Fred Burton

Global Terrorism and Security Expert
Executive Director, Ontic Center for Protective Intelligence
High-Net Worth Protection Expert
New York Times Bestselling Author of 'GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent' and More

Fred Burton is a former police officer, special agent, and New York Times bestselling author. He's served on the front lines of high-profile investigations like the hunt for and arrest of Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind behind the first World Trade Center bombing; the 1988 plane crash of PAK-1 that killed U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphel and Pakistani President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq; and the search for Americans kidnapped by Hezbollah in Beirut, Lebanon.

His bestselling books include his personal memoir GHOST: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent, Chasing Shadows: A Special Agent's Lifelong Hunt to Bring a Cold War Assassin to Justice, Under Fire: The Untold Story of the Attack in Benghazi, and his fourth book, Beirut Rules: The Murder of a CIA Station Chief and Hezbollah’s War Against America.

Burton also consults with Fortune 500 companies on security developments and how to keep their personnel and business safe as the Executive Director of the Ontic Center for Protective Intelligence. Burton was selected by Security Magazine as one of the Most Influential People in Security in 2021.

Videos: Watch Fred Burton Speak >>
Topics: Talks & Conversations with Fred Burton >>

Past Hosts Include:

Joe Neal Kerr (Past President, MBC)
Texas Literary Society
American Fuel & Petroleum Manufacturers
American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers
Austin Council on Foreign Affairs

President George H. W. Bush
University of Texas at Austin
Greater Austin Council Navy League of the United States
Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad
Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School

Rave Reviews About Fred Burton

“

Mr. Burton held our audience in the palm of his hand. He neither sugar coats the tensions between Washington and Iran, nor does he go "apocalyptic" with doomsday predictions. At every turn he can offer a personal anecdote which reminds us that human factors can sometimes play as big a role in a terrorist incident as ideology (as in the case of Benghazi). Thanks to Burton's shrewd insights and perspective, I predict our members will be reading the morning headlines a little differently in the future.

- University of Texas at Austin

”

More rave reviews

"The Texas Literary Society (TLS) consists of a unique membership of several retired military generals (including two four stars and a founder that is a Lieutenant General and Surgeon General), Ambassadors, Federal Judges, US Marshal and Chief Executives that has an aficionado of great books along with the desire to host the great authors of those books to hear the inside story sometimes unwritten in their pages. Fred delivered an outstanding review of his books read by the TLS while illustrating the mentality of a former special agent and demonstrating he's sophisticated, well-traveled and capable of using his intellect to research, record, and solve cold cases like no other. When concluding the magical two-hour interactive review, it was if the TLS had just watched a classic Ian Fleming film, but instead of hearing, "Bond, James Bond... it was Burton, Fred Burton" stated by the host and membership."

-Texas Literary Society

"Everything went great — he did a great job! Attendees really enjoyed his talk!"

-American Fuel & Petroleum Manufacturers

"On behalf of AFPM and the AFPM Security Committee, I would like to thank you for presenting your AFPM Security Conference keynote address. Your remarks were very engaging and highly praised by our attendees. Your flexibility in adjusting to a webinar format given the untimely cancellation of the Conference was very much appreciated and helpful as AFPM seeks to deliver the content planned for our members."

-American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers

"Fred Burton’s recent speech at the Austin Council on Foreign Affairs gave our members an expert’s insight into complicated issues facing the United States with Iran and other key players in the Middle East, both enemies and allies (and some who may be a little of both). The great depth and breadth of Mr. Burton’s knowledge on these complex relationships and issues provided our members with an opportunity to better understand and discuss Iran and the Middle East that can only come with a person like Fred Burton, with his decades of direct experience in the region, leading the conversation. As events continue to unfold in the Middle East at this volatile point in history, our group will have a much better grasp of the decisions made and actions taken by the United States, our allies, and our enemies and a better understanding of the consequences of those decisions and actions. Fred Burton is an enthralling speaker who we unequivocally recommend."

-Austin Council on Foreign Affairs

"Fred Burton gave a wonderful talk on his latest book Beirut Rules: The Murder of a CIA Station Chief and Hezbollah's War Against America. Two of the men who were interviewed for the book were also in attendance. One from the CIA and the other from the State Department. As a Life-Member and former Assistant Chief of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad and a former police officer, Fred understands the unique challenges facing public safety and terror threats. He has spoken at the Squad in the past and writes books about cases he has worked, to include the murder of an Israeli diplomat in the 1970's, a call that the Squad also ran. Fred has not forgotten the organization that gave him his start in public safety. We would welcome him back. We can’t wait for his next book."

-Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad

"Fred Burton is a favorite speaker at our Navy League Distinguished Speaker Dinner Series. Not only does he draw a large audience but he keeps them on the edge of their seats with his insights and perspectives on the people and situations he brings to light. We’re always excited to learn that he’s releasing a new book with more interesting accounts from his years in service to the State Department."

-Greater Austin Council Navy League of the United States

"In these pages, Fred Burton and Samuel Katz ably describe the selfless service and ultimate sacrifice of CIA’s William F. Buckley, murdered brutally while held as a hostage in Lebanon. Beirut Rules can’t bring this quiet hero back to life. But it will show a new generation the value of a life well lived in service of country."

-President George H. W. Bush

"Mr. Burton has a wonderfully refreshing way of presenting the facts... He was captivating, accessible and engaging. He generously shared formative stories from his youth and captivatingly documented his life of service to this country... Mr. Burton loves a good story and has an uncanny knack for going after them and sharing them with his audience."

-Thomas Jefferson Independent Day School

"We were delighted to have Fred Burton speak at the Metropolitan Breakfast Club. He did a fantastic job of tying in historical narratives with current situations. Fred gave us candor and authenticity, with just the right amount of information on his visual slides to provide a framework for his presentation. We are a curious group and Fred gave great, thoughtful responses to all of our questions. We will definitely be asking Fred to speak again at MBC!"

-Joe Neal Kerr (Past President, MBC)

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Moderating - Intelligence Perspectives | Texas National Security Forum [1:21:10] - Get Sharable Link

Talks & Conversations with Fred Burton

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Safety and Security in the Covid Era

Companies have a duty of care to provide a safe and secure workplace, but how does a culture of care change in the Covid Era? Fred Burton can help you make sense of the current best practices for protecting people and companies in the COVID-19 era. For example, in light of the pandemic, the potential threat of workplace violence has shifted from the C-suite to the residence. What should HR, corporate security and executives look for to protect employees and the business? How should companies handle threats outside of the workplace?

Best Practices for Protecting High-Net Worth Families

Since 1999, Fred Burton has worked with numerous billionaires, high-net worth individuals and families to design programs to protect their families, children, homes and offices. His discreet protection model has become the industry standard for protecting businesses and wealthy families. Burton can also help make sense of the unique security threats facing children of high-net worth parents and provide recommendations for how to mitigate these threats.

Protective Intelligence: What Can You Do to Protect Your Employees and Business?

Fred Burton will explain how the protective intelligence model is key to safeguarding business interests, to include the protection of employees, infrastructure, operations and overall business continuity. Fred Burton is a pioneer in this field and one of the original members of the State Department's Protective Intelligence Division. He has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to discuss his model and best-selling memoir Ghost: Confessions of a Counterterrorism Agent (Random House, 2008).

A History of Modern Day Terror: Iran, Hezbollah and The Black September Organization

Before al-Qaeda, terror groups like Black September and Hezbollah had more American and Israeli blood on their hands than any other terror organizations. Fred Burton will walk you through their fascinating history of assassinations, hijackings and bombings to show how their tactics and strategy are ...

Making Sense of the Terror Threat

Fred Burton explains the global terror hotspots and emerging threats from a strategic and tactical perspective, to include a review of the most targeted cities in the United States. He will also explain how you can determine the probable targets in your city. Burton is routinely called upon by the national media for expert terrorism commentary and has appeared on CNN, Fox & Friends, Fox News, NPR, Good Morning America, The Morning Joe Show and Al Jazeera.

Preparing for Terrorist Attacks, Disaster and Wars

What are the ramifications and impact to business, travelers and ex-pats, in the event of global terror attacks, disaster and war? In a thought provoking discussion, Burton will lay out the key items you need to think about ahead of time, before disaster strikes. Are you prepared? ...

The Shadow War With Iran

In the on-going shadow war between the United States and Iran, what does the U.S. killing of Iranian General Soleimani mean in a broader context? The events occurring today are part of the larger battle between Washington and Tehran have been fighting for decades. Fred Burton was on the front lines of this battle in the 80s and 90s, investigating attacks and airplane hijackings, interviewing victims who had been kidnapped by Iranian proxies; he understands the origins of the conflict and the larger historical issues at play. He is the author of Beirut Rules: The Murder of a CIA Station and Hezbollah's War Against America. Burton is the current VP of Intelligence for Stratfor and a former State Department special agent. Burton discusses the history and path to Soleimani's killing and lays out what this could mean for Western business interests in the region.

The Road to 9-11

From his unique experiences and past terrorism investigations as a State Department counterterrorism special agent, Fred Burton will discuss the history and lead-up to the al-Qaeda attack on 9-11. Why didn't the U.S. Intelligence Community see it coming? What did we learn from the attack? Can it hap ...