• Source: Kim E. Petersen

      • Kim Eberhard Petersen is a security and counterterrorism expert who has served on the staff of U.S. Secretaries of State Henry A. Kissinger and Alexander M. Haig and was Chief of Security Operations for the presidential transition of George H. W. Bush. He is the founder and Chairman Emeritus of Security Dynamics, a strategic consulting firm, and co-owner of Xenex Motorsports. He has consulted with leaders in the Middle East, including those in Dubai, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, and Jordan, and has made appearances on various media outlets such as CNN, BBC, NPR, and 60 Minutes.


      Early life and education


      Born in 1956 in Arlington, Virginia, Petersen grew up learning English as a second language after his family immigrated from Denmark. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in philosophy, where he served in student government and on the Dean’s Advisory Council. Through Army ROTC co-enrollment at the University of Richmond, he graduated from the Army Airborne School and commanded the ROTC Ranger Company. He later earned a masters-level diploma in Global Business from the University of Oxford.


      Military service


      Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve, Petersen served as an Infantry officer before selection to the Army's Special Forces. He was assigned to Company A, 2nd Battalion, 11th Special Forces Group (Airborne) as Executive Officer of Operational Detachment A211. His advanced military training included the Special Forces Military Freefall School, the U.S. Marine Corps Special Amphibious Reconnaissance School, and the U.S. Air Force Dynamics of International Terrorism course. Later designated as a reserve Foreign Area Officer, Petersen specialized in Northern European and Northwest Russian operations. Following a service-related injury, he was discharged as a service-disabled veteran.


      Career


      In 1978, Petersen joined former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s staff as Special Assistant for Security. He later provided security for the Shah of Iran’s family during their exile. In 1982, he joined the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs under Senator Alan K. Simpson and subsequently directed security for former Secretary of State Alexander Haig. Petersen held positions including Security Administrator at the U.S. Synthetic Fuels Corporation, where he worked alongside Robert Gambino, former CIA Director of Security.
      Appointed as the first Director of Security at Princess Cruises, he established global security and antiterrorism operations, later serving as Governor and Executive Director of the Maritime Security Council. He was also recruited by Renaissance Cruises as the company’s first Director of Security.
      Petersen was elected Governor Emeritus of the Maritime Security Council, an international organization representing 70% of the world’s merchant shipping. Later, he became the Council’s Executive Director.
      Petersen served as a senior adjunct instructor at the U.S. Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) and as a visiting professor at the United Nation’s World Maritime University in Malmø, Sweden.
      Petersen received the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Secretary of Transportation for “promoting maritime counterterrorism and raising the standards of transportation security throughout the world.” Petersen has also provided expert testimony on counterterrorism and security legislation before the U.S. Senate.
      In 2000, Petersen founded SeaSecure, which became the largest U.S.-based maritime security consultancy, providing post-9/11 security protocols for ports worldwide. He also established Mobius Security Group and conducted security assessments for foreign governments in rail, aviation, and maritime sectors. In 2007, TranSystems acquired Mobius, and Petersen subsequently revived Security Dynamics LLC, a Fort Lauderdale-based consultancy.
      Petersen co-founded DynoGlobal in 2017, a company specializing in international sectors, including defense, and Xenex Motorsports in 2022, a high-performance automotive firm.


      Awards and recognition


      Distinguished Service Award in Counterterrorism and Security, presented by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and the Director of Intelligence and Security.
      Governor Emeritus, Maritime Security Council.


      Personal


      Petersen’s father, Niels Eberhard Petersen, was honored for his service in the Danish resistance during World War II. Formerly a long-time Republican, Petersen became an Independent in 2016.


      References




      External links


      Kim Petersen Website

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