Michael Chertoff

Leader and statesman, Michael Chertoff came to the job of 2nd Secretary of Homeland Security with a background rich in experience in legal and security fields, having served as the head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division after the September 11th attacks. Overseeing the Department of Homeland Security, a vast entity operating 22 agencies and 180,000 employees, Chertoff's goal was to provide risk-based protection against significant threats, reduce major vulnerabilities, and mitigate potential consequences with minimal disruption and inconvenience. He implemented programs and capabilities that did not exist prior to September 11, to better equip the U.S. to handle threats of the 21st century across land, sea, and air. After his tenure, he focused on transforming FEMA into an effective organization following Hurricane Katrina.

In March 2009, Chertoff founded The Chertoff Group, an advisory firm that counsels corporate and government clients on security and risk management issues, including threats related to terrorism, fraud, cyber-security, border protection, and supply chain security. The firm assists clients at each stage of the security process with a focus on prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. Additionally, Chertoff serves as senior counsel in the white-collar defense and investigations group at Covington & Burling LLP. He is also the co-founder and executive chairman of The Chertoff Group, providing strategic counsel on issues from risk identification to preparedness and recovery. He is further credited with founding the Data Equilibrium Project to address the balance between privacy and national security.

Before his role as Secretary of Homeland Security, Chertoff was confirmed by the Senate to serve in the Bush administration as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division at the Department of Justice. As Assistant Attorney General, he was pivotal in tracing the 9/11 terrorist attacks to the al-Qaeda network and worked to enhance information sharing within the FBI and with state and local officials. In 2003, after proving instrumental in winning approval of the Patriot Act and other anti-terrorism measures, President Bush appointed him as United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.

Before joining the Bush Administration, Chertoff was a Partner in the law firm of Latham & Watkins. His introduction to Washington came when he served as Special Counsel for the U.S. Senate Whitewater Committee from 1994 to 1996. Prior to that, Chertoff spent more than a decade as a federal prosecutor, including his appointment as United States Attorney in New Jersey by President George H.W. Bush. As Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, he began his prosecutorial career under Rudolph W. Giuliani, where he was instrumental in a significant organized crime investigation leading to convictions of leaders from several Mafia families, earning a reputation as a skilled trial lawyer. Chertoff graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1975 and from Harvard Law School in 1978. From 1979-1980, he served as a clerk to Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, Jr.

Chertoff is married to Meryl Justin and has two children. He has addressed a wide array of topics in his public speeches, including cyber-security, immigration policy, and crisis management, and has authored notable books such as "Exploding Data: Reclaiming Our Cyber Security in the Digital Age" and "Homeland Security: Assessing the First Five Years". His contributions have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Department of Justice Henry E. Petersen Memorial Award (2006) and the NAACP Benjamin L. Hooks Award for Distinguished Service (2007).