Kroll, a division of Duff & Phelps, provider of risk mitigation, investigations, compliance, cyber resilience, security and incident response solutions, announced the hiring of three seasoned cyber experts in North America and two incident response investigators in Asia Pacific to fuel the expansion of its cyber risk management capabilities globally.

Kroll’s recent hires in North America include: John (Jack) Bennett, a managing director in the San Francisco office; Steve Bergman, a managing director in the Washington D.C. office; and John deCraen, an associate managing director in the Dallas office.

• Bennett joins Kroll after leading the FBI Los Angeles Field Division, the third largest FBI field division, having led a variety of complex investigations throughout his exceptional career. His career accolades span investigative and intelligence support to all Southeast Asia and Oceania Region Legal Attaché offices, deployment of the FBI’s crisis management protocols and capabilities for northern California, policy development for the FBI’s Insider Threat and Damage Assessment programs and responsibility for the Cyber Branch in the San Francisco Division, where he was embedded with EUROPOL’s European Cyber Crime Center. Read more about Bennett’s background.
• Bergman is a recognized technology leader and change agent known for innovative business approaches, responsive cyber strategies and fostering impactful partnerships.  He joins Kroll from RSA, where he led the firm’s Global Services Advisory as they engaged with RSA's largest and most strategic customers in business risk mitigation and cyber security strategies. He is the recipient of the CIO 100 Award for Innovation and Growth for his contribution in leading high-impact teams solving complex enterprise challenges and was previously solicited by the White House to lead the Ready.gov initiative for its high-profile citizen preparedness campaign immediately following the attacks of 9/11. Read more about Bergman’s background.
• deCraen joins Kroll after working with Alvarez & Marsal, where he was the original member of the Forensic Technology Services practice and founding member of Global Cyber Risk Services practice. deCraen brings extensive digital forensics and incident response experience with an emphasis on complex eDiscovery engagements, having worked with several AmLaw100 and Global Fortune 500 firms in cybercrime investigations, bankruptcies, and insider fraud. His significant achievements include representing a U.S. State Secretary of State in an exhaustive cyber security controls examination of that state’s electoral systems. Read more about deCraen’s background.

Jason Smolanoff, Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Cyber Risk, said, “We’re delighted to welcome Jack, Steve and John at a pivotal time when our clients are facing threats in higher volume and sophistication, demanding experienced leadership to navigate complex regulatory, reputational and financial issues. Their unrivaled expertise elevates the level of guidance we can provide to clients and strengthen our rapidly growing team.”

In addition to these senior hires in North America, Kroll has added several new members in its Cyber Risk practice in other regions.

• Karthik Ramanathan joins as senior vice president to lead and advance Kroll’s digital forensics and incident response team in Australia.
• Jay Gomez joins as a senior vice president to help grow the firm’s cyber advisory services in Southeast Asia.
• Mario Ciccarelli and Simone Marinari strengthen Kroll’s incident response and litigation support services in Italy.
• Cristhian Parrot expand the firm’s system assessments and testing solutions in France.

Over the last year, despite the pandemic, Kroll grew its global cyber team exponentially with a total of 78 new hires with vast experience across multiple industries.