Darrell Blocker

Ex CIA officer & station chief
Expert on security, risk, crisis management, diversity & inclusion, entertainment
Fee: Please inquire
"Darrell is a compelling communicator who captivates audiences within moments. His talks on leadership, diversity and inclusion against the backdrop of the world of espionage are inspiring, motivating and timely."
Jayne Amelia Larson
New York Times best-selling author and entertainment professional
Areas of Expertise

Darrell is available for consulting and speaking engagements, with notable expertise in the following areas:

  • Security, counterterrorism
  • Risk assessment and management
  • Intelligence, clandestine operations
  • Avoiding bias, diversity
  • Political issues, foreign affairs
  • Collaboration, communication
  • Inspiring, motivating
  • Leadership, strategy, vision
  • Performance improvement, sales
  • Media, entertainment
Darrell's Background

Meet Darrell Maurice Blocker, a 28-year veteran of the CIA’s Clandestine Service. A recipient of the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, Darrell served multiple tours as a station chief, and was the most senior black Directorate of Operations officer when he retired in October 2018 with the rank equivalent to a three-star general.

Darrell’s engaging presentations are informed by more than his experience in intelligence and security — he delivers unique perspective and actionable insight rooted in lessons learned as a musician and a champion for diversity, mental health, kindness and youth in foster care.

Darrell is currently the COO of MOSAIC, a boutique strategic risk and crisis management, intelligence and security advisory firm. He also serves as a creative consultant, speaker, educator and an ABC News contributor.

Presentation Examples
  • Kindness is a Choice: The power of kindness, including reflections on a Taliban terrorist angle
  • Mental Health in Espionage
  • The Spy Whisperer: How do you train someone to spy? How do you collaborate with other countries on spy education and not give up your own secrets? How are these things consistently accomplished on a dangerously changing front? Darrell will explore these and other compelling questions, as well as discuss the challenge he faced as chief of all clandestine service operations in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Diversity @ CIA: Darrell will explore the challenges he witnessed pertinent to the CIA's efforts (including some failures) to achieve respectable levels of diversity. He'll share lessons learned that translate to the corporate business environment, including effective communication practices and how to develop a bias-free culture.
Partnership Examples
  • FX  / 20th Television
  • MGM Television / Skydance Television
  • International Spy Museum
  • VaynerMedia
  • ABC News
  • Foreign Policy Research Institute
  • College of Business Administration, Cal Poly Pomona
Listen to Darrell featured in SPYSCAPE's hit podcast, True Spies
More from Darrell
More from Darrell

Want to request Darrell's Services?

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our experts

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Expert on security, risk, crisis management, diversity & inclusion, entertainment
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Expert on women in espionage, intelligence tradecraft, parenting
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Expert on security, espionage, KGB, Cold War, entertainment
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Expert on cybersecurity, insider threat program development, surveillance, investigation
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Expert on leadership, intelligence, conflict resolution, human trafficking
Michele Rigby Assad
Ex CIA undercover officer
Expert on terrorism, sales, vetting, and inspiring audiences
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Expert on Mossad operations, Israeli law enforcement, entertainment
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Expert on leadership, cybersecurity, intelligence, security
View All

ExperTISE

Secret Intelligence Service - MI6
GCHQ
Belfer Center
FBI
CIA

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