I am responsible for the oversight of all endeavors that couple technology and human analysis, including the FirstLight® Intelligence Platform. I take a hands-on development approach to the FirstLight technology roadmap and implementation of new features – both client-facing as well as foundational technology. I believe that a personal approach to addressing client needs leads to a more responsive, and ultimately higher-value, technology solution. When I’m not knee deep in code, I play the drums for a local Milwaukee band. If you’re in the area, come check us out!

Having lived for decades in both Canada and the US as well as shorter periods in Australia and New Zealand, I am a researcher, author/editor (15 books, 200+ scholarly articles) and internationally recognized expert on analytics and intelligence. In my years of teaching at the University level in multiple countries and consulting in private practice, I’ve had the privilege of advising a “who’s who” of executives and organizations. I love learning and helping others learn about leading practices in the intelligence field. I am most proud of developing and mentoring scores of former students into becoming highly successful intelligence professionals.

I founded Aurora WDC in 1995 in the corner of my mother’s beauty salon. I believe it’s important to know where you came from, so that you know where you want to go. Speaking of that clarity, I stepped aside as CEO in late 2009 to hand the day-to-day operation of the company to my brother Derek so that I could focus on the development of competing hypothetical solutions to seemingly intractable intelligence problems. My passion is bringing the “open reconnaissance” approach to organizations, business, and governments to help them solve the most pressing challenges of our time.

My passion and expertise lies in conducting in-depth secondary research and developing high-impact deliverables that help clients understand the core of the issue, answer critical questions, and make better decisions. I’m a naturally curious person who enjoys tackling complex problems in a variety of fields, industries, and sectors with a balance of rigorous logic and design thinking. In my professional endeavors, I draw on my identity as a former student-athlete, incorporating lessons of grit, teamwork, discipline, and empathy. My academic achievements include an MBA with a Concentration in Healthcare Administration from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, FL and a BA in Intelligence Studies from Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA.

I joined Aurora WDC in 2011, and spend my time managing teams of field analysts and serving as a client liaison and program lead. I use my 20-year background in intelligence to help organizations answer tough questions, working on both the client-side and the agency-side throughout my career. My focus in life sciences crosses multiple therapeutic subject areas: oncology, immunology, infectious disease, blood disorders, diabetes, CNS, and eye disorders (glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, etc.) I started my career in the U.S. Navy, serving as Lieutenant in Tactical Intelligence aboard the USS Cook. I enjoy hiking, sailing, fishing, cross-country, alpine skiing, and reading history.

I specialize in systems and program design with a decade of combined experience in intelligence analysis, program management, healthcare administration, marketing, and sales. Driven by a passion for finding innovative solutions to complex intelligence needs, I manage analyst teams at Aurora WDC and provide advisory services to support clients’ ever-evolving information needs across various industries. I am particularly intrigued by healthcare trends and social factors that are continuing to make industry-agnostic impacts on the world of business. Outside of work, when I’m not juggling tasks as the care manager of an aging parent, I might be found perusing antique stores for unique items, enjoying the local beach, diving into a new art project, or trying to keep my plants alive.

I joined Aurora WDC in early 2005 and have more than 20 years of experience in HUMINT, OSINT, investigations, and counterintelligence, conducting research in over 60 countries. I focus on managing the field intelligence collection efforts of our research teams with strong moral principles to ensure the legal and ethical collection/delivery of insights. I also oversee our field intelligence collection efforts and manage a global network of collection assets, analysts/SMEs, and intelligence partners. My academic achievements include a B.S. in Marketing from American University in Washington, D.C., MBA coursework at Monmouth University in Long Branch, NJ, and the Georgia Private Investigator program at Gwinnett Technical College in Lawrenceville, GA. I’m an artist by nature – outside of work, I am a working musician, songwriter, and producer, and I also dabble in sci-fi art.