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Mr. Jeff Hoffmann is a CISO certified, dedicated professional with proven performance in certified PMI management, leadership, and communication. Results-oriented, retired war college military veteran with over 20 years of experience in national security, cyber, and urban and rural economic development that began in the United States Senate and Congressional Affairs for the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Alongside leadership for CIP, Mr. Hoffmann is an Adjunct Professor for the New York University Global Security, Conflict and Cyber Crime Graduate STEM program. His specific course is partnered with the EC Council C|TIA. Mr. Hoffmann is a graduate of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Executive Leadership program. He also sits on an Advisory Board for the Virginia Department of Education, which is updating standards of learning (SOL) for Computer Science in public schools. This includes improvement and addition of cybersecurity SOL goals.

In 2017, (as a private sector trusted agent for the U.S. government), Mr. Hoffmann was awarded by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) for managing the mission engagement portfolio for a four-year priority technology modernization initiative called IC-ITE. This transformational effort advanced data analytics, including open-source techniques and Artificial Intelligence (AI)/machine learning, leveraged multi-agency cloud computing, and expanded collection tradecraft. Results of this work were written into first-ever Intelligence Community Mission Capabilities Strategic Guidance.

For ODNI, he was also a contributing author for two National Intelligence Council annual cyber threat assessments and a representative on the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center Cybercrime Working Group.

Mr. Hoffmann has received corporate awards for work on proposals valued over $15 billion for intelligence services and was a contributor to an RFP for White House Office of Science & Technology (S&T) alternative GPS/6G solutions.

In 2021, Mr. Hoffmann returned from the United Kingdom where he designed cyber threat intelligence (CTI) and information and communication technologies (ICT) analysis, counterintelligence, and targeting capabilities for the U.S. European Command.

Prior to ownership of CIP, Mr. Hoffmann was the Regional Cyber Lead for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency Institute for Security Governance. In this capacity, he led teams to advise foreign partner cyber command elements, Presidential staff/council members, interagency, and Ministry of Defense groups on incident response, workforce development, critical infrastructure, crisis planning, and security operations center infrastructure.

In earlier years of his career, Mr. Hoffmann was employed by the U.S. government for seven years managing initiatives, missions, and projects across air, space, and cyberspace and a director for a multi-million U.S. Department of Agriculture program that provided economic development. These included programs that led to jobs, workforce development, such as CTE and other community improvement initiatives – many with direct impacts to public schools.

Mr. Hoffmann has a strong academic background in cyber and digital transformation, to include research with the University of Oxford Global Cyber Security Capacity Center in England and recipient of the Oxford Saïd Business School Executive AI certification in program management.

Managing Partner and Co-Founder of The ROBB Group, LLC. The ROBB Group are creators of Revenue Growth & Sales Optimization Programs for Economic Development for cities and companies. As Managing Partner of The ROBB Group, Mr. Robb is responsible for advisory board development and strategic relationships that supported the growth of the consulting firm. He co-authored The ROBB Group’s library of revenue optimization, channel optimization and competitive displacement methods, practices, process and products such as the Corporate Revenue Audit, Global Sales Audit, Channel Analyzer and CEO Institute curriculum.

With over thirty years of comprehensive professional experience in all facets of corporate leadership, new business development, sales and marketing, venture capital acquisition, IPO’s and loss-to-profit turn around scenarios, Mr. Robb has earned a reputation as a passionate vision-oriented executive who operates with a high degree of intensity and integrity.

While in Seattle, Mr. Robb was the Director of North American Sales for Attachment, Inc. where he grew sales revenue from $8 million to over $85 million within 24 months. This success was duplicated at Wall Data, Inc. by growing sales revenue from $2 million to $150 million in four years accelerating the company into a successful IPO.

Mr. Robb participates on various boards advising on revenue generation strategies and value-differentiation growth methods and assists with securing new strategic alliances, and customer agreements.

Click here for Mr. Jim Robb’s complete portfolio.

Ms. Katherine Thomas is a seasoned professional with broad experience working with companies in the Aerospace, Defense and Government Services industry. Ms. Thomas currently serves as a Venture Scout for Flashpoint Ventures, a European venture capital group that invests in founders from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and is committed to building the start-up ecosystem and fostering innovation in the CEE region.

Ms. Thomas is responsible for proactively sourcing, conducting initial meetings with founders, performing preliminary due diligence, and introducing early-stage start-ups in the B2B enterprise software/SaaS space, across multiple verticals, including cyber. Ms. Thomas also monitors and works directly with promising pre-seed start-ups to meet Flashpoint’s investment criteria.

Prior to Flashpoint Ventures, Ms. Thomas was a Senior Associate at Paladin Capital Group, a global early-stage investor in dual-use technologies with a strong focus on enterprise software/SaaS cyber companies. As a member of the Investment Team, Ms. Thomas supported all stages of the investment process, monitored and provided strategic and operational support to portfolio companies, and developed partnerships with accelerators, venture studios, and university pre-seed programs.

Ms. Thomas has a background in M&A Advisory and Investment Banking, specializing in emerging technology companies. She started her career as a Geopolitical Risk Senior Associate at Ankura, performing political and country risk assessments, conducting due diligence on potential investments, and developing risk mitigation strategies. Ms. Thomas also worked cross-functionally with Ankura’s cybersecurity practice to provide geopolitical insight on nation-state sponsored cyber-attacks and contributed to the firm’s thought leadership on cyber risk.

Ms. Thomas completed Oxford University’s Said Business School’s Entrepreneurship and Venture Finance Program. She holds a Master of Science in Accounting and Finance from The London School of Economics and Political Science, a Master of Arts in Statecraft and National Security Affairs from The Institute of World Politics, and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Williams College.

Ms. Thomas is a volunteer for the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum and member of Women in Venture Capital.

CIP is in the process of recruiting additional Board Members who can represent the following areas:

• State, city, and county (local level) experience, including Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

• Rural development

• Critical Infrastructure Sector (e.g.), energy, education, elections, Defense Industrial Base