Key Facts
- Mark Cheng is a national
security leader and veteran China
hand with over 40 years of experience solving tough problems,
building partnerships, and successfully conducting high risk/high
return operations in the field and at enterprise levels.
- Dr. Barbara Stevens currently
serves as an independent board member for the Charles Stark Draper
Laboratory and for Hexagon US Federal, and is a mentor for young
women for the organization Spookstock.
- The Forge Institute Advisory Board features voices from all
corners of the digital, cyber, and innovation communities.
LITTLE
ROCK, Ark., June 25,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Forge Institute, a national
leader in increasing digital defense capabilities for organizations
nationwide, announced the addition of Mark
Cheng and Dr. Barbara Stevens
to its Advisory Board.
"We are thrilled to welcome Mark and Barbara to our Advisory
Board. Dr. Stevens' formidable expertise in cybersecurity and data
science will be instrumental as we continue to elevate our national
digital defenses. Mr. Cheng has a rich background in strategic
analysis and leadership, and is quite skilled at forging
partnerships to advance business and national security objectives.
We welcome their expertise in supporting our mission of keeping
America one step ahead in cyber and data security," stated
Lee Watson, Chairman and CEO of the
Forge Institute.
Mark Cheng is a national security
leader and veteran China hand
with over 40 years of experience solving tough problems, building
partnerships, and successfully conducting high risk/high return
operations in the field and at enterprise levels.
Mark served at the Department of State where he spent the
majority of his tours focused on China. After joining the CIA in the late
1990s, Mark worked on China,
South Asia, Counterterrorism,
Covert Action, Intelligence Community Affairs, and was the Chief of
the National Resources Division in the Directorate of Operations.
Mark recently served on the President's Intelligence Advisory Board
(PIAB) as the Deputy Executive Director, then as Executive Director
of the PIAB.
He is a graduate of the University of
Michigan and has an MA in East Asian Studies from
Stanford University.
Dr. Barbara Stevens currently
serves as an independent board member for the Charles Stark Draper
Laboratory and for Hexagon US Federal, and is a mentor for young
women for the organization Spookstock.
Most recently Dr. Stevens served as the CEO of Exovera, which is
a wholly owned subsidiary of the US Defense contractor SOSi.
Exovera provides open source, social media, deep web, and darknet
information, and tools to support intelligence operations and law
enforcement investigations.
Dr. Stevens is a retired senior executive leader with the
Central Intelligence Agency where her last job was the Chief of
Data Science. Barbara built and then directed complex data science
programs and provided deep expertise in applying big data analytics
at the operational and analytical levels of the Intelligence
Community.
Barbara holds a PhD from the Florida State
University in Mathematical Statistics, and previously served
on the faculty in the Department of Statistics at the University of Georgia.
About Forge Institute
Forge Institute is the Nation's leader in advancing cyber
capabilities through innovative partnerships across the public and
private sectors. Our mantra, "Forever One Step Ahead," is our
reminder to remain vigilant, updated, and innovative against an
enemy that seeks nothing less than the permanent disruption of our
way of life. Forge Institute's portfolio includes the Emerging
Threat Center, The Forge Academy, The Forge Fellowship, and
Innovation Labs, which explores industry and federally funded
projects with our research partners. For more information, visit
the Forge Institute at: https://www.forge.institute
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mark-cheng-and-dr-barbara-stevens-join-forge-institute-supercharging-its-cybersecurity-data-science-and-innovation-leadership-302179405.html
SOURCE Forge Institute