BENS Welcomes Three New Board Directors to Our Bench of Expertise

Business Executives for National Security (BENS) is proud to announce the appointments of Michael W. Blair, Justin Freeh, and Jim Niewiara to our Board of Directors. These accomplished private-sector leaders bring deep expertise in technology, capital markets, and regulatory law, and will help guide BENS in tackling the complex security challenges facing our nation.

At a time of heightened complexity in global security—shaped by advancements in technology and cyber risks, shifting global regulatory environments, and the increasing role of private capital to bolster defense innovation—their varied expertise represents the cross-industry expertise that BENS brings to problem-solve the security challenges of today.

In support of our national network of BENS members and government partners, we’re pleased to announce the appointment of three new Board Directors:

• Michael W. Blair, former Presiding Partner of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
  During his tenure as Presiding Partner, the firm strengthened its position in key industries like private equity, technology and healthcare, and strategic geographies. Michael is currently a Trustee of the Smith Richardson Foundation, the leading funder of independent U.S. national security analysis, and serves as a director of Remote Legal, a rapidly-growing legal tech software company.
  
• Justin Freeh, President & COO of Intelibits
  A U.S. Navy veteran, Justin leads an artificial intelligence and machine learning prototyping firm and and co-founded Littoral Capital Partners, LLC. He previously served in leadership roles for cybersecurity and defense technology companies and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Naval War College Foundation and The Institute of World Politics.
  
• Jim Niewiara, Senior Vice President & General Counsel at Motorola Solutions
  Jim leads global legal, ethics, regulatory, and compliance for Motorola, and his deep expertise expands to prior roles overseeing the global commercial legal team and litigation, antitrust compliance, and intellectual property law. He also served as a commercial litigator in Chicago for 15 years, representing a wide variety of corporate and government clients.

Each of these leaders brings sector-specific strength to elevate national security dialogue and deepen public-private partnerships that address our nation’s complex challenges. As national security increasingly intersects with technology, capital markets, and governance, these appointments reinforce BENS’s belief that industry leadership is central to help secure our nation’s future. We’re honored to welcome Michael, Justin, and Jim to the BENS Board of Directors.