Founder & Chief Executive Officer

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Global Shield Group, LLC - Richard Sabando - brings more than three decades of distinguished experience spanning intelligence, federal law enforcement, and military operations in service to the United States and its allies. Holding a Master’s degree in Homeland Security, his career has been defined by strategic leadership, operational precision, and a steadfast commitment to ethical service in complex global environments. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, he transitioned from federal law enforcement into the intelligence community, serving as an Intelligence Officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency supporting counterterrorism operations, geopolitical and military analysis across the Middle East and Western Hemisphere. He supported intelligence initiatives in coordination with interagency partners including the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division.

Throughout his career, he has provided intelligence support to senior leadership at the highest levels of government, including the Executive Office of the President, the Joint Staff, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. His operational experience includes deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other overseas locations supporting U.S. national security objectives. He also served within the Counter-Corruption Advisory Group in Afghanistan, working to identify and disrupt criminal patronage networks while supporting international law enforcement investigations, and later advised on counter-proliferation initiatives involving Weapons of Mass Destruction with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. A combat veteran of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, as well as subsequent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, he concluded more than two decades of service in the United States Naval Reserve. Today, he leads Global Shield Group with a mission to deliver intelligence-driven security, risk advisory, and strategic resilience solutions to organizations operating in high-risk and geopolitically complex environments.