Dr. J. Bennet Waters is a senior advisor to the firm’s Strategic Advisory Services practice. He has a proven record of senior leadership experience in a variety of public, private and federal government settings. Dr. Waters advises global public and private-sector organization on intelligence-driven enterprise security and risk management. He is a subject-matter expert in counterterrorism, critical infrastructure protection and crisis management, and he specializes in developing, executing and optimizing risk-based strategies to enable business continuity and the flow of goods, commerce and people.
A founding member of the firm, Dr. Waters served from 2005-2009 in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as Counselor to the Secretary, Counselor to the Deputy Secretary, Deputy Assistant Administrator (TSA) and Chief of Staff (Office of Health Affairs). In addition to his government service, Dr. Waters spent more than fifteen years in the private sector, where he held senior strategic, financial, and operations roles in both private and publicly-traded companies.
Dr. Waters received a bachelor of arts with honors in Medical Ethics from Davidson College; a master’s of Public Health with a concentration in Health Law from the Boston University School of Public Health; and a doctorate in Health Administration from the Medical University of South Carolina, where he was a dean’s list graduate and inducted into the MUSC Honor Society.
In addition to his role at The Chertoff Group, Dr. Waters is a senior fellow of the George Washington University Center for Cyber & Homeland Security. He also maintains an active doctoral teaching assignment in the Gilling’s School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina and is a frequent speaker and author on counterterrorism, transportation security, emergency preparedness and disaster management.
Expertise:
Counterterrorism, with specific focus on aviation, transportation and supply chain security
Enterprise risk management and critical infrastructure protection
Biometrics, identity verification and risk-based screening
Strategic advice on mergers, acquisitions and private equity investments
Experience:
Counselor to the Deputy Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
Deputy Assistant Administrator, Transportation Security Administration
Chief of Staff, Office of Health Affairs, Department of Homeland Security
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina
