Ava Cooper-Davis, Global and U.S. Chief Security Officer at Deloitte, has imbibed her values of community and family throughout her security career. Cooper-Davis moved to Brooklyn, New York, from Honduras when she was 12 years old. After earning her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement Administration from John Jay College, Cooper-Davis then joined the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) at 21 as a Special Agent.

“My first assignment was back in Chicago. I went kicking and screaming — I didn’t want to leave New York City. But it was probably the best thing that happened to me,” Cooper-Davis says.