Leadership Team

Mr. Anderson has more than 30 years of experience advising senior government officials, defense leaders, and C-suite executives at major U.S. and multinational companies on defense, national security, and strategic public affairs. His work focuses on strengthening U.S. military readiness, defense industrial capacity, and resilience across the national security enterprise. He serves on the Advisory Council of the Global SOF Foundation, the national military association representing the special operations community, and chairs its SOF Policy Committee, directing strategic engagement with Congress, the Administration, the Department of War, and allied partners.

Throughout his career, Mr. Anderson has built and led multidisciplinary teams across government, industry, military, and nonprofit sectors, aligning policy, operations, and communications to execute complex initiatives and deliver durable strategic outcomes. His public service includes senior roles on Capitol Hill and in the Reagan and Bush 41 White House, where he supported defense, national security, and domestic policy initiatives across several administrations. Mr. Anderson represented U.S. interest abroad in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America and Europe during his time in government. In 2002, Mr. Anderson founded Navigators Global, a leading Washington, DC based issues management firm. He is the Founder and President of SOF Action, the leading organization advocating for the tools, authorities, and resources necessary to ensure our special operations community remains the most competitive, capable and credible force in the world.

Mr. Anderson is also the founder and President of BuildStrong America, the nationís leading organization focused on energy security, infrastructure resilience, and emergency response. In March of 2022, just after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Anderson founded the Ukraine Freedom Alliance, a group of American patriots, service organizations, and industry partners providing critical aid to Ukraine. Throughout his tenure as the President and Managing Principal of Navigators Global, Mr. Anderson served as a trusted strategic advisor to CEOs, boards, and senior leadership teams for hundreds of clients.

Chad Knauss serves as Chief Strategy Officer of Navigators Security and Defense, where he drives strategic growth and operational delivery for defense, aviation, and government clients worldwide. A serial entrepreneur, Chad founded Executive Jet Middle East, Transcontinental Airways Corp, and Saphire Aviation building aviation and defense businesses in austere and contested environments across CENTCOM and AFRICOM regions.

Over his 30+ year career in defense operations and international business, Chad has established himself as a trusted operator in high-threat environments. At DynCorp International, he provided strategic oversight of 14 federal defense programs totaling $500M+ in contract value, directing Department of State INL operations across Iraq. His portfolio has included management of $150M+ in Department of State security contracts and leadership of rapid deployment forces of 900+ personnel.

From civilian police officer to U.S. Army Military Police to defense industry executive and business owner, Chad’s 30+ year career reflects a steady progression through law enforcement, military service, and the defense industry.

Tom Jarboe serves as Chief Operating Officer, bringing over 30 years of DoW and international business experience. He oversees day-to-day operations, program execution, and delivery excellence across all NSD engagements.

Previously, Tom served as CEO and President of AIRtec, Incorporated, a defense technology and aviation services company. He founded and led Technology Security Associates, Inc. (2002-2014) and Kieyos, LLC, specializing in international trade and export licensing. Tom is well-known in the defense industry for his expertise in ITAR/EAR export compliance, customs brokering, and international business development. A U.S. Coast Guard veteran, Tom is a certified professional in ITAR export compliance (ECoP-ITAR). He served as Commissioner, District-1 for St. Mary's County (2014-2018) and was named St. Mary's County Chamber of Commerce Businessperson of the Year (2013).