AN ELITE TEAM
We bring a unique and effective mix of business acumen, security and anti-violence knowledge and training expertise, blended perfectly to help make your organization a safer place.
MIKE HURNDON
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Mike provides engaged daily oversight of current operations, organizational leadership development, strategic initiatives, & personalized customer support. He is a U.S. Army Ranger and combat veteran, with 34-years of service ranging from Tactical Combat Leader, Institutional Training Commandant, up to Strategic Regional Advisor. Mike served at every echelon in the military, from the Operational Team to the Multi-National Joint Command Level.
Retiring from the Army as a senior Command Sergeant Major, Mike conducted 14 overseas deployments to ten separate foreign nations, including four combat deployments to both Afghanistan and Iraq for a cumulative four years. As a result, he has garnered a wide breath of security-specific experience, both domestically and internationally. He served as a senior leader of the NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan & the senior leader in charge of the U.S. Military’s Operation SkyGuard at Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport, immediately following the 9-11 terrorist attacks. As well, Mike served as a tactical operational leader and administrator within Georgia Counterdrug Task Force, directly supporting local, state, & federal law enforcement agencies throughout the State for over ten years.
Mike is a graduate of both the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy and the Georgia Police Officer Standards & Training (P.O.S.T.) Police Academy; his P.O.S.T. certification is active and current. He studied Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and is a licensed pilot. Mike is also actively involved as a volunteer organizer, facilitator, and trainer for Team River Runner, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports Veterans by providing health, healing, and community through paddle sports.
CHRIS SIMS
FOUNDING PARTNER
Chris is a Ranger qualified Green Beret with more than 23 years in the U.S. Army, with 18 of those years serving in the Special Forces. He has an extensive background as an instructor and in curriculum development, conducting training for both civilians, law enforcement and foreign forces all over the world. His numerous deployments to both combat and other semi-permissive environments provide the experience and knowledge that form the foundation of the Mindset 1st operational philosophy.
Chris developed and taught the precursor to our Mindset and Awareness course and has been an instructor for numerous advanced courses including High Risk S.E.R.E. (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) level C to soldiers who are in a high-risk-of-capture category. Chris was an instructor for Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat (SFAUC) and Jumpmaster school to US Army Green Berets and support personnel. Chris is an MBA candidate at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business, class of 2025.
MARCUS RUZEK
FOUNDING PARTNER
Marcus is a 13-year U.S. Army combat veteran, having served as an Army Special Forces Officer (Green Beret), commanding a Special Forces “A-Team” in his final assignment. His awards and decorations include three Bronze Star Medals, one for Valorous actions on the battlefield, and two for meritorious service in both Afghanistan and Iraq.
CPT Ruzek deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He later graduated from the rigorous two-year training pipeline at Ft. Bragg, NC to serve in the 1st Special Forces Regiment. CPT Ruzek deployed to northern Iraq in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE in 2015 commanding a Special Forces “A Team” which partnered with Kurdish Peshmerga in the fight against ISIS. Marcus is an MBA candidate at The Wharton School, class of 2025.
BOB WHITLEY
FOUNDING & MANAGING PARTNER
Bob manages business operations for Mindset 1st and has helped found, scale and manage startup companies as well as developed and driven turnaround strategies for established firms. Bob's background includes executive roles in operations and sales management, as well as 15 years of F100 corporate high-tech sales.
Bob holds an MBA from Georgia Tech.
ANDREW CLARKE
DIRECTOR OF FIELD OPERATIONS
Andrew provides hands-on leadership, oversight, & mentoring to all Mindset 1st Protectors, and he serves as the Senior Protector on-site at all operational locations. Andrew served in the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, and he is a veteran law enforcement officer.
In his combined seventeen years of service, Andrew served at the team leader, squad leader, platoon sergeant, and patrol sergeant levels of leadership, both domestically and overseas. Throughout Andrew’s military and police career, he trained Soldiers and police officers in six countries and served on three combat deployments to both Iraq & Afghanistan. His deployments included anti-piracy operations, urban combat, counter insurgency operations, and asset protection. Andrew served as outboard security on the USS Memphis (first submarine to transit the Suez Canal post 9/11), an infantryman in the battle of Fallujah, and as the unit intelligence officer during a yearlong deployment to Afghanistan. As a police officer in Macon Georgia Andrew was promoted to patrol sergeant of a specialized “Focus Unit” after only two and a half years. This experience has given him a vast array of real-world expertise that shapes the way Mindset 1st delivers effective security services to its clients.
Andrew’s qualifications and certifications include Air Assault School, Pathfinder School, Counterinsurgency Training Course, Jungle Warfare Training Course, and the Marine Corps Coaches Course for rifle and pistol. He is a graduate of the Macon Police Academy and the Georgia P.O.S.T. (Peace Officer Standards and Training) Academy, where he is currently P.O.S.T certified. Andrew is also certified through the Georgia Security of State as an armed security guard. He studied at Mercer University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
SHANNON FIDERO
OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATION
Shannon provides operations and Human Resources administrative support and has worked in many fields supporting Human Resources services. She joined the FBI after college and worked as an Intern and Program Analyst for ITAU (International Training and Assistance Unit).
Shannon holds a BA degree from Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida.