Frances Fragos Townsend currently runs her own independent consulting firm. She previously served as Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary at Activision Blizzard before it was sold to Microsoft. Earlier, she was Vice Chairman, General Counsel, and Chief Administrative Officer at MacAndrews & Forbes, Inc., and a corporate partner at Baker Botts LLP. Ms. Townsend served in senior national security roles under President George W. Bush, including Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism and Chair of the Homeland Security Council. She also served as Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism and spent 13 years as a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice under multiple administrations. Ms. Townsend received numerous awards for her public service including from DOJ, FBI, and CIA. She currently serves on three public company boards—Chubb, Freeport-McMoRan, and Leonardo DRS—where she is also Chairwoman. She additionally serves on several private company boards, chairing two and leading the compensation committees. Ms. Townsend’s nonprofit leadership includes trusteeships with the Hospital for Special Surgery, the Atlantic Council, CSIS, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, and the McCain Institute. She is also a board member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, and the International Republican Institute. Ms. Townsend is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group.
