Homeland Security & Defense Business Council Names Rafael Borras as New President and Chief Executive Officer

The Homeland Security and Defense Business Council (HSDBC), the private sector’s leading voice in homeland security, today announced the appointment of Rafael Borras as its new president and chief executive officer, effective immediately.

Borras joins HSDBC from A.T. Kearney, where he most recently served as a senior executive and expert in domestic security for the global management consulting firm. His distinguished career spans more than three decades, and includes management experience across the federal government, city government, and the non-profit and private sectors. He previously served as the Under Secretary for Management and Acting Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where his portfolio comprised the Department’s finance, human capital, information technology, and procurement programs and operations.

Borras has also held leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Commerce and the General Services Administration, as well as at multiple private firms. In addition to leading and managing the day-to-day activities of HSDBC, Borras will serve as a member of the organization’s board of directors.

“Rafael’s extensive experience in both the public and private sectors gives him a unique understanding of the needs and priorities of the HSDBC membership, as well as our government partners,” said John Saad, chairman of the HSDBC Board of Directors and partner, National Security Segment Leader at Guidehouse. “He is deeply committed to the mission of national and homeland security and the broader Homeland Security Enterprise, and he is passionate about the critical importance of meaningful and transformative government-industry engagement that HSDBC can provide. Above all, Rafael will build upon the great work HSDBC has done over its 16-year history, as well as bring new and innovative ideas to our programs and initiatives to ensure we continue to deliver the highest value proposition to our membership and the most impact to our government partners. As we navigate new challenges and uncertainty in our industry, we are confident to have him serving at the helm.”

Borras said, "I am honored to join the Homeland Security and Defense Business Council, a member organization with a long history of service to the homeland security industry and the government agencies that protect our homeland. HSDBC is made up of a talented staff and highly committed members, and I’m proud to have been selected to lead this organization.”

The appointment of Borras follows a thorough recruitment process overseen by the HSDBC Board of Directors and conducted by an executive search firm. He replaces the organization’s previous president and CEO Marc Pearl, who retired from HSDBC in March.

About the Homeland Security & Defense Business Council

The Homeland Security & Defense Business Council is a not-for-profit, non-partisan corporate membership organization comprised of the leading large, mid-tier, and small companies that support the Homeland Security Enterprise with technology, product, and service solutions. Our mission is to bring government and industry leaders together to build and strengthen relationships, increase knowledge sharing, and improve the way we conduct business together. Towards that end, our programs and initiatives focus on building better engagement models between the public and private sectors and facilitating collaborative dialogues on the best ways to address our nation’s critical homeland security issues. Learn more at https://www.homelandcouncil.org.