INTERFOR ACADEMY

With close to 50 years of service to its clients, Interfor has developed unique knowledge and skills that its clients depend on. Now with the launch of Interfor Academy, Interfor will be able to directly share some of those skills in a different way with its clients to expand their communication skills, provide essential education tools, and entertain while informing at corporate retreats, conferences, or other functions.

Speakers

Compelling speakers for keynote speeches and events

Expert Trainers

Elite trainers for vital security sessions to keep your team safe and effective

Unique Content

Create an unforgettable corporate retreat experience with a special team-bonding experience

Panel Discussions

Curate a panel of leaders to develop singular insights on essential corporate interests

Interfor Academy

Interfor Academy brings together a special constellation of elite speakers and one-of-a-kind programs. Whether it is growing the skills of your sales team by leveraging spy skills, developing a workplace violence program with a former senior FBI Agent, or firm’s updating your team’s skills with informative workshops, Interfor Academy is a platform like no other.

Select Interfor Academy Experts

Bob Grenier

Robert “Bob” Grenier worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for 27 years. Bob’s storied career saw him on the doorstep of history for much of his time with the CIA. As Station Chief in Islamabad, Pakistan, on 9/11, Bob was directly involved in the early stages of the War on Terrorism, as he recounts in his essential memoir “88 Days to Kandahar: A CIA Diary.” Bob finished his intelligence career as head of the Counterterrorism Center overseeing all U.S. counterterrorism efforts around the world. Earlier in Bob’s career he ran “The Farm,” the CIA’s famed training facility for new recruits and Bob has a passion for teaching, ethics, and leadership. In addition to advising governments and corporations on political risk in emerging markets, Bob speaks about ethics and leadership issues through the unique lens of his singular career.

Steve Romano

As the Former Chief Hostage Negotiator of the FBI, Steve knows what it’s like to negotiate under pressure. After a career of over four decades in law enforcement and security, Steve is a highly sought after voice on negotiation, crisis management, and detecting deception, among other subjects. He has provided commentary on CNN, Fox, and MSNBC and regularly shares his years of wisdom on these and other subjects with corporate, academic, and conference audiences regularly.

Mark Sullivan

As the former Director of the Secret Service, Mark Sullivan’s focus was how to keep the most powerful person in the world safe from harm. But in a career of over 35 years in law enforcement, Mark picked up a variety of skills including criminal investigations, strategic planning, human capital management, as well as technology deployment and modernization. As Director of the Secret Service, Mark managed over 7,000 Special Agents and supporting staff members and oversaw an annual budget of nearly $1.7 billion. During his tenure at the USSS, he was responsible for the protection of the President, Vice President, former Presidents and their families, other government leaders and visiting heads of state. His leadership and professional accomplishments have led to numerous awards including two Distinguished Presidential Rank Awards, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary’s Award and the Department’s Gold Medal for Distinguished Service. Mark sits on a variety of corporate boards, consults regularly and speaks publicly on a variety of security issues including financial and intellectual property investigations, major event planning, security vulnerability assessments for sports venues, buildings, facilities and critical infrastructure, security training and executive protection.

Shannon Wilkinson

Shannon Wilkinson is a nationally recognized expert in online reputation management. Her New York City-based firm Reputation Communications was one of the first companies to specialize in online reputation management. Shannon advises Fortune 500 companies, law firms and VIPs on all aspects of reputation management. In an ever-shifting digital environment Shannon is an advisor and speaker in high demand sharing unique insights on questions of branding, crisis management, and other reputational issues.

Jeremy Hurewitz

Jeremy Hurewitz – Head of Interfor Academy – runs a unique program known as Sell Like a Spy that provides business development lessons and communication strategies to sales team and corporate executives. Jeremy spent a decade overseas (based out of Prague and Shanghai) reporting on security issues before spending the following 15 years in the world of corporate security. His program combines thrilling spy anecdotes and insider details on tradecraft with examples of how these techniques can help anyone to connect more deeply with their targets and overcome a variety of challenges. The Sell Like a Spy book is coming soon!

Ivor Terret

A veteran of both the Israel Defense Force and Israeli Police, Ivor brings over three decades of international counter terror experience at both the official and private sector levels. As part of his government service, he was selected to help found and manage a government Surveillance Detection and Covert Security Unit tasked with protecting Heads of State and strategic locations. Ivor also has deep experience working on a wide variety of security tasks in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S. designing and implementing security master plans for covert counter terror units, high-risk facilities. Ivor has led countless protective details and has consulted on a myriad of security projects for corporations, family offices, mass transport hubs, business parks, hotels, residences, high risk facilities and factories.

Chiko Scozzafava

Chiko Scozzafava’s career or over 20 years in law enforcement provided her with deep experience managing a diverse range of operational and strategic risks. As a Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, Chiko’s responsibilities included threat management and intelligence, physical security assessments, major event security, and the protection of individuals ranging from the President of the United States to Former US Presidents, US Secretaries, and visiting Head of States. After leaving government service Chiko has taken on senior roles in the nonprofit and technology sectors.  She serves on several boards and is a valued voice on leadership and strategy, risk management, building global programs, talent development and leading diverse teams, internal audit, event production, as well as competitive and threat intelligence. She has also led change management and innovation efforts at an enterprise level.

Juval Aviv

Juval Aviv is the Founder of Interfor. Earlier in life, Juval served as an officer in the Israel Defense Force (Major, retired) leading an elite Commando/Intelligence Unit and was later selected by the Mossad to participate in a number of intelligence and special operations in many countries in the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1984, a true account of one mission was published, entitled Vengeance. The book became a best seller and was later the basis of Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning movie, Munich.  After moving to the U.S. in the 1970s, Juval founded Interfor, where he played an intimate role in solving numerous cases of fraud, embezzlement and other anti-competitive behavior, in the banking, insurance, aerospace, entertainment, cosmetics and aviation industries, to name a few. Juval served as a special consultant to the U.S. Congress on issues of terrorism and money laundering and has been a frequent commentator over the years on FOX News, CNN, MSNBC, The History Channel, the BBC’s and many other television stations and publications around the world.

Adam Sager

Adam Sager is a leader in the security technology space. He is the Founder and CEO of Seneca, a security tool that combines the strengths of cloud and blockchain to create a decentralized data platform that prioritizes user privacy, verification, and control. Previously a founder of Canary, an IoT AI company that enabled people to protect their homes and businesses using smart devices, he is passionate about how advances in technology can support the values of personal autonomy and security and speaks to audiences regularly about these topics. He is the co-founder of Community Security Service (CSS), an international non-profit which focuses on community safety and security. Earlier in his career Adam worked for a leading global security firm on crisis management, building security, and other aspects of physical risk management. Adam previously served on a reconnaissance unit with the Israeli Defense Forces.

Tzviel Blankchtein

Tzviel “BK” Blankchtein is a renowned security expert with a wealth of global experience on protective services, institutional and corporate security consulting, tactical planning, and instruction. BK leverages his background with the Israeli Defense Forces for his clients, including his extensive training in amphibious assaults and undercover intelligence/counterintelligence operations in hostile and austere environments. While BK works regularly with law enforcement and military agencies to help these organizations improve their capabilities, he regularly trains civilians in krav maga and defensive strategies, emergency medical support, and firearms training, among other services. 

Don Aviv

Don is the President of Interfor International running day-to-day operations and heads Interfor’s Global Investigations & Security Consulting. Prior to his current role running Interfor, Don was the head of Global Security & Investigations for a Fortune 500 technology company. Don is a regular contributor to a variety of publications on a variety of foreign policy and corporate security matters and. His credentials include: Board Certified Protection Professional (CPP); Board Certified Physical Security Professional (PSP); Professional Certified Investigator (PCI) and licensed New York State Investigator. Mr. Aviv serves as the Vice Chairman of the ASIS International Security Services Council, sits on numerous corporate boards and is an advisor to several technology startups.

Bruce Hoffman

Bruce Hoffman is one of the world’s leading experts on extremism and global terrorism. With over five decades of experience researching, writing, and speaking about these subjects, Bruce is the author of many highly regarded books and he is a sought-after voice to help audiences understand these often difficult subjects. He is a professor at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, the Shelby Cullom and Kathryn W. Davis Senior Fellow for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the George H. Gilmore Senior Fellow at the U.S. Military Academy’s Combating Terrorism Center. Bruce previously held the Corporate Chair in Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency at the RAND Corporation and co-founded and was the first director of St Andrews University’s Center for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, where he is Professor Emeritus of Terrorism Studies. Bruce was appointed a commissioner on the 9/11 Review Commission by the U.S. Congress and has been Scholar-in-Residence for Counterterrorism at the Central Intelligence Agency, and served as advisor to the U.S. military in Iraq.

Eduardo Jany

Eduardo Jany is a deeply experienced security professional with decades of experience in the public and private sectors. As a Chief Security Officer to some of world’s most well-known companies he has led award winning teams focused on physical security, protective operations, travel, crisis management and event security efforts covering more than 25,000 people at over 190 offices worldwide utilizing innovative strategies and processes. As a Captain in state law enforcement, he held command and supervisory assignments in patrol, SWAT, canine, narcotics and mounted units. A retired Colonel in the United States Marine Corps, Eduardo handled assignments involving Anti-Terrorism, Investigations, Reconnaissance, Special Operations and Infantry assignments as well as prior service in the U.S. Army Special Forces. The recipient of several degrees from prestigious universities, Eduardo speaks fluent Portuguese and Spanish.

Matthew Horace

Matthew Horace is a twenty-eight-year veteran of federal, state, and local law enforcement, and a prominent Chief Security Officer for major international corporations. He finished his career in the prestigious position of Special Agent in Change in the Senior Executive Service of the United States Department of Justice managing local, regional, national, and international investigations. Matt has been an on-air subject matter expert on law enforcement with CNN, NBC, CBS and ABC and he has written for The Wall Street Journal and a number of other publications. He is an adjunct professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, Leadership and Organizational Development and Crisis Communication. He is passionate about leadership, DE&I issues, building high-performing teams and crisis management.

James A. Marks

Major General James A. “Spider” Marks served over 30 years in the U.S. Army holding every command position from infantry platoon leader to commanding general. He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf cluster, Bronze Star, and multiple combat, expeditionary and service ribbons. General Marks is the Founder and President of The Marks Collaborative, an advisory firm dedicated to leadership development, education, and training and has led entrepreneurial efforts in global primary research, IT, education, and national security. General Marks is a national security contributor to CNN and member of the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame.

Christopher Bakes

As a partner and trial attorney in one of the largest law firms in the United States, Christopher Bakes’s longtime commitment has been to justice in all of its forms. He has represented some of the largest companies in the world, such as Bechtel, HP, Agilent, Adobe, and Samsung, including on high profile domestic and international cases. As a former Navy JAG officer dedicated to public service, Christopher recognized the value and relevance of military service as a tool for the expansion of the American mainstream. A distinguished speaker on many topics, Christopher has a particularly deep commitment to professional ethics, and presents to both secular and faith-based groups of all sizes, promoting a panoramic view of professional ethics that calls on the full sweep of human history.

These are just a few of the experts in the Interfor network. Please get in touch with Interfor more details on potential experts to work with your team. Academy@interfor.international

Suggested Interfor Academy Programs

Whether you’re a conference organizer looking for that compelling speaker to keep your audience on the edge of their seats, a top executive looking to add a memorable guest to bring an unforgettable experience to your corporate retreat, or a human resources officer focused on training your team against security risks, Interfor Academy is ready to create a unique and customized experience for you. Every Interfor Academy expert is a compelling and deeply experienced public speaker ready to take the stage or speak to your team on their own. But Interfor Academy can combine these amazing experts to create one-of-a-kind panels, fireside chats, and team interviews curated to address issues specific to your needs.

Here are a few suggestions of unique experiences combining several Interfor Academy experts:

Leadership & Ethics

Create a memorable conversation at a conference or small corporate gathering by inviting Bob Grenier and Mark Sullivan to join a moderated discussion on leadership and ethics. Both speakers have had a front row of global events and have essential lessons on how to successfully lead teams under extraordinary circumstances. Drawn from their real-life high stakes experiences, both have nuanced views on how ethics should be communicated throughout an organization to best develop corporate culture.

Guarding your most Valuable Asset – Your Reputation

Inviting Shannon Wilkinson to speak to your corporate executives could be one of the best risk management decisions your company might ever make. One of the world’s leading expert on reputation management, will lead a riveting discussion on how to best navigate your personal and professional lives to avoid bad surprises, manage negative experiences, and develop your reputation into the asset that it should be. With cutting edge views on the role of technology and colorful anecdotes to learn from, this panel will leave your executives more knowledgeable about how to manage an essential asset – your reputation.

Survive & Thrive

Adding master security expert BK to your corporate retreat will provide an unforgettable experience. BK will lead your team through lessons on how to stave off a carjacking, ways to defend against an attacker with krav maga, and lessons on basic medical care in an emergency. In addition to providing potential life-saving skills to business travelers in challenging countries, working with BK on these and other skills offers unique team-building experiences that won’t soon be forgotten.

Interfor Academy brings together a special constellation of elite speakers

Spy Skills for the Business World

After spending a few hours with Steve Romano and Jeremy Hurewitz you will walk away seeing the world just a little differently. Steve’s decades of experience negotiating hostage sieges combined with Jeremy’s years as a corporate spy offer novel communication lessons that even the most seasoned executive or salesperson can learn from. Your team will come away with new skills to collect information, negotiate, network, detect deception, and other invaluable methods to help them thrive, while remaining on the edge of their seat the entire time with real-life situations to illustrate how these skills work in real life. 

Managing the Shifting Landscape of Digital Threats

A few hours spent with Adam Sager and Chiko Scozzafava will leave you feeling differently about the world. While you and your team might feel more worried about all the threats out there, you will leave such a session with more knowledge about the many ways you can safeguard your team and company from the constantly shifting cyber-threats that can undercut our security and economic well-being as well as an increased understanding of emerging and next-generation technology and how companies and governments are leveraging them. Adam and Chiko are a novel combination with complimentary experiences to help your company stay on the cutting edge of today’s digital threats.

Have a topic in mind? Want to create a special panel discussion or fireside chat? Talk to the team at Interfor Academy and we’ll create a customized experience to specifically incorporate your particular requests through the extensive experience within Interfor Academy.

Interfor International Experts

Interfor Academy draws on the extensive network of relationships that the company has established over nearly 50 years in the corporate security industry. Within Interfor resides a wealth of experience as well, and members of Interfor’s senior executive team regularly speak to law firms, corporations, as well as business and academic organizations to share their particular expertise. Interfor is happy to include these experienced experts on their own or in combination with other experts within Interfor Academy to augment any speaking engagement.

Executive Vice President, Investigations

Ben Kunde

Ben Kunde oversees complex and cross-border investigations, asset identification and due diligence matters at Interfor International. A Certified Fraud Examiner, he leverages over a decade of deep intelligence industry experience, bringing significant analytical, research, and management skills to each client matter. Ben has overseen thousands of international investigations in dozens of countries worldwide and is frequently asked by international media organizations for his views on risk management as his work places him on the cutting edge of global trends in business

Executive Vice President, Threat Intelligence & Security Operations

Daniel Zaffran

Daniel has a strong track record in the fields of security, intelligence, and business development. After obtaining an MA in Middle East affairs he deployed as a cultural field analyst for the U.S. Army in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the United States, Daniel worked as a consultant and analyst on private sector projects related to counterterrorism, terror financing, and security matters. Prior to Interfor, he was the U.S. liaison for a premier French security firm, developing presence within the North American market. At Interfor, Daniel applies his analytic and operational background in meeting the needs of our clientele in the areas of security management, business development, and project execution.

Executive Vice President

Thomas M. Suozzo

Thomas is a veteran of the corporate investigations industry with a background as a litigator. He was in private practice specializing in civil litigation earlier in his career and has served in executive roles with public and private companies in the legal service and medical device industries. He has spearheaded investigations in asset search, complex commercial litigation, anti-bribery and corruption, stock manipulation and political matters while at Interfor and is a regarded as an expert in corporate investigations.

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