Think cybersecurity is just “hackers and hoodies”? Think again.
The cyber industry spans analysts, AI architects, policy advisors, red team operators, cloud defenders, digital forensics experts, cyber diplomats — and that’s just the beginning.
The Cyber Workforce Series by Tortora Brayda Institute for Partnerships in AI & Cybersecurity and AUSCF pulls back the curtain on what these roles actually look like.
Every month, a new cyber professional joins us to answer:
- What do you really do?
- How did you get here?
- What skills actually matter?
- What advice would you give someone starting today?
If you’re curious about cyber, considering a pivot, or helping students navigate career options - this series is for you.
Join us this month as we visit with Guillermo Christensen, Partner - K&L Gates
Guillermo Christensen is a partner and a former CIA intelligence officer and diplomat with the Department of State. He is a national security law practitioner, focusing on cybersecurity, export controls and sanctions and national security reviews of mergers, acquisitions, and investments. Prior to joining K&L Gates, Guillermo was the office managing partner in Washington, D.C., for another national law firm.
Guillermo combines his experience as a former CIA officer, a diplomat with the US Mission to the OECD in France, and an attorney to shape and inform the advice he provides to clients on enterprise risks involving cybersecurity, national security, and complex international business matters. He has overseen many serious cybersecurity incidents, including ones involving nation state threat actors and organized criminal groups employing ransomware. His cybersecurity work covers assessing risks, building effective cybersecurity programs, counseling boards and leadership teams, and managing incidents and breaches. He also guides companies in adopting better practical approaches to cybersecurity, including the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and advanced infrastructure such as data centers and distributed computing. Guillermo's work includes training other lawyers and security experts, for example, as an instructor at the FBI Chief Information Security Officer Academy in Quantico, where he has taught on the legal issues around incident response to hundreds of Chief Information Security Officers.
In the international trade area, Guillermo draws on his extensive international and government experience to counsel clients on economic sanctions and embargoes administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and export controls via the Commerce Department, including complex technology matters involving China. His work in national security-related mergers, acquisitions, and investments includes those requiring review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Guillermo has worked in particular on high-technology, defense sector and critical infrastructure CFIS matters involving China, Russia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Guillermo has also represented clients in complying with complex international investigations around the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), Foreign Agents and Registration Act (FARA), and OFAC. His investigations work is reinforced by his international network, his practical experience in intelligence collection and analysis, and technical knowledge of complex systems, data collection and analytics. He has investigated matters in South America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East involving companies operating in the energy, high-technology, defense, and transportation sectors. He also advises companies on the adequacy of internal controls and compliance policies and has set up compliance programs from the ground up for companies expanding into international markets, including training programs and board-level market entry advice.
Join Nathan and Guillermo for a dynamic conversation!
