Melissa Hersh

Melissa (Mel) Hersh is a risk analyst and consultant based in Washington, DC.  Throughout her career she has provided strategic planning, analysis, and management guidance to private sector, intergovernmental, and governmental clients seeking to reduce geopolitical, strategic, financial, operational, and reputational risk. Mel works with her clients to facilitate operational continuity and resilience with a focus on critical infrastructure sectors (such as energy, transport, defense and security, and human and animal health). 

Mel partners with a global network of experts who work with corporate and political leaders to assess, validate, or design risk mitigation and recovery strategies, ensuring an enterprise-wide approach. Hersh Consulting, LLC (HC) comfortably operates in high-visibility, high-consequence environments and translates complex client issues into risk-informed narratives. HC understands that reputational risk management is crucial to nation-branding efforts, and is currently undertaking projects on mass gathering management, nuclear energy, UAVs, infectious disease surveillance and response, and CBRNE.

Prior to beginning HC in 2009, Mel was a global supply chain security consultant for a Fortune 500 company, worked as a technical officer for the UN and the WHO, and has been a researcher for international think tanks.  Mel is also a Truman National Security Fellow.