Leadership

Tina M. LaCroix-Hauri, President & Practice Leader – Information Security & Risk Management

Most recently, Ms. LaCroix-Hauri held the position of Director of Enterprise Risk Management for Discover Financial Services (DFS) being responsible for the program strategy, policy establishment, measurement, and governance and reporting of Corporate Enterprise Risk program. This included establishing Risk Limits, preparation and delivery of executive and board level reporting, and interface with the various regulatory agencies governing the financial services sector. While at Discover, she led complex cross-functional programs, leading to organizational change and regulatory compliance. Prior to her leadership in Enterprise Risk at Discover, Ms. LaCroix-Hauri participated in the Executive Rotational Leadership program after a very successful time firmly establishing the global Information Security Program Office. Tina participated in the internal PCI remediation projects, standards discussions and attended the PCI Community meetings as the DFS Corporate representative.

Prior to joining DFS in May of 2005, Ms. LaCroix-Hauri held the position of Vice President and Global Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Aon in Chicago, where she led the Global Computer Incident Response Team, having direct experience in responding to the 9/11 crisis on behalf of the company. She also gained extensive technology operations management experience while working for AT&T, R.R. Donnelley, Perot Systems/UBS and Mesirow Financial.

Prior to this she, worked for Perot Systems as a Global Product Manager in the Global IT Security organization for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS) where Tina was responsible for the global rollout and subsequent program management of security technologies serving over 10,000 users on six continents.

In a nod to her ability to build cross functional alliances, she was invited to the White House by the Department of Homeland Security to discuss concepts of local government, community colleges and business working together to formulate business reconstitution plans.

Committed to the success of others, Tina is both a formal and informal mentor. She currently serves on the Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC) Executive Council of RSA Archer and has served the IT Security community as an advisor, Board Member and the Chapter President of the ISSA Chicago Chapter. She also is the Chair Emeritus of the Advisory Board of the Wright College Computer Security & Forensic Investigation Program in Chicago.

Ms. LaCroix-Hauri holds an MBA from Loyola University Chicago, as well as a Bachelors degree from Northwestern University and has completed Executive Financial and Strategic Leadership programs at Boston University, and Executive course work at Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. She is often asked to speak on topics ranging from GRC Program development and incident response to trends in IT Security.

As an entrepreneur, Ms. LaCroix-Hauri was the founder and Principle of LaCroix and Associates, a Technology Consulting firm with clients in the United States and Europe. In addition to the financial industries, Tina has also used her expertise in the Legal, Healthcare, and Sports arena vertical markets.

S. Ronald Hauri, CPP, CFE, Managing Director

Ronald Hauri’s career reflects a wide range of experiences in both the public and private sectors. Currently, as Senior Consultant for Bradford Garrett Group his engagements cover a Fortune 100 company and institutional client base, providing strategic risk management and corporate security services, including strategy and program development, investigative and crisis management. Most recently he fulfilled an engagement as the Director of Regional Security, EMEA for a Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company and managed client response to the ‘Arab Spring‘ uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. His engagements include assisting a client in the development of an enterprise-wide Pandemic Response Pan as well as an Active Shooter Response Exercise.

He previously served as Director of Global Security and Crisis Management in a newly created role through which he developed and implemented those functions across the global enterprise of 46,000 employees working in Aon’s 500 offices in more than 120 countries. He later served as Vice President, and Director of Global Investigations reporting to General Counsel. Previously, as the Manager of Corporate Security for W.W. Grainger, Incorporated, he was responsible for physical, technical, and procedural security of corporate assets including more than 500 company facilities in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. He managed the company’s on ground response to 9/11 at the Grainger facilities in Manhattan.

Ronald served as the Director of Security in the special events, armored transport, and petroleum industries while his consulting experience includes clients in the pharmaceuticals, food, and agriculture industries, heavy manufacturing, as well as commercial and residential high-rise real estate. He also serves as an expert witness providing consultation and litigation support to law firms in matters of security adequacy, standards, training, and police procedure.

Ronald’s law enforcement experience began with the City of Waukegan, Illinois where he was promoted through the ranks and ultimately served as Chief of Police. Concurrently, as the City’s Director of Emergency Services, he managed two federally declared disasters for the City.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree at National-Louis University and a Master of Arts Degree at Webster University. Ronald is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, has studied management at the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, and Georgetown University. He has written articles and book reviews about numerous security and management related subjects that have been published in domestic and international professional periodicals.

Ronald has served as an instructor for the U.S. Departments of Justice and State, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Office of International Criminal Justice, training foreign law enforcement agencies in locations throughout the world including Eastern Europe and Africa. He has served as an Adjunct Professor for Northwestern University in the School of Continuing Studies as well as the Center for Public Safety teaching Business Continuity and Emergency Management courses. As an Adjunct Professor for Webster University, School of Business and Technology, he teaches graduate studies in Security Management and Business Continuity.

Ronald is Board Certified as a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) by ASIS International; a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners; and, a Certified Business Continuity Planner (CBCP) by the Disaster Recovery Institute International.

Edward J. Pope, Practice Leader – Law Enforcement Eduction

Ed Pope began his law enforcement career in 1977 for the Village of Schaumburg, Illinois, Police Department, where he was promoted through the ranks ultimately holding the rank of Captain. During his career at Schaumburg, Ed held various assignments including the Investigations Division where he worked for over eleven years. In 1999, Ed was appointed as Chief of Police in Forest Park, Illinois.

After completing a successful career in law enforcement, in 2002 Ed took a full-time position as a Senior Instructor with the nationally recognized and accredited Center for Public Safety at Northwestern University. In 2005 Ed was promoted to the position of Director, Management Training Division and continued to expand the management programs and collaborative consulting projects as well as increasing police department assessments. Ed was subsequently appointed as Director of the Center where he lead this $14 million, multi-faceted organization that included educational programs, leadership and management development, organizational consulting and the traffic safety training center for Cook County, Illinois. Ed served in this position until his retirement in 2009.

For the past two years, Ed has transitioned into the area of Emergency Management and serves as the Emergency Management/Emergency Preparedness Planner for the Town of Sahuarita, Arizona. He is part of a regional collaborative currently writing Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs), a contributing member of the State of Arizona Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Planning Team (MJHMPT), and coordinator of the Town of Sahuarita Continuity of Operations (COOP) working group. Ed has completed a significant amount of Federal Emergency Management Agency, emergency management training and has earned certification from such entities as the FEMA Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama and the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) at Texas A&M University.

Ed holds both Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science degrees in Criminal Social Justice from Lewis University in Illinois. He is a graduate of the 51st Class of the School of Staff and Command at Northwestern University and a graduate of the 171st Class of the FBI National Academy Command College in Quantico, Virginia.

Mark Lex, Practice Leader – Corporate Security

Mark is currently an independent security consultant specializing in business programs and strategy development; strategic partnerships and alliances; and performing risk mitigation services to a wide range of large, mid, and small cap companies.  Mark has worked as a business developer and consultant for Continuum Worldwide and continues to maintain an emeritus faculty status with the Security Executive Council (SEC).  The SEC is a problem-solving research and services organization meeting the needs of its membership.  Specifically, Mark develops operational risk strategies and programs; authors articles for members and the security profession; and coaches Chief Security Officers.

Mark spent 15 years as the top security executive for several Fortune 500 organizations.  Mark was the Director of Global Security for Abbott Labs; the Director of Safety and Security for W.W. Grainger Inc., and the Director of Corporate Security for Kraft Foods NA.  Before joining the corporate ranks, Mark owned and operated several different investigative agencies and security officer companies in suburban Chicago. Mark is a former investigator with the Du Page County State’s Attorney in the Chicago area where he was assigned to the Special Prosecutions Unit.



Mark holds a Bachelors Degree from Western Illinois University in Law Enforcement Administration and Political Science and received his Master’s Degree in Security Management from Webster University where he was named as a distinguished graduate. In 2004, Mark received a certificate from the Kellogg School of Management Executive Program for completing the ISMA-Senior Executive Leadership Program. 

Mark is a Life Member of ISMA and served on the Technology and Professional Development committees while an active member.  Mark has also been a member of ASIS since 1991 and has served as Chairman of the Council on Business Practices.

Mark was a charter member of the Conference Board Council of Corporate Security Executives and has served on a variety of industry-related Councils to include Chairman of the National Bio Pharmaceutical Security Council (NBSC) in 2006.  

Mark has served on the Curriculum Advisory Boards for both Western Illinois University and the University of Phoenix and has taught security management courses as an adjunct graduate professor at Webster University.

In 2006, Mark entered into a 3 year sabbatical and attended the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry for 2 of those years.  He provides security advice and direction for several faith-based organizations. Mark and his wife, Karen, continue active involvement with Bethel Church and minister to both the church body and community.  They reside in Redding, CA and have four children and 3 grandchildren.