Bank of America hires its own 'homeland security director'

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Posted 7:43AM on Wednesday, February 13, 2002

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Neil Gallagher retired from the FBI in November after 29 years that included work on some of the agency's highest-profile investigations, including the arrest of FBI double-agent Robert Hanssen, the Oklahoma City bombing and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. He's hoping for a lower profile as the new director of homeland security for Bank of America. The Charlotte-based bank -- one of the largest commercial banks in the country with $622 billion in assets, nearly 143,000 employees, and 4,400 branches -- recruited the FBI's former counterintelligence and national security chief to oversee its own battle against terrorism. Gallagher said the responsibilities will be demanding. "I'm not ready to retire and I wanted a new challenge," he said. "Finance is one of the most critical infrastructures in the United States. When you look at what is important to the American way of life, the local banking center ranks right up there." Even though it's been five months since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the government says Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist group remains a serious threat. "We know they will continue to plan, we know they will hurt us again," CIA director George Tenet told a congressional panel last week. "We have to minimize their ability to do so because there is no perfection in this business." Gallagher will lead the internal effort to protect the Bank of America from terrorist threats, and also will oversee its relationship with federal and local law enforcement agencies in more than 20 states and the District of Columbia. "The challenge for me is the same as the challenge for America in the post-Sept. 11 world," he said. "We need to move from a security plan that's driven by fear to what I call smarter security." Gallagher, 54, said his first endeavor will be to take a comprehensive look at the bank's current safeguards to see how they match up against what a veteran FBI agent considers to be the risks facing a major financial institution. "When it comes to homeland security, certainly the government must take the lead," he said. "But we need a more dynamic and involved corporate America. This is where Bank of America is coming from by creating this new position." The bank isn't the only U.S. company that's taking a proactive approach to a vexing problem. Earlier this month, US Airways Group Inc., which operates a major hub in Charlotte, chose a former inspector general from the Defense Department to direct its corporate security. Michael Mancuso, who worked as acting inspector general for the department from April 1999 to January 2001, has more than 25 years of law enforcement experience. Like Gallagher with the bank, Mancuso will direct the airline's security management programs and its relationship with law enforcement and security agencies. Terry Watt, head of corporate security at Bank of America, said Gallagher brings a wealth of experience and insight to the bank. "His previous responsibilities for the FBI's counterintelligence and counterterrorism programs, along with his extensive investigative experience, underscore the commitment of Bank of America to be a leader in providing a safe environment for our customers, clients and associates," he said. Gallagher said his new job will requires the street smarts of a beat cop. One of his favorite stories dates back more than 20 years when an alert New Jersey state trooper noticed something unusual about a man sitting in a car at a rest stop. As it turned out, the individual was a member of the Japanese Red Army -- an ultra-leftist group that carried out a string of terrorist attacks in the 1970s -- on his way to New York City. "The trooper detained him and he found some explosive devices in the back seat of the car," Gallagher said. "This is what I call the front line of defense." Gallagher had his share of criticism during his long FBI career. His retirement came during a massive investigation into the Sept. 11 attacks and followed a period of turmoil at the FBI. The FBI's espionage division suffered a major setback with the arrest of agent Robert Hanssen, who pleaded guilty to spying for the Soviet Union and later Russia. Government watchdogs also accused Gallagher of misleading Congress about the investigation of scientist Wen Ho Lee. Lee, a U.S. citizen for more than 25 years, was indicted on 59 felony counts for transferring nuclear weapons information. He denied giving information to China and eventually pleaded guilty to one felony count of downloading sensitive material. Gallagher said one of the job requirements of an FBI agent is very thick skin. "When the FBI was criticized, I was the FBI face," he said. "I was in charge of national security when we had some significant cases. "We arrested one of our own (Hanssen) for being a spy," Gallagher said. "But also under our direction, we arrested him." Gallagher earned kudos for his work on some of the FBI's most significant investigations, including the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. He also managed the agency's counterterrorism effort during the Persian Gulf War. From 1993 to 1995, Gallagher was the special agent in charge of the FBI New Orleans office, and he received high honors for the investigation of corruption in the New Orleans Police Department. Gallagher also was one of four FBI agents in charge of the investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. He returned to Washington, D.C., after that and was promoted to assistant director in 1998.

Bank of America hires its own &#39;homeland security director&#39;

Bank of America hires its own 'homeland security director'