Talon Companies offers one of the finest teams of security experts on the globe. Each member of our team brings a deep knowledge in their respective areas of service, the professional tools and expertise needed to execute the most challenging assignment and, collectively, decades of devotion to their clients and our Country.
RICHARD LONG
C.E.O. – Talon Companies
President – Secure Strategies International, LLC
Richard was appointed as the CEO of The Talon Companies by Talon Founder and Chairman of the Board Ron Williams. Richard provides executive management of Talon Executive Services Inc., Talon Cyber Tec LLC, and Talon Secure Strategies International LLC. Prior to joining Talon, Richard served as the Chief Security Officer for 3Si. He had previously served as the 3Si Senior Vice President and Global Director of the Law Enforcement Division managing the police and FBI implementation and utilization of 3Si robbery-arrest / clandestine tracking GPS/RF technologies. He directed the managers and regional coordinators throughout North America, Europe, South/Central America, and Australia who were responsible for recruitment, implementation, training, and liaison between 3Si and all government partners. He also directed 3Si’s liaison with all major law enforcement agencies at the state, federal, and international level. He directly managed the recruitment of over 10,000+ police agencies and all 56 FBI Field Offices which were approved for 3Si crime-fighting technologies. As an ASIS International CPP credentialed member, Richard is Board Certified in Executive Security Management. Richard retired from the Newport Beach Police Department.
He held several leadership posts and retired as the Detective Services Commander. The bulk of his career was in investigative assignments including Robbery-Homicide, Organized Crime, Vice, Intelligence, and undercover operations with the Crime Suppression Unit (CSU). Richard is the past State President and a current board member of the California Robbery Investigators Association (CRIA, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation). CRIA has approximately 2800 members in the western states. He is also the President of the Chief Special Agents Association of California, an organization of private industry and law enforcement executives that formed in 1927. Richard is a US Army veteran having served with the 25th Infantry Division and he is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He has numerous awards including the Medal of Valor (Hoag Hospital Firebombing), two Medals of Merit, the NBPD Supervisor of the Year Award, and the CRIA Meritorious Service Award. Richard holds a BA degree in Business Management.
BARRY MOZIAN
President – Talon Executive Services
Mr. Mozian’s corporate investigations/security experience spans more than fifteen years and covers a diverse range of disciplines to include fraud investigations, undercover drug/ theft investigations and workplace violence prevention. Mr. Mozian is an expert at conducting corporate internal investigations that detect, assess and resolve issues of malfeasance in the workplace.
As a result of extensive field experience, Mr. Mozian has developed a specific emphasis on mitigating the civil liability to the client that can arise as a result of an internal investigation while simultaneously yielding a better than 94% confession rate during investigative interviews. These results are achieved through the use of a proprietary investigation/interview technique that has been developed to meet the specific needs of businesses and labor attorneys alike.
Mr. Mozian’s background experience and training in the disciplines of security and investigations began during his years in the U.S. Army as a field intelligence specialist and has continued through his career postings with several corporate internal investigation teams.
JIM FOUSTE
Operations Manager
With over three decades of distinguished service in law enforcement, public safety, and executive protection, Jim has developed a robust expertise in security operations and leadership. His career highlights include 27 years of law enforcement experience, 17 of which were in supervisory roles, and a decade spent with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD), where he was instrumental in designing and supervising counter-terrorism deployments to mitigate mass casualty events in Orange County and its surrounding areas.
Throughout his tenure with OCSD, Jim managed multi-million-dollar budgets, conducted risk management assessments, and led specialized teams, including an Explosive Detection K9 unit. He also coordinated operations for dignitary protection and counter-terrorism, solidifying his reputation as a security expert. His comprehensive skill set spans emergency management, personnel training, advanced counter-terrorism strategies, and the development of community-focused policing initiatives. Recognized for his leadership, he received the Orange County Sheriff Medal of Life Saving in 2009.
After retiring from the OCSD, Jim transitioned into executive protection and campus safety roles. He has served as an Executive Protection Agent for prominent firms, providing high-level security for individuals and high-value assets at events, photo shoots, and private residences. As a Senior District Safety Officer and Interim Sergeant for Rancho Santiago Community College District, he focused on physical security, emergency response, and safety education for students and staff, while managing training programs and coordinating campus-wide security initiatives.
Jim also brings a wealth of tactical and instructional expertise. He holds certifications in firearms training, active shooter response, combat casualty care, and dignitary protection, among others. A second-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he has integrated his martial arts background into training programs on defense and arrest tactics. His proficiency extends to advanced operational planning, covert entry techniques, and threat assessments for higher education institutions.
A graduate of the University of California, Irvine, with a degree in Political Science, Jim initially pursued computer science before finding his passion in law enforcement. His professional development includes advanced certifications such as the Supervisory POST Certificate and memberships in various law enforcement and safety organizations. As a testament to his leadership and community commitment, he has served as the Chair of the City of Lake Forest Traffic Commission.
Today, Jim continues to leverage his extensive experience, contributing to safety and security initiatives while mentoring the next generation of law enforcement professionals
SHELLEY MINER
Lead Background Investigator
Shelley Miner has been leading Talon’s background and due diligence investigations division for more than 15 years. Her clients include large national and international organizations, smaller privately-owned companies, and everything in between. Ms. Miner’s approach combines technological resources with investigative acumen to access appropriate information from reliable government & private sector sources, and then analyzes, identifies & verifies relevant records. Whether screening new employees, preparing for court, threat assessments, or entering into a new business deal, Ms. Miner equips her clients with the information they need to protect their most valuable assets – their people.
Ms. Miner is an active member of NAPBS (National Association of Professional Background Screeners) and has earned FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) certification through that organization. Prior to joining Talon Executive Services in 2002, Ms. Miner worked as an Asset Protection Analyst for White Cap Construction Supply, and as an Interview Coordinator and Transcriptionist for Confidential Management Services.
JON LEWIS
Special Consultant
Chief Jon Lewis began his career in public service in 1991 with the City of Newport Beach, an iconic coastal community of 53 square miles in Southern California. After successfully working his way through the ranks of the Police Department, he honorably retired in December of 2022 after serving as the Chief of Police for nearly seven years. He is known for his commitment to selfless service, ethical leadership and maintaining longstanding community partnerships. During his tenure as Chief of Police, the Newport Beach Police Department achieved reduction in crime to historic lows through effective, data-driven community policing strategies as well as excellence in emergency response and 911 call answer times. The Department developed innovative wellness initiatives in collaboration with national experts, fostering morale, productivity and unparalleled police service. In his role with Talon Companies, he brings a disciplined background in security operations, threat assessment and protective strategy.
He graduated with honors from California State University Long Beach with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Speech Communication and also holds a Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Chapman University. He is a graduate of several advanced law enforcement training courses including the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Command College, where he was selected as class speaker. He has authored two university-level textbooks in criminal justice and is an instructor with the Center for Criminal Justice Research and Training at California State University Long Beach.
Chief Lewis has held executive leadership positions at the local, county and state levels including: Orange County Chiefs’ and Sheriff’s Association President, the Orange County Commission to End Homelessness, Orange County Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory Local Executive Board and the California Police Chiefs Association Board of Directors. He was selected by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) as a subject matter expert with the Collaborative Reform Initiative. He is a member of the International Executive Council, a global organization of highly diverse business leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators making a positive impact in business and a lasting difference in our world.
MICHAEL DE GEUS
Special Consultant
As a former Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, Michael served for nearly twelve years across the Los Angeles Field Office and Washington, D.C., earning assignments to both the Presidential Protective Division and the Counter Surveillance Unit. In those roles, he executed hundreds of domestic and international protective advances, safeguarding the President of the United States, foreign heads of state, and dignitaries at events ranging from United Nations gatherings to World Leader Summits. His operational expertise spans multi-agency coordination, facility hardening, command-and-control structures, and integrated physical and cyber threat mitigation at the highest levels of national security.
Following his federal career, Michael served as Director of Security for Redrock Entertainment, leading safety and security operations for the entertainment industry’s most high-profile domestic and international events. He managed 550 or more security personnel across events with audiences exceeding 70,000 attendees, implemented access control and surveillance systems, and coordinated with local, state, federal, and international law enforcement. A standout achievement: personally securing the Fast X premiere at the Colosseum in Rome, a complex international operation requiring seamless multi-agency coordination and crisis readiness.
Michael has also served on the Board of Directors for Neptune Wellness Solutions, a publicly traded company, providing governance oversight, enterprise risk management, and executive leadership support through significant organizational transition. He was appointed Interim CEO, demonstrating leadership depth well beyond the security arena.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from California State University Fullerton, a Master of Science in International Relations from Troy State University, and is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Public Policy specializing in Homeland Security at Walden University. He is a member of the Association of Former Agents of the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.
At Talon Companies, Michael brings over 15 years of elite operational experience to the firm’s mission of delivering world-class security services, with particular depth in executive protection, threat assessment, emergency preparedness, and physical and cyber security.
DR. MANNY TAU
Special Consultant
Dr. Manny Tau is a clinical & forensic psychologist specialized in threat assessments and active threat management, and a Certified Threat Manager™ by the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals. He has been extensively used as a workplace/school-place/personal violence and threat management consultant throughout the United States. He also works with many recognized federal, state, county, city and private organizations in the development of their violence prevention programs and the implementation of Threat Management Teams, along with providing expert consultation and testimony for attorneys in the labor & employment, civil and family law arenas. Dr. Tau has 20 years of experience performing threat assessment and threat management services in the private and public sectors, which included support of law enforcement agencies and professional security firms.
He has provided trainings related to threat assessments and threat management, which included presentations/trainings for the California Bar Association (The State Bar of California 83rd Annual Meeting, September 2010), the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (California Chapter Annual Conference, February 2012), the Supreme Court of Nevada (Nevada Family Jurisdiction Judges 2014 Conference, March), the Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center (OC Shield, November 2014), the San Diego Sheriff’s Department Threat Assessment Group (March 2015) the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (Annual Threat Management Conferences, August 2015 & 2016) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (18th Annual Violent Crime Behavioral Analysis Seminar, August 2016). Dr. Tau currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, San Diego Chapter, CA.
An experienced and dynamic speaker, Dr. Tau has presented nationwide on topics related to threat assessments and targeted violence for professional organizations in the Human Resources, Risk Management, security, legal and mental health fields, and has appeared in newsprint, radio, television and Internet media. Dr. Tau was also an invited TED Talk speaker for TEDx Mission Viejo in October 2016.
RICHARD HAHN
Special Consultant
Mr. Hahn is self-employed as R. Hahn & Company, Inc. Through the company he conducts security consulting and private investigations. Mr. Hahn also works as a training instructor for the U.S. Department of State Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program. He is an instructor in Critical Incident Management, Major Case Management, Interdicting Terrorist Activities and Post Blast Investigation as well as other courses. He has developed course materials and training exercises for the State Department and for private clients.
TODD STEFAN
Special Consultant
Combining a diverse background in business operations and information technology, Mr. Todd Stefan is working to craft the future of the information security industry though the development and innovation of strategic programs to enable business through effective risk mitigation and business-centric security controls.
During Mr. Stefan’s career, he has had the privilege to chart and develop the strategic course of large enterprises, including government agencies and Fortune 2000 customers, to continuously and measurably manage and mitigate risk while protecting the most important digital assets and their customers’ private information from critical threats. As a recognized information security pioneer and entrepreneur, Mr. Stefan is a frequent participant and speaker at major industry conferences. Mr. Stefan graduated from the USC Marshall School of Business.
JOHN CALLAHAN
Independent Consultant
John Callahan is a cybersecurity and emerging technologies consultant with nearly 20 years experience protecting high value, high exposure digital assets and systems; transitioning innovation for new operational uses; and building education programs to support a next generation workforce.
Callahan currently serves as the co-director of the San Diego State University Cyber Tech Academy, a fully online certificate platform designed to grow and sustain a highly qualified cyber workforce. Cyber Tech Academy will have dozens of programs to prepare students in topics involving cyber security and emerging technology, ranging from novice to expert level courses to support the State of California’s goal of producing over 50,000 new practitioners in the next decade. Prior to arriving at SDSU, Callahan helped create the Informatics Program at the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering, along with three Masters degrees, and the University of San Diego Center for Cyber Security Engineering and Technology.
Callahan also serves as Chief Technology Officer for Partnership Solutions International, a firm specializing in the utilization of machine intelligence, blockchain and smart contract technology to advance proprietary forensics supply chain modeling. PSI’s premier product, Checkmate, has been utilized in over 300 classified Department of Defense and Intelligence Community missions against sophisticated, nation-state level adversaries, as well as to support numerous Fortune 500 organizations. Prior to his work with PSI, Callahan has consulted with dozens of government and industry organizations on topics ranging from cyber security to counterterrorism to entertainment, as well as leading millions of dollars in sponsored research.
GREGORY WESSEL
Independent Consultant
Gregory Wessel is a skilled Senior Executive technical leader with 40 years of intelligence experience working for the National Security Agency and over 6 years working in the commercial arena. An innovative, out of the box thinker, that is an expert in Computer Network Operations (Computer Network Defense, Computer Network Exploit and Computer Network Attack). During his time with the NSA, Mr. Wessel held several Technical Executive leadership positions and was responsible for creating Red (attack) and Blue (defend/evaluate) teaming in the Intelligence Community while serving as the Technical Director in the System Network Attack Center in the Information Assurance Directorate. He was responsible for the development and implementation of numerous networking methodologies and technologies. He was also involved in the making and breaking of codes (cryptography). Mr. Wessel had the opportunity to brief Cyber initiatives to many high profile people and organizations including Janet Reno, DOJ, Robert Mueller, FBI, Admiral Prueher, CINCPAC, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Capital One Bank, Chase Manhattan Bank, and many Security Conferences.
Since leaving the Government in 2013, Mr. Wessel is a Senior Technical Consultant and Advisor for many companies. Currently he is consulting with Talon Cyber Tec LLC. Mr. Wessel provides technical advice and guidance on Cyber Security, Cloud Security, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Networking, and Analytics. Mr. Wessel also assists with Business Development. He is a Senior Advisor to Recorded Future (Cyber Threat) and Tamr (Data Analytics), two Cambridge, MA start-up companies. Prior to becoming a consultant in 2018, Mr. Wessel was Vice President of Network Architecture at Bay Microsystems/vCinity (a network appliance product that moves and accesses data rapidly). He was part of the team of System Engineers responsible for product strategies and encryption, as well as aiding in the sales process of Bay’s Wide Area Network Traffic acceleration hardware. From 2014-2016 Mr. Wessel was COO/Vice President of Operations at Nehemiah Security/Triumfant (an endpoint security product company). He was responsible for prioritizing customer, employee, and organizational requirements, cascading the organization’s strategy/mission statement to the staff, and developing and implementing the remote monitoring of customers networks/endpoints for vulnerabilities. He also acted as the CISO and implemented a small company security plan. Mr. Wessel is a board member for the Institute for Cyber Threat Defense. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Maryland College Park, and a Master of Science in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University, as well as certificates in Computer Science and Cyber Security.
ALEX SHARPE
Independent Consultant
Mr. Sharpe is a long time (+30 years) Cybersecurity and Privacy expert with real world operational experience. Unlike many people in this space Mr. Sharpe has run P&Ls up to $60M and has spent much of his career helping large corporations and government agencies reap the rewards afforded by advances in technology (Digital Transformation). This provides him a pragmatic understanding of the delicate balance between Cybersecurity, Operational Effectiveness and the business realities. He began his career at NSA moving into the Management Consulting ranks building practices at Booz Allen and KPMG. He subsequently co-founded two firms including successful exits. He has participated in over 20 M&A transactions and has subsequently delivered to clients in over 20 countries on 6 continents. Mr. Sharpe holds degrees in Electrical Engineering, Management and Business from New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and Columbia Business School. He is a published author, speaker, instructor and advisor. He serves on industry forums and is a mentor at an incubator.
RON T. WILLIAMS
Founder & Chairman of the Board
Dedicating 22 years to the United States Secret Service, Ron Williams had the opportunity to work and supervise all divisions of the SS Treasury department in the Los Angeles Field Office. Gaining a wealth of security expertise and a highly regarded reputation within Federal Law Enforcement, Mr. Williams decided to start Talon Executive Services, Inc., a corporate security and investigations company. As a Secret Service Agent, Mr. Williams supervised the credit card and financial fraud squad, the counterfeit squad, and the elite Counter Assault Team (CAT) to combat terrorism. As the Lead Advance Agent, Mr. Williams was responsible for all advance security plans and logistics coordination for Presidential, Vice-Presidential, and foreign heads-of-state visits to Los Angeles. He personally protected Presidents Ford, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, as well as such noted dignitaries as Queen Elizabeth, Yitzhak Shamir, and Pope John Paul and was the recipient of numerous awards including the United States Secret Service Director’s Award for Special Achievement on eight occasions.
Focusing on the company he founded in 1994, Talon Executive Services, Inc., Mr. Williams has created a highly advanced team of former Secret Service and F.B.I. agents as well as other federal, state and local law enforcement officers. Threat assessment and physical site surveys performed by Talon include venues such as public transportation, entertainment and pharmaceutical. As a RAM-w certified agent, he performs threat assessments and develops remedial measures for water districts, identified as one of the nation’s critical infrastructures. Because of his expertise in the field of anti-terrorism, Mr. Williams was asked by the California Gubernatorial delegation in 2002, to meet with Tom Ridge regarding homeland security. His association with AFAUSSS (Association of Former Agents of the United States Secret Service), ASIS (American Society of Industry Security), ATAP (Association of Threat Assessment Professionals) American Water Works Association (AWWA) Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) to name a few, keeps him abreast of all matters involving security and threat assessment. He is also an active member of the FBI’s InfraGard program, U.S. State Department Overseas Advisory Council (OSAC) and OCPST (Orange County Private Sector Terrorist Response). Mr. Williams frequently appears on Fox News Channel as well as other national shows as a security analyst and terrorism expert. He was also the keynote speaker at the 1999 Alabama Governor’s Conference on Violence in the Workplace Prevention, has made presentations to the California Association of Water Agencies which included a White Paper, and continues to educate organizations on various security issues through specialized seminars and training.