Ontic Launches New CoE Led by Threat Assessment and Protective Intelligence Investigations Expert

Ontic announced the launch of the Ontic Center of Excellence, led by Dr. Marisa Randazzo, executive director. Recognized globally as an expert on targeted violence, threat assessment and protective intelligence investigations, Randazzo served a decade in the U.S. Secret Service and founded SIGMA Threat Management Associates, which was recently acquired by Ontic. 

“We are proud to launch the Ontic Center of Excellence with the leading edge threat assessment and protective intelligence investigative expertise of Dr. Marisa Randazzo,” said Thomas Kopecky, Ontic chief strategy officer. “Marisa and her team bring proven insights and methodologies to the Ontic Center of Excellence that, when combined with our protective intelligence technology platform, are setting a new standard for holistic physical security and behavioral threat management.”  

The Ontic Center for Excellence provides strategic consulting, program development, and training services in behavioral threat assessment, threat management, and violence prevention for safety and security professionals at major corporations, educational institutions and government agencies. This includes threat assessment guidance to help organizations to meet best practices in American National Standards for workplaces and higher education institutions, and upcoming workplace violence prevention standards for hospitals, which will be required by the Joint Commission starting in 2022. 

Through innovative and proven approaches, the Center empowers organizations to enhance safety and reduce liability and risk while strengthening continuity through efficient and effective investigative strategies and best practices. From threat assessment and protective intelligence program plans, exercises and training to strategic evaluations of security protocols, policies and processes –– as well as process guidance from experts on complex cases –– the Center helps manage employee fear, enhance safety and prevent workplace violence.  

“In an age when organizations are facing an increased volume of threats that is only growing, security professionals today are overwhelmed and need more efficient, effective and scalable approaches to alleviate this burden,” said Randazzo. “The Ontic Center of Excellence is focused on empowering clients to create and operate protective intelligence programs and threat management teams to better prevent harm, connect people with needed resources, reduce fear, correct troubling behavior and help make people safer.” 

The Center of Excellence collaborates with the Ontin Center for Protective Intelligence, which is helmed by counterterrorism expert, former special agent and New York Times best-selling author Fred Burton and provides strategic consulting, multidimensional services, education and thought leadership for safety and security professionals at major corporations. 

In addition to leading the Ontic Center of Excellence, Dr. Randazzo serves as director of threat assessment for Georgetown University. Prior to founding SIGMA and serving as its CEO, she served with the U.S. Secret Service for a decade, most recently as the agency’s chief research psychologist. She co-directed the landmark Safe School Initiative conducted jointly by the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education. Having trained more than 15,000 professionals in law enforcement, management, administration, mental health and the intelligence community throughout North America and Europe, her work is used throughout federal, state and local law enforcement communities. She is an author, scholar and consultant of protective intelligence for the public and private sector.