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The Chertoff Group
The Chertoff Group is a leading global security and risk management advisory firm. It helps organizations manage cyber, physical, regulatory, and...
Overview
The Chertoff Group is a leading global security and risk management advisory firm. It helps organizations manage cyber, physical, regulatory, and geopolitical risks in demanding national security environments. Its experts advise government contractors, defense and aerospace companies, critical infrastructure operators, and high-growth technology firms on security, compliance, and federal growth. Its private equity business invests in defense technology, government services, cybersecurity, and related national security-focused companies.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
2010
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Washington
Corporate office
Washington, DC, United States
Principals
Michael Chertoff
Executive Chairman and Co-Founder
Chad Sweet
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Does The Chertoff Group still operate as a security consultancy, or is it purely an investment firm now?
The firm operates both an advisory practice and an investment arm, Chertoff Capital, under the same roof. The advisory business provides security-risk consulting to corporations and governments, and it functions as a proprietary deal-sourcing engine for the investment side. This dual structure is unusual in the family-office and private-equity landscape.
What investment stages does The Chertoff Group typically target?
Chertoff Capital has historically pursued buyout and growth-stage investments in middle-market companies. The firm reports targeting a range from early-stage startups to recapitalizations, with a focus on control and minority positions in security, defense, and intelligence-adjacent businesses where the principals can add operational or strategic value.
Which sectors does The Chertoff Group explicitly avoid?
The firm has not published a formal exclusion list. Given its principals' government backgrounds and the sensitive nature of its deal flow, it has steered clear of consumer-internet, advertising-technology, and other sectors where founder networks and regulatory risks do not align with the advisory practice's core capabilities.
How does The Chertoff Group source proprietary deal flow?
Proprietary sourcing comes through the ongoing security-consulting engagements led by Michael Chertoff and his team. These relationships with U.S. federal agencies, critical-infrastructure operators, and defense contractors give the firm early visibility into spinouts, contractor carve-outs, and founder-led security-technology companies before they reach a competitive auction.
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