FBI Director Christopher Wray has named John Brown as executive assistant director of the National Security Branch at FBI Headquarters in Washington. As the EAD, Mr. Brown is responsible for ensuring the FBI executes its mission to defend the United States and its interests from national security threats.

Mr. Brown most recently served as the assistant director of the Counterintelligence Division at FBI Headquarters. He entered the FBI in 1999 as a special agent assigned to the Chicago Field Office, primarily working counterintelligence investigations. In 2004, he deployed to Iraq as a member of an FBI team working counterterrorism operations with the Department of Defense.

Mr. Brown was assigned to FBI Headquarters as a supervisory special agent in the Counterterrorism Division in 2005 and was later promoted to unit chief. He oversaw international terrorism investigations and led the creation of the FBI’s first unit dedicated to investigating terrorists’ use of the Internet. He moved to the Chicago Field Office in 2008 to supervise a counterterrorism squad.

In 2010 and 2011, Mr. Brown served on active duty with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan before returning to Chicago. He was promoted to section chief in the Cyber Division at FBI Headquarters in 2012 and returned to the Chicago office in 2014 to lead a social media cyber squad. He was later named assistant special agent in charge of Chicago’s cyber and counterintelligence operations.

In 2016, he was promoted to the role of special agent in charge of the Administrative Branch of the Los Angeles Field Office. In 2018, Mr. Brown was promoted to serve as the special agent in charge of the San Diego Field Office.

Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Brown served in the United States Army as an air defense and military intelligence officer.