Matthew Doherty is nationally recognized for his work in violence prevention and threat assessment and management. As managing director of the Sikich workforce risk management team, Matt brings extensive experience gained in five decades of distinguished service across government and the private sector. He helps organizations build and expand violence prevention programs; assess and manage violence risks; train and empower workforces; and gain the business benefits that come with safe and supportive workplaces.
Throughout his career, Matt’s focus has been on the protection of others. His depth of experience spans workplace violence prevention, threat assessment and management, the counter insider threat mission and the study and prevention of extreme acts of targeted violence.
Trust and commitment are keywords that define Matt’s career and his leadership of the workforce risk management team. He is mindful of the tremendous responsibility that comes with providing clients with a full circle of support centered on a clear purpose – protecting people. His understanding of evidence-based best practices and a complex cross-section of prevention-centered standards, guidelines and recommendations adds an exceptional level of quality assurance to every aspect of his advisory and active support.
Matt is a training leader and active speaker who has helped thousands of people in workplaces across the nation better understand what workplace violence is and what they can do to prevent it. A strong advocate for the development and specialized training of internal threat management teams, Matt’s knowledge and first-hand experience is consistently recognized by training participants for its value in preparing diverse stakeholders who take on the added responsibility of assessing and managing reported threats.
Matt previously led the threat and violence risk management practice at Jensen Hughes, formerly Hillard Heintze. During his 13-year tenure, Matt worked with top government agencies, including the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration, in addition to prominent private-sector organizations.
Matt retired from a 21-year career with the United States Secret Service (USSS) as the U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge of the National Threat Assessment Center, where he received a commendation for creating one of the first information-sharing databases for the prevention of violence against protected officials. His time with the USSS included serving as the White House Liaison, providing daily briefs for Presidential and Vice-Presidential Protective Divisions on threat investigations and coordinating protective intelligence investigations. He also coordinated all threat cases involving Members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices and Secret Service protectees.
Matt is frequently asked by television news media and publications to share expert insights on workplace violence, insider threats, assassinations and more. Television appearances include WGN, NBC, NPR, ASIS TV and WMAL. Publications include the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Market Watch, Variety, Hollywood Reporter and others.
Affiliations
- ASIS International, Member
- Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, Member
- Society of Human Resource Management, Member
- George Washington University Center for Cyber & Homeland Security, Past Senior Fellow
- U.S. Marshal Service Judicial Security, Executive Advisory Committee
- Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Threat Management Instructor
Education
- Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice, Wheeling Jesuit University
- John Hopkins Graduate Courses in Executive Leadership
Awards
- Global Outstanding Security Performance Award (OSPA) for threat management team training
- Exceptional Service Awards, Treasury and Homeland Security Departments
- U.S. Marshal Service Directors Award for assisting in developing a threat assessment program
- U.S. Capitol Police Chiefs Award for assisting in developing a threat assessment program
- Department of Defense’s Counter Intelligence Field Activity Award for developing joint partnership terrorism training with the Secret Service
- DHS Homeland Security Institute Trustee Winner
