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Sarah Carlson

Sarah Carlson

Ex CIA officer & DIA analyst

Expert on emergency preparedness, counterterrorism, Middle East

Fee: Please inquire

"Sarah was an exceptional CIA counterterrorism analyst, who eloquently recounts lessons learned from her exhilarating and inspirational career — all of which are highly meaningful for any private sector audience."
Daniel HoffmanEx senior executive Clandestine Services officer and station chief, CIA

Areas of Expertise

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

  • Security, counterterrorism
  • Intelligence, clandestine operations
  • Leadership, strategy, vision
  • Collaboration, communication
  • Risk assessment and management

Sarah's Background

Sarah Carlson served as a targeting analyst at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center. She specialized in threats and attack plans directed against the U.S. and Europe, and completed multiple rotations with the Directorate of Operations. Prior to that, she served as a counterterrorism analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency in the Homeland Defense Division and Iraq Branch in the Middle East.

Since leaving the CIA, Sarah has continued in public service as an emergency operations manager in the Pacific Northwest. Today, she teaches corporate leaders and their teams how to lead during a crisis, the essentials of crisis management, and personal preparedness.

She is the author of In the Dark of War: A CIA Officer’s Inside Account of the U.S. Evacuation from Libya,and she is featured in the 2021 CBS documentary,Race Against Time: The CIA and 9/11.

Presentation Examples

  • Leadership in Crisis
  • Crisis Management
  • Personal Preparedness

Partnership Examples

  • Federal Emergency Management Agency
  • SOG Knives & Tools
  • Impera Intelligence Group

Listen to Sarah featured in SPYSCAPE's hit podcast, True Spies

More from Sarah

Want to request Sarah's Services?

Please tell us a bit about your organization, your objectives and your timeline. If you’re interested in more than one expert, please include all expert names. If you’re interested in specific areas of focus, please list them. A SPYEX representative will connect with you as soon as possible.

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Testimonials

“For many of our attendees, Eric's presentation was the highlight. He was engaging, animated, charming and able to extract important and relevant business lessons from his experience with the FBI. I'd recommend him as a speaker at any corporate event.”
John FullerPresident & CEO, Johnny RocketsEx FBI counterintelligence operative, Eric O'Neill
“One of the most highly decorated CIA field operations officers of his generation... if people knew the work he has done in the shadows of the Middle East, Europe, and Russia, they would sleep easier at night.”
Michael MorellFormer Acting Director, CIAon Ex CIA intelligence service officer, Marc Polymeropoulos
“Bob is a dynamic, humorous individual and kept the audience spellbound...try to do everything you can to meet this exceptional man and hear his fantastic stories.”
Lois GlabChairman, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Docent Associationon Ex FBI special agent and undercover operative, Bob Hamer
“Bradley's fascinating stories, actionable lessons and unique perspective captivate, motivate and inspire audiences.”
Bob DoughertyFormer undercover operations officer & instructor, CIAon Ex double agent and former member of Nelson Mandela's spy unit, Bradley Steyn
“Tyler is a charismatic presenter whose talents lie not only in his grasp of hard-to-find facts, but his creative analysis and compelling storytelling. What is more, his audiences take away a lesson learned, something to apply to their own lives.”
Barry ScheckLawyer & Co-Founder, The Innocence Projecton author & private investigator, Tyler Maroney
“I would recommend Michele as a speaker for any executive event, thought leadership session, female empowerment, leadership, etc. She truly is a catalyzer of incredible content and debate — her content is simply eye opening.”
Alice GrassetHead of Marketing, Israel and Emerging Markets, Salesforceon Ex CIA undercover officer, Michele Rigby Assad
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