Bio
During a career spanning over 15 years as a covert field operations officer for the
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Mike specialized in counterterrorism, counter-narcotics and counterinsurgency operations. He engaged in, organized and supervised operations around the globe, working in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the former Soviet Union and elsewhere. He was recognized professionally for outstanding performance and for operational achievements in hostile environments.
After leaving government service, Mike co-founded Diligence LLC, a global intelligence, investigations, risk management and security firm that has grown over the past decade into one of the acknowledged industry leaders. As a principal partner he has led the company as it expanded around the world, opening offices in London, New York, Washington DC, Moscow, Sao Paulo, Brussels and Geneva. He also established the company’s security operations in Iraq, building a team of over 300 expat and local personnel involved in security and information collection.
The Diligence Advisory Board has included numerous senior leaders from the intelligence world, government and business. The non-executive Chairman is Judge William Webster, former Director of both the CIA and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Lord Charles Powell, former National Security Advisor to Margaret Thatcher, Mack McClarty, former Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton and several others have worked with Mike and the Diligence management team to create business opportunities and assist in the company’s growth strategy. Investors and partners have included Haley Barbour, the former Governor of Mississippi and Ed Mathias, senior partner of The Carlyle Group.
Mike is a regular contributor in the national and international media on intelligence, security, counterterrorist issues, geopolitical affairs and cybersecurity. He appears regularly on Fox News and CNN, as well as other major media outlets.
In addition, Mike is the co-host of America Declassified, a weekly series that premiered on the Travel Channel in November 2013. He is also the co-host of World Access, a new weekly series premiering on Travel Channel in late 2015. Previously, Mike hosted the popular British reality television show “SPY”. He is also a partner in Classified Trash, a television and film production company. Represented by AGI Entertainment, he is involved in the creation and development of scripted and unscripted television shows, and serves as a technical consultant and script advisor for feature films and television.
