
Shawn VanSlyke
Director, Control Risks
2026
Shawn VanSlyke is a security professional with over 20 years as a Special Agent with the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and seven more in private security consulting. He is also an attorney who obtained his law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and has been a member of the Commonwealth of PA Bar Association since 1999. Shawn is a recognized expert in workplace violence prevention and crisis management and currently serves as a Director for Control Risks, a global specialist risk consultancy, in the Confidential Crisis Response program. Previously, as a Principal in Control Risks’ Crisis and Security Consulting practice for seven years, Shawn developed and led a team which provided elite consultative services focused on assisting organizations in bolstering preparedness and resilience. Shawn has vast experience in assisting companies across industries with the development, implementation and execution of best-practice level Workplace Violence Prevention and Response (WVPR) and Active Assailant preparedness programs. Shawn regularly created and facilitated C-Suite level crisis management simulation exercises for clients across all major industries to identify planning gaps and improve capabilities. Shawn’s earlier career as an FBI Special Agent included subject matter expertise and leadership roles with the national crisis negotiation and behavioral analysis programs. Shawn’s vast and specialized experiences in responding to high profile crisis situations on a global level qualify him as one of the country’s foremost experts in assessing situations of concern and crafting comprehensive threat mitigation strategies.

The Summit was more than empty words – it made clear that a solution-driven approach is the only way to fight hate. That’s why the working group activities, which are results driven are going to be critical in defeating violent extremism. The Summit brought together the best minds in government, private sector, academia, and civil society. Being surrounded by these experts sparked new ideas – some of which I’ve already implemented or have written about.

