Brian Goebel - President & CEO
Mr. Goebel founded The Sentinel HS Group, LLC in August 2005. Since its inception, Mr. Goebel has been responsible for setting the strategic direction for the firm as well as managing its day-to-day activities. He has overseen the firm’s steady growth, with an emphasis on delivering exceptional service to clients in the firm’s core areas of expertise.
In addition to managing the firm, Mr. Goebel is actively involved in risk assessment and intelligence work at the firm. In this capacity, he has personally worked on multiple projects involving various aspects of risk assessment strategy, as well as the design and successful implementation of automated risk assessment solutions. Mr. Goebel devotes the remainder of his time to projects involving traveler management, the WCO SAFE Framework, and proposal writing. In the latter category, Mr. Goebel has helped write more than a dozen winning proposals.
Mr. Goebel frequently writes and speaks on homeland security policy. He has published several opinion pieces in various publications ranging from the Journal of Commerce to the Washington Post. He is also a Member of the Pacific Council on International Policy and a Homeland Security Affiliate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Before founding the Sentinel HS Group, Mr. Goebel was an attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher (May 2004 – Aug. 2005), where he specialized in public policy and international trade matters. While at Gibson Dunn, Mr. Goebel:
- Assisted companies in understanding and shaping homeland security-related legislation, regulations, and policies involving port security, supply chain security, immigration enforcement, international trade & travel, transportation, and intelligence matters.
- Assisted companies in shaping and complying with import-related legislation, regulations, and policies.
- Counseled companies regarding compliance with U.S. sanctions and export licensing regimes.
During his tenure as Counselor and Senior Policy Advisor to Commissioner Bonner (Sept. 2001 – May 2004), Mr. Goebel’s responsibilities included:
- Advising Commissioner Bonner on a wide array of matters relating to CBP operations and policies, including the transition into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the merger of the U.S. Customs Service and portions of the INS and Agriculture Departments into CBP, and the implementation of the National Strategy for Homeland Security.
- Designing and implementing “smart border” programs and initiatives, including:
- The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT)
- The Container Security Initiative (CSI)
- The Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program
- NEXUS
- NEXUS – Air
- The Immigration Security Initiative (ISI) — predecessor of the IAP program.
- Advising Commissioner Bonner on policies and operations related to the identification of high-risk shipments and people (“targeting”)
- Overseeing the drafting and promulgation of the Advance Passenger Information (API), Passenger Name Record (PNR), “24-hour” rule, and Trade Act rulemakings.
- Coordinating efforts to develop a national targeting system, including establishing the National Targeting Center.
- Coordinating efforts to enhance the Automated Targeting System (ATS) through the application of intelligence, operational experience, additional data sources, and technology.
- Developing international, multilateral, and bilateral strategies for increasing the security of international trade and travel:
- Assisting in the preparation of the “Resolution of the Customs Co-Operation Council on Security and Facilitation of the International Trade Supply Chain,” which was adopted by the WCO in June 2002.
- Negotiating an agreement with the European Commission on matters related to CSI.
- Overseeing and negotiating the implementation of sections of the Smart Border Declaration with Canada.
- Coordinating the development of annual CBP budget requests to ensure consistency with homeland security priorities.
- Overseeing the Office of Trade Relations and working closely with the trade community on key initiatives.
- Working closely with the Homeland Security Council, the State Department, the DHS Offices of the Secretary and the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on US VISIT, visa, immigration, maritime security, air cargo screening and inspections, and other aviation security matters.
Before serving in the Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Goebel was an attorney with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and Jones, Day, Reavis and Pogue. He also served as a law clerk to Judge Fortunato P. Benavides on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Mr. Goebel is a 1996 graduate of the William and Mary Law School, where he served as an Articles Editor on the William and Mary Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. He graduated with High Honors from the College of William and Mary in 1993.