Beacon Global Strategies (BGS) today announced that Greg Smithberger has joined the firm as a Senior Advisor in its Intelligence Practice. Greg brings more than 37 years of service to the U.S. Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense at the National Security Agency (NSA), where he led major transformations across the agency’s foreign intelligence and cybersecurity missions.
Over 24 years as a Senior Executive at NSA, Greg managed the full spectrum of signals intelligence and cybersecurity operations, from collection, codebreaking, and analysis to the design of high-assurance cryptography and the standards that protect U.S. national security systems. He held many of the agency’s most senior technical and operational leadership roles, including Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information Officer, Acting Cybersecurity Director, and Chief of Tailored Access Operations, NSA’s offensive cyber element, overseeing organizations of thousands of personnel and budgets in the billions.
Greg also served in a series of high-profile assignments across the national security enterprise. He was posted to the U.S. Embassy in London as NSA’s senior representative to the UK intelligence community and Ministry of Defence, led an evaluation of collection capabilities across the U.S. Intelligence Community for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and deployed as the senior NSA representative to U.S. Central Command during Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
“Greg has operated at the leading edge of signals intelligence and cybersecurity for nearly four decades, shaping how the intelligence community collects, protects, and defends,” said Andrew Hire, Managing Director at Beacon Global Strategies. “That depth of operational experience will be enormously valuable to clients working at the intersection of national security, technology, and cyber risk.”
Greg holds Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Mathematics from The Ohio State University. His honors include three Presidential Rank Awards and Distinguished Service Awards from the Director of National Intelligence, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Director of the NSA.
About Beacon Global Strategies
Founded in 2013, Beacon Global Strategies is a strategic advisory firm specializing in geopolitical risk analysis, national security, and defense advisory services. BGS helps clients navigate global security challenges through tailored solutions that operate at the intersection of policy, technology, and defense.