Brian Besser

Founder and President of an independent coaching and consulting company that specializes in advising professional operations and compliance programs to reduce risk, combat threats and protect organizational integrity.

• Clients are encouraged to utilize a people-focused, "working-together" model to effectively harness the power of productive relationships to advance the organization’s mission and vision.

Directed the operations of a four-state regional division comprised of 13 offices across Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana.

• Led a diverse team of Special Agents, Diversion Investigators, Intelligence Analysts, professional staff, and federal contractors with implementing the DEA's mission of targeting the highest echelon of transnational criminal organizations.
• Served as trusted advisor and strategic partner to federal, state, and local senior leadership, legislative bodies, State Attorney General, and Office of the Governor.
• Brought a voice and face to DEA's efforts in the Rocky Mountain Region by coordinating high-profile public speaking engagements and network media requests.

• Served as Agency Principal and trusted advisor to the DEA Administrator while functioning as a Global Program Director tasked to spearhead DEA's efforts to detect and prevent the diversion of pharmaceutical controlled substances and listed chemicals across the entire pharmaceutical supply chain.
• Directed efforts of 1,700 employees responsible for monitoring 1.9 million DEA Registrants and ensuring compliance with the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
• Responsibly managed a $64M budget.
• Represented DEA on matters related to the abuse and control of legitimate drugs at domestic and international organizations including Congress, DOJ, United Nations, and International Narcotics Control Board.
• Provided strategic guidance and management of DEA's Global Diversion Control Program. Proposed legislation and regulations to curtail the diversion of controlled substances and listed chemicals.
• Established DEA's national drug production and procurement quotas for all Schedule I and II controlled substances for manufacturers and distributors.

• Served in the functional capacity of a COO directing DEA's global program focused on countering the diversion of pharmaceutical controlled substances and listed chemicals.
• Designed and managed diplomatic missions focused on promoting collaboration on a global scale.
• Represented the DEA at domestic and international organizations.
• Guided a team with ~870 professionals while stewarding a budget of $17M.

• Directed all DEA enforcement operations and administrative functions in the Federal District of Utah.
• Guided >100 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, intelligence analysts, diversion investigators, military assets, and support staff while stewarding an annual budget of >$1M.
• Partnered with Utah Attorney General and Senator Mike Lee to co-found the Utah Opioid Task Force.
• Expanded DEA's regional diversion investigations to include complex wiretaps on rogue practitioners.
• Teamed with industry leaders and >140 law enforcement partners to reduce supply of illicit drugs, dismantle organized crime, and minimize violence.
• Directed covert investigations into Dark Web marketplace vendors and counterfeit Fentanyl trafficking operations.
• Represented the DEA in >200 interviews, press events, public service announcements, and speaking engagements.

• Directed DEA's global program focused on developing, implementing, and maintaining functional emergency preparedness.
• Liaison to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, Security and Emergency Planning Staff to enhance agency preparedness, improve response and recovery time, and mitigate disaster events.
• Vetted and coordinated all Continuity of Operations Plans and Continuity of Government Response.
• Responsibly managed critical programs to support a national response for a Presidentially declared disaster.

• Directed all DEA enforcement operations in Northwestern Illinois providing federal drug law enforcement services to 14 counties and a major metropolitan center.
• Created and staffed a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional, cooperative Drug Task Force that expanded the DEA's footprint in Northwestern Illinois by 133%.