The Security Foundation

Dave Komendat is the retired Vice President and Chief Security Officer for The Boeing Company, responsible for Boeing’s global security and fire protection strategies, policies and infrastructure, as well as the lead interface for national and international security policy engagement with numerous government and industry advisory groups. He is founder and President of DSKomendat Risk Management Services.

Komendat is Past Co-chairman and current Board Member on the Domestic Security Alliance Council, current Board Member of Hostage US, past President of The International Security Management Association and served as a member of the Threats and Information Committee for the Overseas Security Advisory Council. He is a Strategic Engagement Advisor to the FBI, and in 2018, was recognized with the Director’s Award for Exceptional Public Service by FBI Director Christopher Wray.

For 20 years, Kelly Johnstone served in numerous roles within Strategic Security with The Coca-Cola Company, retiring as Vice President and Chief Security Officer. In that key role, she oversaw strategic security, information assurance and global asset protection operations. Prior, Johnstone was a special agent with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, where she was one of the first 20 agents hired into the newly established agency. Johnstone also served as a special agent for the former U.S. Customs Service, Office of Enforcement (now Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

She currently serves on the board of the Domestic Security Advisory Council and the Overseas Security Advisory Council and serves as a Senior Security Advisor for International SOS. Johnstone was voted one of 2017’s Most Influential People in Security by Security Magazine.

Keith Slotter is the Global Vice President for Security at JetBlue Airways, joining the airline in 2014. Before entering the private sector, he was an FBI Special Agent for 25 years. He served as the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the FBI’s Sacramento field office and the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Training Division before retiring as the SAC of the San Diego Division, leading an array of major national security and criminal investigations.

Slotter is a CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner. In 2010, he received the U.S. Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Service and Lifetime Achievement.

Erik Antons is the Managing Vice President and Chief Safety & Security Officer of Marriott International where he leads the physical and technical safety and security risk and crisis management, investigations, intelligence, executive protection, and governance programs. Marriott International is a $26B enterprise of 418,000+ associates within 9,600 owned, managed, and franchised hotels and corporate properties across 144 countries and territories.

Previously, Antons was the Chief Security Officer at PPG Industries, Whirlpool Corporation, and Hyatt Hotels. Prior to joining Hyatt, Antons was Manager of International Security and Executive Services with Sempra Energy.

Antons began his security risk management career as a special agent with the Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Department of State, where he safeguarded the people, property and information of Americans overseas, often in critical-threat environments.

Antons is a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and Physical Security Professional (PSP) with ASIS International and is a Certified Lodging Security Director with the American Hotel and Lodging Education Institute. He is on the Board of Directors of The International Security Management Association and The Security Foundation and is a former Board member of The Overseas Security Advisory Council. He is a veteran infantryman of the Army National Guard, and he speaks Spanish.

He holds a Master of Science (M.S.) in Homeland Security from San Diego State University where he serves as an adjunct faculty member with the Homeland Security Department and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Journalism from Ohio University. He has also completed the ISMA Senior Executive Leadership Program at The Kellogg School of Management and The Insider Threat Management Certificate Program at Carnegie Mellon University.

Arian Avila is the VP of Workplace Services Technology and Security Operations at Capital One. Previous to Capital One, she served as the deputy Chief Security Officer, oversaw Life Safety Strategy, and led the Reporting Center of Excellence for Bank of America.

Her leadership extends beyond corporate walls as a founding member of Global Security Pride, an organization dedicated to supporting and elevating the LGBTQIA+ community within the security field. She published Vocal Lanterns: A Collection of Voices to Unite, Inspire, and Create Brighter Pathways for Women in Security with proceeds supporting Girl Security. She also supports private-public partnerships through leadership involvement in the FBI’s Domestic Security Alliance Council (DSAC) and increasing engagement and advancement through her work with The Security Foundation (TSF). In 2024, she was named by Security Magazine as one of the Most Influential People in Security.

Arian earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from California State University, Long Beach. Prior to joining Bank of America’s Corporate Security team, she was working towards her Ph.D. at Northeastern University and is currently finishing her Doctorate at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

David Bowdich serves as the Chief Security Officer for The Walt Disney Company. In this role, he oversees the management of security functions globally, including domestic and international parks and resorts, Disney Cruise Line, Disney- and National Geographic-sponsored trips globally, ABC News, ESPN sites and events, retail stores and e-commerce, productions, studios, special events, facilities, and protection of intellectual property.

Mr. Bowdich joined The Walt Disney Company in February 2021 following his retirement from a 25+ year career in the FBI. During his last three years in the FBI, he served as the Deputy Director responsible for leading all FBI domestic and international counterterrorism, counterintelligence, cyber, and criminal investigations and intelligence activities.

Mr. Bowdich’s last field assignment before returning to FBI Headquarters was in the Los Angeles Field Office, where he served as the Assistant Director in Charge, following a stint as the Special Agent in Charge of Counterterrorism. During his time in Los Angeles, Mr. Bowdich led a number of high-profile investigations, including the San Bernardino terror attack and the active shooting investigation at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Prior to entering the FBI, he served as a police officer with the Albuquerque Police Department for four years.

Ava Cooper-Davis is the Global and U.S. Chief Security Officer at Deloitte, leading the firm’s safety and security initiatives worldwide. With a distinguished career, Cooper-Davis transitioned to Deloitte in 2012 after serving in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for 30 years as a Senior Executive. In the DEA, she held pivotal leadership roles including Special Agent in Charge, Chief of Operations Management and Deputy Assistant Administrator for Intelligence.

Originally from Honduras, Ava is fluent in Spanish. In 2023, she was named one of “The Most Influential People in Security” by Security Magazine.

Rich Daviss career spanned almost 41 years at United Airlines, including 30 years in the corporate security department and 23 years as their Chief Security Officer. A highly regarded global security leader, Davis served on the Overseas Security Advisory Council, the Domestic Security Alliance Council (DSAC) and on the Board of Directors of the International Security Management Association (ISMA). He was the six-time Chairman of the Airlines for America Security Council and three-time Chairman of the International Airlines Security Council.

Davis served six years as TSF President. In 2023, he received the prestigious George P. Schultz Award for Excellence to OSAC for his leadership, dedicated service and outstanding contributions in protecting our country.

Gregg Dunn has over 45 years of experience in security risk management, major criminal investigations, forensic audits and security program design. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), former FBI Special Agent, Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Certified Protection Professional (CPP) with the American Society of Industrial Security.

Dunn retired as the Managing Director Security for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he oversaw global security in more than 125 countries and
security for over 25,000 expatriates. Prior, he was the Deputy Head of Security for British Petroleum where he managed global security operations in the Western Hemisphere and Asia Pacific.

Karen Frank is Managing Director and head of Firm Security Services at KPMG. She brings executive leadership experience in enterprise security, risk management, justice administration, law enforcement and global IT infrastructure and service delivery built across 24 years. Frank is the former Critical Manufacturing Council Executive Committee, CISA, U.S. Department of State.

A Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and 6Sigma Black Belt, Frank is a Council member and Chair, Constituent Advocacy Committee, for the Overseas Security Advisory Council, board member for ASIS Global and a former board member, CSO Center for Leadership & Development.

As Global Corporate Security Director at Equinix, Kevin Friker brings nearly three decades of diverse corporate security experience. Prior to joining Equinix in 2020, Friker was the Global Security Director for Mars, Inc., and held senior security positions at Hyatt Hotels, Kroll, AT&T and Monsanto.

Friker currently serves on the Education Committee for the International Security Management Association (ISMA) and served as an Executive Board Member, Committee Chair and Council Member of the Overseas Security Advisory Council and on the A-CAPP Center Board of Advisors.

Mike Merritt has been Chief Security Officer for The Home Depot since 2013 and also oversees The Home Depot’s aviation department. Previously, he served 26 years in the U.S. Secret Service including roles as Assistant Director for the Office of Investigations, senior official overseeing the Agency’s investigative mission, divisions and Assistant Director for the Office of Administration. He began his career as deputy sheriff for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in Tampa, Florida.

Merritt serves on the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange and Metropol, a partnership between the public/private/academic sector. He’s an advisor on the U.S. Secret Service’s Cyber Investigative Advisory Board, International Security Management Association (ISMA) member and member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, the American Society for Industrial Security and the U.S. Secret Service Association.

Arlin is the Vice President of Security and Safety for the Four Seasons. She retired from the Federal Government in 2015, going on to security positions with Walmart, Disney, and Accenture. At Four Seasons, Arlin is responsible for life safety, crisis management, travel security, behavioral threat assessment, facility security, and security systems. In addition to being on the TSF Board, Arlin is a member of ISMA. She has a BS in Mathematics and a BA in Fine Arts from Stanford and a Masters of Public Health in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Arlin currently lives in Seattle, Washington. She has two grown children and a dog and loves to read and travel.

Chris Rackow VP, Global Security and Resilience Services Google LLC

Chris joined Google in 2016 as Vice President of Global Security and Resilience Services. He and his team are responsible for keeping Google’s offices, employees, and assets safe and secure around the world. Prior to joining Google, he was the Chief Resilience Officer for AECOM. Chris previously served as the VP for Corporate Security at ABB Inc., as a Special Agent in the FBI, and as a U.S. Navy SEAL Officer. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University, and a Master of Global Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Tony Strickland is a sought-after leader and innovator at the forefront of corporate security. For 20+ years, he has combined business acumen with deep industry expertise to protect the people, assets, and operations of multibillion-dollar organizations.

Whether he is building a best-in-class security strategy from the ground up or maturing an infrastructure to better protect a Fortune 500 enterprise, Tony balances big-picture vision with a roll-up-your-sleeves leadership style. He keeps the company’s needs front-of-mind—and corporate culture close behind—as he adds value to the business through security management, organizational transformation, and continuous process improvement.

Tony is the Head of Enterprise Security (CSO) and WREF for CSL Behring (ASX: CSL), a biotechnology company that delivers life-saving medicines to people with serious and rare diseases.

In this highly visible and versatile role, he created and evolved the security function from its inception to the robust, scalable, resilient program it is today. He built the virtual Security Operations Center, designed the operating model, and shaped strategies, policies, standards, and maturity models. He pioneered risk- and intelligence-based programs for physical and supply chain security, executive protection, anti-counterfeiting, emergency planning, crisis management, and cross-functional investigations.

At the same time, Tony has captured efficiencies and improved operations for business units outside of security. He took on the challenge as Head of Workplace, Real Estate & Facilities (WREF), where he manages the real estate portfolio, optimizing owned and leased properties in forty countries. In another differentiating role, he was tapped by the Head of Engineering to energize the culture and jumpstart performance for that eager-to-grow department.

Before joining CSL, Tony steered global supply chain security for Hasbro, a consumer products company. In this core leadership position, he revamped security policy, requirements, and training, then empowered a lean, industrious team to reduce risk, lower loss ratios, and protect the organization from supply chain disruption.

Earlier, he up-leveled the physical security—creating company-wide standards for the first time—and directed operations, inventory, and quality management for Matson Logistics.  He started his career in progressive roles at Walmart, advancing due to his contributions to operational excellence and value creation.

Throughout his career, Tony has inspired individuals, teams, and entire organizations to think differently about security and business transformation. He is known for applying a strategic mindset and high-integrity, hands-on approach to complex problems, while nurturing talent every step of the way.