Cormac is a Director in our geostrategic advisory team, assisting senior clients on global, international and supranational issues from organised crime to war. He specialises in leading our maritime intelligence and security services, assisting clients with issues such as piracy, smuggling and war and terrorism at sea.
His clients include vessel owners, operators, insurers, law firms and offshore energy, and he also helps those outside the sector understand their exposure in the maritime domain.
Recent engagements include:
- Expert Witness in multiple commercial disputes, ranging from constructive total losses in Ukraine to Red Sea diversions, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and cocaine smuggling in the Americas.
- Security advisor for a major salvage operation in the Red Sea, providing analysis and mitigation advice for a highly complex operation off Yemen. The salvage was a success with zero security incidents.
- Annual briefing to the board of an energy producer, informing long-term strategic thinking on LNG investments globally.
Clients value Cormac’s mix of practical, on-the-ground security experience and intellectual acumen. Highly adaptable, he is adept at translating complicated concepts and methodologies into understandable formats, both written and verbal. His real edge is that while being a specialist in one sector, he tends to work across all areas of our business.
Cormac holds all four certifications under the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code and has been an adjunct professor at SciencesPo Paris where he lectured on commercial maritime security. He served in the Irish Reserve Defence Forces as an NCO and artillery Gun Commander.
He holds a BA in History & Politics and an MBS in International Public Policy & Diplomacy, both from University College Cork.
Cormac regularly appears in news media as an expert commentator.