EXIGER
“ Security all comes down to whether you have a compliance-based mindset or a threat-based mindset ”
THERESA CAMPOBASSO SENIOR VP OF STRATEGIC ACCOUNTS , EXIGER
On the commercial side , Exiger works with a lot of healthcare customers , who Theresa says are “ really concerned right now with physical and digital supply chain security and integrity .”
Exiger also helps many textile companies mitigate risk , particularly around the challenging and ever-evolving ESG compliance environment they face .
In the public sector-facing side of its business , in which Theresa works , Exiger customers fall into four categories : the defence industrial base community ( contractors that provide technology to the government ); federal civilian organisations , including the FBI and Department of Justice ; the Department of Defense ; and Critical Infrastructure .
Exiger supply chain expertise helps protect government bodies To date , Theresa ’ s supply chain security expertise has helped 46 government organisations , including the US Department of Defense and the Department of Energy , as well as federal bodies that handle civilian programmes and defence customers .
It is a long way removed from Theresa ’ s start in the Marine Corps .
“ I was passionate about intelligence , geopolitical analysis and counterintelligence ,” she says .
“ It was around 2008 , so the US was firmly entrenched in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts , and counter terrorism was obviously a big focus .”
Which was why , following basic training , she was surprised to be posted to Japan . It proved to be a sliding-doors moment , because it was there that she got her first taste of supply chain security .
“ China is right on Japan ’ s doorstep ,” she says . “ There was a big focus on supply chain security , on securing our technology and maintaining that advantage .”
She served as an intelligence officer for around four years , eventually deploying to Iraq and then later returning to Afghanistan as a contractor . Upon returning to the US , Theresa left active duty , and sought her place in the civilian workforce – a process that was not without its difficulties .
“ I had to learn how to articulate my military experience in a way employers would value ,” she says . “ Corporate America isn ’ t looking for many counter intelligence officers .”
And so she focused on transferable skills , such as her understanding of emerging technology-threats , her grasp of leadership and management under stress , and her ability to secure stakeholder buy-in from people with different viewpoints .
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