Mark Henshaw is a highly accomplished American author, best known for his thriller novels featuring the characters Kyra Striker and Jonathan Burke. Prior to his career as a writer, Henshaw worked for the CIA for fifteen years, during which time he received an impressive eighteen Exceptional Performance Awards. His excellence in the field was further recognized in 2007 when he was awarded the Galileo Award by the Director of National Intelligence for his outstanding work on intelligence analysis.
Henshaw's career with the CIA began in 1999, when he joined the Office of Transnational Issues as a Science, Weapons, and Technology analyst. In 2001, he became a founding "plankholder" with the Agency's Information Operations Center (IOC). Henshaw's innovative and creative thinking led to his selection for a three-year rotation with the CIA Red Cell, a unit known for its "outside-of-the-box" approach to analytic issues. During his time at the CIA, Henshaw co-authored a paper with Rachel K. Hanig that highlighted the need for improved analytical insight and the significance of a National Security Simulation Center. This paper, which discusses the benefits of a war games center for IC training, analysis, and outreach, is available on the official CIA website.
In addition to his work with the CIA, Henshaw holds a Master's of International Relations from the David M. Kennedy School of International and Area Studies and a Masters of Business Administration from the Marriot School of Management, both from Brigham Young University. He currently resides in Leesburg, Virginia.