Our Leadership
We combine military leadership with industry executive experience and analytics expertise to enable your success through effective intelligence solutions.
Owner/CEO
Dr. Dawn Hersey, Ph.D., brings over 20 years of international and national experience in analytics, showcasing her analytics expertise in leading teams and enhancing global understanding. Her expertise is in fusing geopolitical understanding with cultural nuanced understanding to enable optimized decision-making in dynamic environments. Dawn's passion is building up leaders: she is an Army Veteran.
Director of People
Denny Hylton, MBA, is a strategic human capital and organizational leadership expert with more than 30 years of experience helping government and advanced manufacturing organizations build resilient, high-performing workforces. His passion is empowering leaders, workers, and, especially, veterans. Denny is a proud grandfather and an Army Veteran.
Director of Growth
Carneen Hart, MBA/PMP, has over 30 years of experience in financial advising, directing multinational portfolios, and leveraging her analytics expertise to lead diverse teams and enable profitable change in both small and large organizations. Her greatest ability lies in drawing people together for shared successes, a skill honed through her military leadership experience. Carneen is an Army Veteran.
Our Experts
We collaborate with top professionals who bring analytics expertise and operational experience to the table; here are a few of them, specializing in intelligence solutions and leadership.
Director of Research and Policy Analysis
Thomas Brown, MPS, brings over 25 years from the Marine Infantry, special operations intelligence, geospatial intelligence, and all-source fusion intelligence. His functional capabilities emphasize counterintelligence support to tech, research, and development research. Mr. Brown uses his hands-on experience and practical perspective to ensure research and analysis is presented in a practical, usable, and intentional manner. Tom is a Marine Corps Veteran.
Director of Grounded Risk Management
John Hart, MBA, brings over 35 years of executive experience in risk management, recoveries, and outsourcing within financial services and industry globally. With a strong foundation in leadership principles, John has not only delivered impressive results but has also fostered key competencies in his team and peers. His passion for continual personal growth and mentorship has been instrumental in his successes. John is a proud Army Husband.
Director of Cyber Resilience
Randy Nethers, MBA, is a cybersecurity and information technology leader with more than a decade of experience designing, securing, and managing enterprise infrastructure across public and private sector organizations. His expertise in cyber resilience, systems architecture, and technology risk strengthens Ferndon Consulting's ability to help clients navigate the intersection of cybersecurity, operational resilience, and an increasingly complex global threat environment.
Director of Intelligence Systems & Strategy
Matthew Lonsdale brings two decades of experience across military intelligence, counterintelligence, protective security, operational planning, and executive decision support. An Australian Army veteran and founder of SURGE Intelligence, his work has earned Australian and US commendations and now focuses on building AI-enabled intelligence platforms that help government and industry leaders identify emerging risks and make better decisions in complex environments.
Consultant in Cyber/Technical Intelligence
Dr. Thomas Winston, PhD, is a leader in threat and cyber threat intelligence solutions. With over 30 years of experience in IT and ICS/OT threat environments, he brings analytics expertise in hunting, detection, reverse engineering, and digital forensics. His extensive leadership experience also allows him to effectively lead teams, empowering them to grow and excel at their craft.
Consultant in Engineering Law and Policy
Dr. Rudolph Tinker, PhD/PMP/LLM/LSSBB, is a global leader in legal and policy intelligence supporting executive and institutional decision-making. With over 25 years of experience, Rudy brings applied expertise in governance, regulatory risk, compliance strategy, and operational execution—translating complex legal and policy environments into actionable intelligence that enables organizations to operate lawfully, strategically, and with confidence. Rudy is an Army Veteran.
Consultant in Emergency Management
Robert Ravert is a retired FDNY Investigator and Command Sergeant Major. He has led, mentored, and successfully operated in emergency management, high profile investigations, and sensitive targeting from Ground Zero to the Middle East. Bob's hands-on approach to leadership and empowerment continues to set both established and emerging leaders for success. Bob is a proud Army and Marine Corps Veteran.
Consultant in Financial Intelligence and Payment Systems
Suzanne Lynch, MS, is an international expert in payment systems and fraud, bringing her analytics expertise to the forefront of the financial industry. With over 30 years of experience in Law Enforcement, risk analysis, fraud control implementation, and investigations, she has developed intelligence solutions that enhance security measures. Additionally, Professor Lynch is the former Director for undergraduate and graduate programs in financial crime at Utica University.
The synergy created by effective military leadership demonstrates that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts, especially when enhanced by analytics expertise and tailored intelligence solutions.