Michael Chertoff was the second U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. At Homeland Security, a federal department with 22 agencies and 180,000 employees, his goal was to provide protection against the most significant domestic-security threats, reduce major vulnerabilities, and mitigate the potential consequences of an attack. Mr Cherfoff implemented programs and capabilities that did not exist prior to September 11, to better equip the U.S. to deal with threats from land, sea, and air.

In March 2009, Mr Chertoff formed an advisory firm, the Chertoff Group, which counsels corporate and government clients on security and risk management matters, including threats involving terrorism, fraud, cyber-security, border protection, and supply chain security. The firm helps clients at each stage of the security process with a focus on prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

He is also senior counsel in the defense and investigations group at Covington & Burling LLP. As Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s criminal division, he helped trace the 9/11 terrorist attacks to al-Qaida and worked to increase information sharing between the FBI and state and local officials.

In 2003, after he had worked for approval of the Patriot Act and other anti-terrorism measures, President Bush appointed him a judge for the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Before joining the Bush administration, he was a partner in the law firm of Latham & Watkins. His introduction to Washington came when he served as Special Counsel for the U.S. Senate Whitewater Committee (1994 - 1996). Prior to that, he spent more than a decade as a federal prosecutor, including time as a U.S. attorney in New Jersey.