William A. Kurtz is a seasoned professional with more than three decades of experience in the fields of security, risk management, and organizational development. He is known for his ability to drive resiliency, build trust, and deliver measurable results for executive protection programs, crisis management, and risk assessments, and has been consistently recognized for his strategic vision and leadership in high-stakes environments.
Throughout his career, Mr. Kurtz has held significant leadership roles. Prior to joining Guidepost, he was the director of security and resiliency at Precigen Corp., and vice president of business security and analysis at Third Security, LLC. In these dual roles, Mr. Kurtz managed global security operations, developed executive protection strategies, and guided security practices across multiple regions, including Europe and the United States. He successfully led the implementation of security and risk management practices, oversaw incident response programs, and provided expert counsel to C-suite executives, boards of directors, and audit committees.
During his tenure at Precigen, Mr. Kurtz was instrumental in executing third-party cybersecurity assessments and fostering a security-conscious organizational culture through training and risk management education. At Third Security, he was responsible for the security of venture capital operations, authoring incident response plans, and leading strategic business diligence efforts.
Mr. Kurtz began his career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where he had a distinguished 24-year career and held several leadership positions, including supervisory special agent, and chief of the counterterrorism investigation assessment and response team. He was also a member of the FBI Hostage Rescue Team. Mr. Kurtz led critical security and investigative operations during major national and international events and earned numerous awards for his exceptional work in crisis management and counterterrorism.
Known for his ability to build and lead high-performing teams, Mr. Kurtz has a long track record of fostering operational excellence, enhancing team engagement, and delivering results. He excels at optimizing trust and safety through collaboration with internal and external stakeholders and has a proven history of successfully managing complex, high-risk situations. Mr. Kurtz was selected as an instructor to teach senior leaders at the National Defense University, where he facilitated courses in Strategic Leadership, National Security, and Industry Studies.
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Bill enjoys reading about philosophy, particularly American pragmatism. His dissertation research centered on the habits of elite performers’ internal NARRATIVES, using American pragmatism as a lens
