Beacon Global Strategies Adds Three Senior National Security Experts to Its Growing Team and Announces a Senior Executive Hire

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Beacon Global Strategies (BGS), a leading strategic advisory firm focusing on global public policy, government procurement, and geopolitical risk analysis, today announced it will be expanding its growing team by adding Mr. Andrew "Andy" G. Boyd, Dr. Seth Jones, and Ms. Elizabeth "Beth" Sizeland as Senior Advisors. In these roles, Mr. Boyd will leverage his decades of experience to support the firm's Intelligence Practice, Ms. Sizeland will contribute invaluable support to the Global Technology Policy Practice, and Dr. Jones will provide vital insight to BGS' Defense Practice. Additionally, BGS is pleased to announce Ms. Leyla Becker has joined BGS as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). 

"We are thrilled to welcome Andy Boyd, Seth Jones and Beth Sizeland to the BGS team. Their distinguished careers in intelligence and defense will undoubtedly enhance our capabilities, reinforcing our commitment to delivering unparalleled strategic advisory services to our clients," said BGS Managing Director Jeremy Bash.

"We are delighted to welcome Leyla as BGS' first Chief Human Resources Officer. Her extensive experience in human capital leadership and her approach to talent development align perfectly with our strategic goals and will make her a critical asset to our team," said BGS Managing Director Andrew Shapiro.

Mr. Andy Boyd joins BGS as Senior Advisor. Mr. Boyd is a former Senior Intelligence Service (SIS) officer in the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) Directorate of Operations, where he held the role of Director for the CIA's Center for Cyber Intelligence (CCI), responsible for addressing foreign cyber threats to U.S. interests. With a wealth of experience in global intelligence operations, cyber policy, and security practices, Andy is a recognized thought leader in the USG cyber and intelligence communities, specializing in cyber threats, covert action, counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and strategic analysis. His extensive career also includes leading counterterrorism operations against global terror organizations, serving in challenging roles in the Middle East, and representing the CIA to foreign partners. Prior to his CIA service, Andy was a U.S. State Department Foreign Service Officer and a U.S. Air Force intelligence officer. He has a B.S. in History from the U.S. Air Force Academy, an M.A. in International Relations from Catholic University, and a M.S. in Strategic Policy from the National War College.

Dr. Seth Jones joins BGS as Senior Advisor. In addition to his role at BGS, Dr. Jones serves as Senior Vice President and Director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), overseeing a diverse portfolio of defense research and analysis with a focus on issues such as defense strategy, the defense industrial base, military posture, and irregular warfare. He has served in a range of positions within the U.S. Department of Defense, including roles in U.S. Special Operations Command and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Dr. Jones served as representative for the commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, to the assistant secretary of defense for special operations. Before that, he was a plans officer and adviser to the commanding general, U.S. Special Operations Forces, in Afghanistan (Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command–Afghanistan). He has served on Congressional Commissions, including the Afghanistan War Commission and the Independent Commission to Review the FBI's Post-9/11 Response to Terrorism and Radicalization. Dr. Jones is the author of several books, including "Three Dangerous Men: Russia, China, Iran, and the Rise of Irregular Warfare" (W.W. Norton, 2021). Prior to joining CSIS, he directed the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the RAND Corporation. Dr. Jones is a graduate of Bowdoin College with MA and PhD degrees from the University of Chicago, has contributed articles to prominent journals and publications, including Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal.

Ms. Beth Sizeland joins BGS as Senior Advisor. In addition to her role at BGS, Ms. Sizeland serves as a nonresident senior fellow at the Scowcroft Strategy Initiative of the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University's Centre for Security Studies. She has over two decades of national-security experience in the UK government, specializing in security strategy, countering state threats, investment security, cybersecurity, national resilience, serious and organized crime, counterterrorism, and crisis response. Ms. Sizeland previously served as the UK Joint Intelligence Organization attaché in Washington, DC, and held key roles during her government service, including deputy national security adviser and adviser to the UK prime minister on intelligence, security, and resilience issues. Ms. Sizeland's diverse background includes positions as a director general at the UK Government Communications Headquarters, a director in the UK Home Office combating modern slavery, and a director for transport security at the UK Department for Transport. Her extensive career also involved contributions to the Cabinet Office Briefing Room and operational and analytical roles addressing various international issues.

Ms. Leyla Becker joins BGS as Chief Human Resources Officer. Ms. Becker brings over 25 years of human capital leadership experience to the team. She is known for placing talent at the core of business development strategy, having successfully expanded and optimized Human Resources (HR) operations in various federal government contracting firms, as well as commercial organizations. Ms. Becker's role at BGS involves shaping the multi-year staff development strategy and overseeing daily HR operations, leveraging her expertise in HR policy design, compensation planning, performance management, talent acquisition, compliance reporting, HRIS implementations, workflow reengineering, training, professional development, DE&I, and benefits negotiation. Prior to joining BGS, she contributed to the significant growth of federal IT services firm Tripoint Solutions and during her tenure at Delex Systems (now V2X), she created strategic enterprise capability through her leadership of talent acquisition, supporting national intelligence programs and led human capital transformation by launching technology to support enterprise growth. As a hands-on human capital advisor involved in business development, Ms. Becker has delivered proposal staffing strategies leading to $100M+ in federal contract awards and achieved substantial revenue gains and cost savings through innovative HR management. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida.

About Beacon Global Strategies:
Founded in 2013, Beacon Global Strategies is a strategic advisory firm specializing in foreign policy, defense, cyber, intelligence, and national security. Drawing on decades of service in the international security arena, Beacon develops and executes strategies that enable companies to achieve their business objectives around the world.

SOURCE Beacon Global Strategies