Mark S. Ghilarducci

President and Chief Executive Officer

Mark S. Ghilarducci is a nationally recognized executive leader, board member, and trusted advisor with more than 40 years of experience helping governments, businesses, and critical infrastructure organizations navigate complex risks, strengthen resilience, and lead through crisis. As President and CEO of Emergent Global Solutions, he advises C-suite executives, boards of directors, government leaders, and international organizations on enterprise risk, crisis leadership, resilience, cybersecurity, emergency management, and strategic public policy.

Previously, Mark served as Director of the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), where he led emergency management and homeland security for the nation's largest and most complex state. Over his 11-year tenure, he directed California's response to many of the most consequential disasters and security events in modern history, including catastrophic wildfires, major earthquakes, severe drought, cyber threats, terrorism, civil unrest, energy emergencies, and the COVID-19 pandemic. He also led transformative initiatives that modernized California's resilience capabilities, including the nation's first statewide Earthquake Early Warning System, Next Generation 911, expanded cybersecurity programs, and advanced wildfire detection and intelligence capabilities.

Mark's distinguished career spans executive leadership across the local, state, federal, and private sectors. He has served as Deputy State Fire Chief for California, a Federal Coordinating Officer with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and a senior executive with leading consulting firms specializing in crisis management, security, resilience, hazard mitigation, and government affairs. Throughout his career, he has advised senior government officials, corporate leaders, and international partners while supporting response and recovery operations for some of the world's most significant disasters, including the Great Hanshin Earthquake in Japan, the Oklahoma City bombing, the September 11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and hundreds of federally declared disasters.

Recognized for aligning strategy, policy, operations, and innovation, Mark has built enduring public-private partnerships, influenced national resilience policy, and helped organizations prepare for an increasingly complex and interconnected risk environment. His expertise spans enterprise resilience, critical infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, climate and disaster resilience, emerging technologies, continuity of operations, and executive crisis leadership.

Mark continues to serve in influential governance and advisory roles. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), one of the world's leading safety standards organizations, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the California State University System, the nation's largest four-year public university system. His leadership has been recognized by the National Governors Association, the National Emergency Management Association, the California State Association of Counties, and the California State Legislature.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Davis, and completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.