Ms. Tannor is married with four children; her husband is also a Diplomatic Security Supervisory Special Agent. She holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas Wesleyan University and an MBA in International Business from the University of Baltimore.

Carlos F. Matus was appointed as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) and the Director of Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) on September 13, 2021.

Mr. Matus, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service – class of Minister-Counselor – joined DS as a DSS special agent in 1987. He has since held numerous and varied assignments throughout the world.

He began his career at the Washington Field Office. His next assignment took him to the U.S. Embassies in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and La Paz, Bolivia, until 1993. Mr. Matus then went on to DSS’ Miami Field Office, where he conducted criminal investigations. In 1995, Mr. Matus returned to Washington, DC, to serve as a passport fraud desk officer until 1997, and then as a shift leader on U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright’s protection detail until 2000. His next two assignments were at the U.S. Embassy Panama City, Panama, until 2003 and the U.S. Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan, until 2004. After Kabul, he attended the Inter-American Defense College in Washington, DC, until 2005. Mr. Matus then served in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, assigned to the Vulnerabilities Assessment Unit until 2007, where he focused on public corruption investigations associated with the passport and visa processes. During this time, Mr. Matus also served as the acting criminal investigations division chief for DSS.

From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Matus served at the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, Austria. After Austria, Mr. Matus spent some time working in DS’ Legislative Affairs Office and then served as deputy regional director for contingency operations, focusing on Afghanistan until 2011. In 2011, Mr. Matus transferred to Protective Intelligence Investigations, serving as its director, until 2016. From 2016 – 2017, he returned to the U.S. Embassy Kabul, Afghanistan, to serve as the senior regional security officer. Mr. Matus served as the deputy assistant secretary for the High Threat Programs Directorate from 2017 to 2019.

Pete Short is responsible for all aspects of security and the coordination of crisis management programs across Ball Corporation’s global enterprise. Ball Corporation is a provider of metal packaging for beverages, foods and household products, and of aerospace and other technologies and services to commercial and governmental customers. Founded in 1880, the company employs 18,500 people worldwide.

Pete is the current private sector council co-chair of OSAC and sits on the Executive Working Group (EWG). He also serves as Co-Chair of the DSAC Membership and Engagement Committee. He is a member of the International Security Management Association (ISMA).

Preceding his current role; Pete was the director of program security for Ball Aerospace. He joined Ball in 2010 with 22 years of experience as a security professional in the aerospace and defense sector. He has held positions with Raytheon Company, Hughes Electronics and Lockheed Missiles and Space. Pete began his career as a uniformed security officer and volunteer firefighter in Yosemite National Park immediately after receiving a BS in criminal justice from the University of Southern Mississippi in May 1988.

Cheryl Steele joined Starbucks in 2018 and is the interim Vice President of Global Security & Resilience (chief security officer). Cheryl contributes to Starbucks success by setting the strategic direction that secures all physical assets (retail and non-retail) and ensures the safety of the workforce and customers across Starbucks 30,000+ stores in 78 global markets.

The Global Security and Resilience team serves as the functional Center of Excellence for Starbucks, providing business-focused solutions consistent with the company’s strategy. Cheryl advises the leadership team on physical security and safety related activities and enterprise controls for Starbucks’ business units, the global supply chain, joint venture and strategic licensing partnerships, and facilities worldwide. Cheryl leads a global team of subject matter experts in physical security, risk intelligence, security technology systems, crisis management, business continuity and occupational safety. Based in Seattle, the team includes partners in London, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

Cheryl brings to Starbucks a history of strategic planning and business management. She started her career as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State, with overseas assignments in Egypt and Jordan. As a management consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton, Cheryl’s work included engagements on counter-terrorism, U.S. Special Operations and the defense-diplomacy development nexus, and public-private partnerships on global diplomacy and development issues. Later work with the global communications firm Fleishman Hillard and leadership of her own strategic consultancy business included engagements on crisis communications, counter-messaging and strategic planning and communications. Cheryl is a native of Massachusetts and has her MA degree from Columbia University in the City of New York.

Wendy Bashnan is the Chief Security Officer for the Nielsen Company. As an accomplished risk and resilience activist she has a history of advocating strategic partnerships, directing high performance teams, and fostering business missions through enterprise risk management decision-making processes and policy execution. With over 28 years of experience in data-driven, risk informed, business-focused continuity and resilience solutions, she ushered extensive financial management and optimization, cross-functional planning through security by design, and traditional security program leadership. As a transformative chief security officer and cross-functional leader, she is adept at leading dynamic and diverse global teams, cultivating resilience culture and risk management, and implementing intelligence-based security and safety strategies within international organizations.

In previous senior executive positions, Wendy served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Director to the Training Directorate for Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) , the Director of the NATO Office of Security, and the Chief of Staff to the Assistant Secretary for DSS. In these senior positions she served as the principal security advisor to the senior leadership; leading strategic planning efforts with foreign government and military partners; assessing and mitigating security risks; negotiating and implementing security agreements with nations and other international governmental organizations. 

Over a 28 year career in law enforcement, Wendy served in multiple capacities as Special Agent in Charge for both the New York Field Office and the Miami Field Office; Senior Regional Security Officer (RSO) in the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, Iraq and in the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela; Deputy Olympic Security Coordinator in Beijing, China; Agent in Charge for the Office of Dignitary Protection, serving as the Major Events Coordinator for the United Nations General Assembly 60th Anniversary. Other assignments included service in Cairo – Egypt, Georgetown – Guyana and Asmara – Eritrea. Prior to joining DSS, Wendy was a probation/parole officer in her home state of South Carolina.

She holds a B.A. in Political Science and a M.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of South Carolina. The daughter of a sportscaster, Wendy enjoys combining her love of sports with her passion of securing the fan experience.

Jeffrey Gilbert is vice president and Chief Security Officer for The Coca-Cola Company.

Gilbert joined the company in March 2021 and is responsible for developing the vision, strategy and implementation of global security risk strategy, operational planning and related strategic security programs.

Gilbert joined Coca-Cola from WarnerMedia, where he served the last several years as senior vice president and Chief Security Officer. He led the global organization of security professionals to deliver strategic security solutions across the enterprise.

Gilbert has more than 21 years of progressive experience in law enforcement with the U.S. Secret Service, including nine years in an executive leadership role. Gilbert also spent seven years with PepsiCo, serving in senior security roles, both domestically and international.

Gilbert is a graduate of Hampton University and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Jamie Gough serves as the Vice President of Security at Samaritan’s Purse and at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Previously, he was the Director of International Security for Samaritan’s Purse. Before joining Samaritan’s Purse, Jamie served a career in the Army. He holds a B.S. from the United States Military Academy and an M.S. from the University of California – Davis.

Christina Johnson is a senior security risk management professional currently serving as Global Safety and Security Director for Chemonics International with responsibility to support 6000+ employees implementing over two billion dollars in business solutions in 60+ countries. She is a subject matter expert in security policy, crisis management, risk analysis and training with significant recent experience providing security management at corporate and country-levels. She provides continuous internal security risk consulting to C-level, executive, and program leaders across the enterprise and holistically integrates safety and security into core business operations. Her global experience includes work overseas including in Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Afghanistan, Iraq, West Bank, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Bina (Surati) Hensel is OSAC’s Senior Analyst covering Europe. Bina has been with OSAC for over six years, helping the U.S. private sector assess various risk factors in ensuring the safety of their personnel and operations abroad. As a part of OSAC Major Events team, she has also provided on-the-ground daily security assessments during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Paris, France, and the 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Moscow, Russia. Using her professional and educational expertise on counterterrorism, Bina has also instructed Eastern and Central European law enforcement professionals on the theory of terrorism at the International Law Enforcement Agency (ILEA) in Budapest, Hungary. 

Prior to joining OSAC, Bina worked as a Senior Manager for the Information Technology (IT) and Media & Entertainment portfolio at the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Bina has also worked on the India team at McLarty Associates as well as the Atlantic Council. Originally from North Carolina and now resident in Atlanta, Bina holds a Master of Arts in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ryan C. Berg is Director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. Previously, he was Senior Fellow in the Americas Program. He is also an adjunct professor at the Catholic University of America and visiting research fellow at the University of Oxford’s Changing Character of War Programme. His research focuses on U.S.-Latin America relations, authoritarian regimes, armed conflict, strategic competition, and trade and development issues. He also studies Latin America’s criminal groups and the region’s governance and security challenges. Previously, Dr. Berg was a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he helped lead its Latin America Studies Program. Dr. Berg has served as a research consultant to the World Bank, a Fulbright scholar in Brazil, and a visiting doctoral fellow at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. He has lived and worked in Peru and Brazil and is an expert member of the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime.

Ann Marie Yastishock is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and the Acting Assistant Administrator for Asia. She served in Hanoi as USAID/Vietnam Mission Director from October 2020 to June 2022.

As part of the transition to the Biden-Harris Administration, Ms. Yastishock returned to Washington, from February to May 2021, to serve as the Chief Advisor to the Acting Administrator and Chief Operating Officer for USAID.
Prior to joining USAID/Vietnam, from 2018 to 2020, she served as the Acting Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia responsible for USAID missions and programs in East Asia and the Pacific. From 2015 to 2018, she oversaw USAID’s activities in South and Central Asia as the Deputy Assistant Administrator in the Bureau for Asia.

From 2012 to 2015, she served as the Deputy Mission Director for the regional office of USAID covering Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, and Cyprus.

Ervin Massinga is a Foreign Service Minister Counselor and is the State Department’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs. Between 2020 and 2021, he served as the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and between 2018 and 2020 he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Pakistan. Mr. Massinga served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Khartoum, Sudan from 2016-2018, and in Conakry, Guinea from 2013-2016. Other assignments include overseas tours in the Dominican Republic, Chile, Cote d’Ivoire and China, as well as domestic assignments in the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, the Bureau of African Affairs, the Bureau of Energy and Economic Affairs, and at the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Mr. Massinga is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service (1990) and the University of Washington’s Graduate School of Public Affairs (1995). He has studied Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese.

Before joining OSAC as the new Regional Analyst for South & Central Asia, Sophia studied Urdu as a Boren Scholar and was an intern in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research. Her past research has covered white supremacy, ISIS and al-Shabaab-affiliates radicalized in the US, and Maoism in India.

Anne Govern is OSAC’s West and Central Africa Analyst. Prior to OSAC, Anne supported the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, managing research and development projects for Homeland Security components. Anne also previously worked in corporate sustainability for an international manufacturing company where she managed global philanthropy programs and sustainability reporting, and as a program associate for the International Republican Institute’s Africa Division. She holds a Master of Arts from Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program and a Bachelor of Arts in world politics and French from Hamilton College.

Todd Whatley is the Director of Crisis Management and Strategy in the Department of State’s Operation Center. Prior to his current position, he spent a year studying national security strategy at the National War College. He previously served as Management Officer at U.S. Embassy Dakar, Senegal; Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy Cotonou, Benin; Economic Officer at U.S. Consulate Shenyang, China; Chief of American Citizen Services at the American Institute in Taipei, Taiwan; Duty Officer at the White House Situation Room; and Watch Officer at the State Department Operations Center. He has also served in Amman, Jordan, Abu Dhabi, UAE, Tikrit, Iraq, and Alexandria, Egypt. Prior to the Foreign Service he spent time working in France as a TEFL instructor. He grew up in the majestic state of Oklahoma, sticking around for a BA and later MBA from the University of Oklahoma. His is married with two children.

Michael Cygrymus is currently serving as the Regional Security Officer (RSO) for Mission Kyiv. His previous DSS assignments include as RSO Kampala, RSO N’Djamena, RSO Tashkent, Action Officer PRT Diwaniyah, DST Lead Arghandab, PRT Badghis Senior Civilian Representative, ARSO Baku, ARSO Baghdad, and Special Agent in the NYFO. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Michael worked for the Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons as a Corrections Office. His Military Service was with the United States Marine Corps – 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines – Infantry. He also served as a Marine Security Guard at our Embassies to the Vatican, USSR, Senegal, and Niger. Michael holds a Degree in Government and Politics as well as a Certificate in Russian Studies – University of Maryland.

John Masusock has been OSAC’s Middle East analyst since April. Prior to joining OSAC, John supported the Department of the Army’s Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program as a functional analyst. Originally from New Jersey, John holds a master’s degree in conflict studies at the London School of Economics, focusing his dissertation on countering terrorist financing.

Kate is a Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst at MITRE and the author of the cybersecurity blog, Phishing for Answers. She is also a MSIT candidate at Carnegie Mellon University. Kate has over 5 years of experience in information security, intelligence analysis, and Latin American affairs. She serves as the DMV Co-Director of Raíces Cyber, an organization dedicated to increasing Hispanic/Latino representation in the cybersecurity field. Outside of the office, Kate is usually reading books, salsa dancing, or baking the latest recipe from Food Network.

Mr. Lacy is a Senior Foreign Service Security Engineering Officer with the Diplomatic Security Service currently serving as the Deputy Assistant Secretary and Assistant Director for Cyber and Technology Security. He assumed this position in April 2021. The Directorate is a crucial part of the Department of State’s law enforcement and security strategy that brings together cybersecurity, technology security, and investigative expertise to support the conduct of U.S. Foreign Policy.

Over the course of his 22-year career at the FBI, Pete had success as a special agent in the areas of espionage and economic espionage as an investigator, program manager, and later chief of the economic espionage and PRC espionage units at the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. Notably, Pete was the FBI’s co-case agent of the espionage investigation of Ana Belen Montes, who was arrested ten days after 9/11 for committing espionage on behalf of the Cuban Intelligence Service. Montes was sentenced in 2002 in a plea agreement to 25 years for spying while she worked at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Pete’s book on the FBI’s investigation of Ana Montes, titled The Queen of Cuba: The Inside Story on How the Perfect Spy Evaded Detection for 17 Years, will be released in early 2023.

Ms. Atiles began her Civil Servant career as a 2003 Presidential Management Fellow, and since has served the Bureau of Diplomatic Security as a Staff Assistant, Special Assistant, and Operations Coordinator for the Directorate of Security Infrastructure.  In 2015, Ms. Atiles was honored as the Robert Bannerman Diplomatic Security Civil Servant of the Year for her work in insider threat development.  Ms. Atiles is a proud Hoosier earning her bachelor’s degree at Indiana University-Bloomington and Juris Doctor from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law where she served as the Editor-in-chief of the Indiana International & Comparative Law Review.

Bina (Surati) Hensel is OSAC’s Senior Analyst covering Europe. Bina has been with OSAC for over six years, helping the U.S. private sector assess various risk factors in ensuring the safety of their personnel and operations abroad. As a part of OSAC Major Events team, she has also provided on-the-ground daily security assessments during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Paris, France, and the 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Moscow, Russia. Using her professional and educational expertise on counterterrorism, Bina has also instructed Eastern and Central European law enforcement professionals on the theory of terrorism at the International Law Enforcement Agency (ILEA) in Budapest, Hungary. 

Prior to joining OSAC, Bina worked as a Senior Manager for the Information Technology (IT) and Media & Entertainment portfolio at the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Bina has also worked on the India team at McLarty Associates as well as the Atlantic Council. Originally from North Carolina and now resident in Atlanta, Bina holds a Master of Arts in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Alyssa Nayyar is a GSOC Manager at Netflix in Los Angeles, CA supporting Netflix employees and operations around the globe. With seven years of experience in corporate security in diverse industries, including retail and financial services, Alyssa is an expert in Travel Security and is known for creating and establishing programs that meet the needs of diverse traveling populations. She is passionate about collaborating across teams, breaking down barriers and silos, and building trusted relationships with clients in the business. In addition to her expertise in Travel Security and Intelligence, Alyssa has extensive experience in crisis management leadership, as well as time spent on workplace violence threat assessment, and investigations. Alyssa holds a B.A. in the Humanities from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and a M.A. in Medieval Studies from The Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University.

Scott Jones (aka: Jonesy) has diverse professional experience ranging in sectors and geographies with a focus on intelligence, security operations, business administration, incident management, and community engagement.

Jonesy’s expertise has been shaped by experiences within higher education, nonprofit, military, and Federal service. Additional roles within technology, media and entertainment, e-commerce, hospitality, and energy round out their career history. Jonesy has held roles within several F500 firms to include: Airbnb, Amazon, Sony, Southern Cal Edison, and Target Corporation.

Jonesy enjoys focusing on next generation innovation, value-based change management, and organizational transformation for leaders and groups evolving to exceed customer expectations. They have direct experience in addressing operational effectiveness, identifying long-term success measures, forecasting, diversity and belonging, crisis management, strategic planning, contracts and procurement, and reputational risk. Jonesy is also passionate about employee development, coaching, and mentoring.

Jonesy currently leads global safety and security governance, training, and community engagement for Peloton Interactive and is an Adjunct Professor with Mercyhurst University. Their formal education includes degrees in Strategic Intelligence (MS), College Student Development (MA), and International Studies (BA).

Joe M. Olivarez Jr. is the Vice President, Operational Centers of Excellence and CSO – for Jacobs. Jacobs is a 14B Solutions business, has 55K employees and operates in over 40 countries. Prior to Jacobs Mr. Olivarez spent eleven years with Baker Hughes, Vice President Enterprise Security and Crisis Management, Western Hemisphere, five years as a Vice President of an International Investigative and Security Consultation Company and ten years in government and government defense security with General Dynamics as a Security Analyst and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a Special Agent.

Mr. Olivarez received a BA in Criminal Justice from Stephen F. Austin State University and Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston Executive Management Program.

In 2018, Mr. Olivarez was selected as the International SOS Ambassador Duty of Care Award Winner. In 2020, Olivarez was recognized IFSEC Top Global Influencers Security & Fire, Commercial – Head of Security category. In 2021, Olivarez was recognized by Security Magazine as Most Influential People in Security and was selected by ASIS International as the Don Walker CSO Center Executive Award.

Anne Govern is OSAC’s West and Central Africa Analyst. Prior to OSAC, Anne supported the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate, managing research and development projects for Homeland Security components. Anne also previously worked in corporate sustainability for an international manufacturing company where she managed global philanthropy programs and sustainability reporting, and as a program associate for the International Republican Institute’s Africa Division. She holds a Master of Arts from Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program and a Bachelor of Arts in world politics and French from Hamilton College.

Ms. Tannor is a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Supervisory Special Agent who began her foreign service career 19 years ago as an Agent in the DSS Chicago Field Office. She now joins OSAC on the heels of her service as the Security Advisor to the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) in Stuttgart, Germany. There, Ms. Tannor acted as a key interlocutor among DSS, EUCOM, and U.S. Diplomatic missions across Europe, synchronizing planning, operations, and crisis response efforts.

Previously, Ms.Tannor was the Branch Chief for Counterintelligence Policy, focusing on mitigating threats by foreign intelligence services against U.S. diplomatic personnel. She served as the Congressional Affairs Advisor in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Diplomatic Security; the Management Officer and acting Deputy Chief of Mission in Luanda, Angola; and on the International Organized Crime Task Force. She was the Regional Security Officer at U.S. Embassy Djibouti, and Assistant Regional Security Officer in Algiers as it normalized operations, following more than a decade of violent civil unrest. Ms.Tannor also served on Secretary of State Colin Powell’s security detail in the lead-up to the Iraq War from 2003-2004.

Ms. Tannor was selected as the Department of State’s 2017/2018 International Women’s Leadership Fellow, completing executive leadership training at Harvard Business School and INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau, France. She has also received multiple Department Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards.

Ms. Tannor is married with four children; her husband is also a Diplomatic Security Supervisory Special Agent. She holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas Wesleyan University and an MBA in International Business from the University of Baltimore.