Lauren C. Anderson is a trailblazing national and global security expert, public board director, and former senior FBI executive with nearly 30 years of experience confronting terrorism, political violence, and international threats, while championing women in conflict and post-conflict regions. She was among the first women on an FBI SWAT team and the first woman to lead the Bureau’s Legal Attaché office in Paris, overseeing operations in 24 countries, including 22 across Africa. Following 9/11, Anderson expanded the FBI’s footprint in Africa and later directed the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force’s international terrorism program—the nation’s largest.
A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Anderson advises the U.S. Comptroller General at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on matters of intelligence, international security, criminal justice, and women’s leadership. She serves on corporate and nonprofit boards, is a non-resident Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and is a frequent media commentator and speaker on terrorism, political violence, global risk, and women’s leadership. Committed to advancing women in conflict zones, she is a Vital Voices Global Ambassador and Chair of the Board of Red Dot Foundation Global/Safecity.
Quoted widely in The New York Times, Washington Post, BBC, Politico, and Forbes, Anderson has spoken on six continents and is recognized for her ability to bring clarity and a global perspective to today’s most pressing security challenges.
Follow Anderson on Twitter @LCAndersonIntl
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/la...
Sub-specialties:
International Terrorism, National Security, Global and Domestic Crisis Management, Political Violence
[SHARE]
Expert DirectLink
-
Scrutiny Mounts of F.B.I. Under Patel as Kirk’s Killer Remains at Large
The New York Times [September 11, 2025] -
Bongino Tells F.B.I. He Is Not Partisan
The New York Times [April 1, 2025] -
Addressing Political Violence in the 2024 Elections and beyond
A practical guide for state and local elections [July 2024] -
The status of women is one of the most important predictors in state stability
Tampa Bay Times [February 17, 2023] -
FBI search Navy Yard shooter's past for clues
Fox News Live [September 19, 2013] -
After Paris attacks questions about intelligence
The Washington Post [January 9, 2015] -
Why More Women in Law Enforcement Means a More Just and Peaceful World
Take the Lead [July 31, 2015] -
Let's Celebrate US Army Ranger Grads Griest and Haver By Supporting Women and Girls We Know
Huffington Post [August 21, 2015] -
Forceful talk -- In secretly taped meeting, Austin top cop Art Acevedo vents over high-profile minority policing failures
My Statesman [October 20, 2016] -
America's Security Jeopardized By Unintended Consequences
Huffington Post [February 2, 2017]















