Brian J. Cavanaugh is the Senior Vice President at American Global Strategies LLC, an international strategic advisory firm co-founded by former National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien and Alexander B. Gray. Mr. Cavanaugh focuses on critical infrastructure security and resilience, crisis management planning, continuity of operations, and disaster response and recovery operations.

Prior to joining American Global Strategies, Mr. Cavanaugh served as the Executive Director for Strategic Planning and Integration for the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD). In this capacity he was responsible for the oversight of policy development, integrated execution, and whole-of-government coordination for the Department’s health security and resilience mission.

Mr. Cavanaugh brings extensive experience from serving in the White House as the Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director for Resilience Policy on the National Security Council (NSC). During his three-year tenure at the NSC, Mr. Cavanaugh served as the National Continuity Coordinator, Deputy National Policy Coordinator for the Defense Production Act during the response to 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and the White House representative to the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council.

Additionally, Mr. Cavanaugh leverages experience from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) where he served in multiple roles including, the Agency’s chief liaison for the Office of Management and Budget and both the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, as well as a preparedness officer for FEMA’s Protection and National Preparedness Directorate where he specialized in transportation and maritime security.

He is a graduate of the University of Maryland and member of the 2002 National Championship and 2004 ACC Championship Men’s Basketball teams with a master’s degree in Homeland Security Management from the University of Maryland.