Dr. Fadi Essmaeel
Research Fellow, International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), Reichman University; CEO, Conceptor LTD; Former U.S. Homeland Security Director; Expert in Emergency Management & CBRN Response
Dr. Fadi Essmaeel, MD, MBA, is a practicing physician, first responder, and entrepreneur with over three decades of experience in homeland security (HS) and emergency management (EM). He currently serves as the Founder and CEO of Conceptor LTD, a USA/Israel-based enterprise specializing in innovative solutions at the intersection of theory, policy, and practice. His work integrates diverse fields of knowledge to enhance traditional EM and HS operations, applying cutting-edge insights to information-rich, high-risk environments including public safety and healthcare, intermodal transportation, insurance risk underwriting, HAZMAT/CBRNE, terrorism, and complex disaster response.
Dr. Essmaeel is a regular guest-analyst on domestic and international media outlets, where he discusses MENA policies, homeland security, and emergency preparedness. His approach to policymaking uniquely blends knowledge management principles with recent developments in neuroscience and information theory.
Previously, Dr. Essmaeel served for fifteen years as a senior staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives, covering assignments across the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and Department of Justice (DOJ). As Homeland Security Director for U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, he led operational training programs in crisis and disaster management, focusing on all-hazard preparedness, including CBRN warfare and terrorism.
In 2000, he initiated the Safety and Security Sciences Training and Knowledge Network (Stak-Net), a nationwide program that continues under his leadership. He has served as Chairman of the Training and Exercise Subcommittee for the Central California Area Maritime Security Committee and has been involved with the Los Angeles Terrorism Early Warning Group and other regional HS/EM task forces.
Dr. Essmaeel is a Research Fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) in Israel. He has held various roles as a medical officer with the Israeli Medical Corps, and formerly led REDIS-USA, a Southern California-based enterprise for training and management solutions.
He has contributed to multiple publications, including as co-author of Counterterrorism, Bridging Operations and Theory(TRC, 2015), and has designed and instructed courses for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, military branches, healthcare systems, and academic institutions. He is currently editing a book on knowledge management in emergency and homeland security, incorporating contemporary neuroscience and information theory insights.
