With GDP growth on the continent reaching its highest rate since 2012 and long-term prospects equally favorable, Africa holds great promise for investors. But alongside opportunities, foreign enterprises face vast gaps in their knowledge of the business landscape.
Kateryna Bender has been an integral part of AT-RISK since joining the organization in 2010. In her role as Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, Ms. Bender works to create a global vision for the administrative and operational growth of the organization.
She provides input in new business expansion strategies and planning, success forecasting and risk management, creates new business plans and leads international business administration and organizational development. Ms. Bender oversees finance, human resources and legal/regulatory compliance.
Born and raised in Ukraine, Ms. Bender has a master’s degree in Languages from the University of Ukraine and speaks Russian, native Ukrainian, English, French and German. Her linguistic skills are an asset to AT-RISK and its overseas personnel.
Ms. Bender takes an active role in the Human Resources community. Since 2016 she has been serving in various board-role capacities for the Northern Virginia Society for Human Resource Management (NOVA SHRM) chapter, wrapping up her Presidential term in 2019 and beginning her Executive Director period in 2022. She also serves as District Director for the Metro District for the Virginia SHRM State Council.
Ms. Bender is also a member of the National Association of Professional and Executive Women, which recognized her in 2012 as an exclusive member in the Women of Excellence Registry.
Chuck Tobin has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of AT-RISK International since 2003, bringing over 35 years of experience protecting people, property, and operations for clients worldwide. Mr. Tobin is the recipient of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Commissioner’s Medal for assisting with creating the first government-mandated statewide threat assessment program in the United States.
Mr. Tobin serves as Chair of Standards and Guidelines on the ASIS Executive Protection Council and Vice President of the International Protective Security Board (IPSB). Within the ASIS Executive Protection Council, he has led the Standards and Guidelines endeavor since 2019, in which he oversees the drafting of recommended practices, principles, and policies for protectors globally. In addition, he was an integral part of the ASIS Executive Protection Core Competencies project, which brought together subject matter experts from around the world to create higher standards for the security industry.
For over 20 years, Mr. Tobin has assisted the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP) in a volunteer capacity. From 2013 to 2017, he acted as President of the association. Before this role, he was chairman of ATAP’s Certification Committee. In addition, Mr. Tobin developed the security industry’s first Certified Threat Manager (CTM) credential, providing proof of knowledge and management abilities in violence risk assessment. Mr. Tobin earned his CTM certification in 2015.
As President and Chief Executive Officer of AT-RISK International, Mr. Tobin develops best practices and leads complex threat investigations and executive protection risk assessments for clients. He has also served as National Director of Security and consultant to United States Presidential, Prime Minister, and international elected official campaigns worldwide. In addition, Mr. Tobin is a speaker, author, and on-camera contributor with expertise in executive protection programming, comprehensive security management, threat assessment, and threat management. He co-authored a chapter in the International Handbook of Threat Assessment 2nd edition on protective intelligence and threat assessment and co-authored a chapter in the book Applied Biosecurity: Global Health, Biodefense, and Developing Technologies on threat assessment in laboratory environments.
Prior to joining AT-RISK, Ms. Cooley led marketing and communications efforts for GardaWorld (formerly Vance International), a global investigation and security consulting firm. During this time, Ms. Cooley was responsible for implementing marketing and positioning initiatives of the company’s services and solutions, targeting industry publications and executing sponsored events to maximize the company’s brand value. She has also planned and implemented strategic marketing efforts for technology and real estate organizations throughout her career.
In her current role, Ms. Cooley successfully communicates the AT-RISK story through corporate branding, digital experiences, promotions and events, and media/public relations. She is an effective communicator with a proven track record of building brand strategies through integrated campaigns in private start-ups and public firms alike.
Matthew Speidel brings over 15 years of investigative and military experience to AT-RISK International. His impressive career in the security and protection industry includes extensive training in personnel recovery, critical systems protection and criminal investigations.
As an Operations Manager for AT-RISK, Mr. Speidel leads program development for new business services. Working with security personnel to screen potential threats, he provides strategic advice to clients, supports operations and facilitates safety measures at the client site. Through his commitment to this role, Mr. Speidel oversees the continuity of AT-RISK’s operational standards and protects our clients by cultivating safe environments.
Mr. Speidel began his career as a Civil Affairs Specialist for the U.S. Army Reserve, leading a squad of two-dozen soldiers and working as a military liaison to the United Nations. He served for three years as a Federal Air Marshal, conducting high-level surveillance and open-source intelligence on foreign countries. During his time as a Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service, Mr. Speidel was responsible for investigating cyber and financial criminal activity, initiating protection operations in overseas environments and coordinating a protective intelligence response during active security breaches. He successfully showcased his tactical advantages by responding to a nationally televised White House intruder.
Throughout his career, Mr. Speidel has been recognized for his valiance and leadership and remains an active member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP) and the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) and is a proud advocate for Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
Jennifer Otremba brings over 10 years of professional experience and over 20 years of military experience to AT-RISK. Her expertise leading multi-disciplinary teams responsible for responding to critical workplace violence situations and emergent crises assists AT-RISK in mitigating corporate liability and brand/reputation risks, while also protecting corporate assets and human capital.
Currently, Ms. Otremba collaborates with AT-RISK threat managers and clients to assess client needs while developing programs, training curriculums and strategies that foster a culture of safety and security. Leveraging her knowledge of threat assessment and management, she provides onsite security for clients both domestically and internationally. Her diverse international experience ranges from managing medical air crews to providing consultations to various corporate partners on how to navigate through multiple crises, including the Middle East uprising in Tahir Square, Egypt.
Ms. Otremba is an accomplished leader, air mission commander, instructor pilot and Blackhawk Helicopter Pilot for the Minnesota Army National Guard.
