Douglas Smith, former Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and current Head of Global Affairs at Orchard Global, dives into the deep intersections of public policy, national security, innovation, and business. From stories behind the launch of TSA PreCheck and Global Entry to cybersecurity risks in private equity and the role of government in advancing green tech, Smith underscores the necessity of collaboration across sectors. He reflects on the fading art of civil discourse, the dangers of institutional knowledge loss, and the enduring value of relationships over transactions in leadership, governance, and capital markets.
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Guest Bio:The Honorable Douglas Smith has spent the last 30 years serving at the highest levels of government in national security and the private sector, and is a serial entrepreneur. Douglas currently leads Global Affairs for Orchard Global, where he leads the firm’s engagements with national security work, private equity, and international governments. Douglas is a recognized global expert in national security and its impact on business, and role in preventing and managing crises, frequently invited to speak in international conferences and regularly appearing in global media. Before joining Orchard, Douglas was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the Assistant Secretary for the Private Sector at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In this role, Douglasadvised the Secretary on the impact of the Department's policies, regulations, and processes globally on millions of private sector companies, universities, and not-for-profits institutions. Douglas was responsible for coordinating seamless private sector engagement across all 22 of DHS’s divisions including the Secret Service, Coast Guard, Customs and Boarder Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.He served as the Department's representative on the President's Travel and Tourism Advisory and Export Promotion Boards, the White House Business Council, the President’s Job Council, and the World Economic Forum Risk Officers Community. Under his leadership, the office dramatically expanded its global footprint. As a result, Douglas led delegations throughout the United States and to over 40 countries in support of strengthening the global supply chain and promoting the Department’s position of “global security equaling economic security”. Key to this work was his extensive engagement with the travel and tourism industry including the launch of Global Entry, TSA PreCheck and the APEC Business Travel Card. In the wake of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Douglas headed an interagency team coordinating emergency response and supporting international commerce to keep the global supply chain moving. Douglas currently serves on the boards of Aether Technologies, as Chairman; Social Mobile; Energetico; Senseta; The United States Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force; Overseas Security Advisory Council and of FidoTV Channel, a TV station 100% dedicated to dogs.