Sean McDermott

About Sean McDermott

am a Managing Director in FTI Consulting’s Digital Forensics practice, trusted by government agencies, global law firms, and Fortune 100 companies to lead high stakes investigations, regulatory responses, and expert witness engagements. With more than 20 years of experience across cybersecurity, digital forensics, incident response, and eDiscovery, and an active TS SCI clearance, I help organizations navigate their most complex technical and legal challenges.My background includes advising the Executive Office of the President across three administrations, building and leading the White House forensic lab as a testifying expert, and supporting matters involving national security, high profile criminal cases, complex litigation, and large scale DOJ and FTC Second Requests. I routinely lead cross functional teams through the full investigative lifecycle, from rapid scoping and evidence preservation through expert analysis, reporting, and testimony.I am engaged in advanced work across cloud forensics, cryptocurrency investigations, mobile device forensics, AI enabled investigations, and enterprise data governance. My approach blends deep technical expertise with investigative discipline and the ability to communicate complex findings clearly to courts, regulators, boards, and executive leadership.In parallel with client work, I am expanding FTI’s footprint within the federal government and regulated industries, including initiatives around FedRAMP aligned environments, national security workloads, enterprise cloud investigations, and next generation forensics tooling. I also design and lead internal training programs, mentor forensic analysts, and contribute to firm and industry thought leadership on digital evidence, AI, and emerging risk.In addition to executive advisory work, I am selectively exploring advisory board and non executive board roles with organizations operating in regulated, high risk, or technology driven environments. I bring a board level perspective focused on governance, enterprise risk oversight, data and AI accountability, regulatory exposure, and decision making under pressure.Specialties: Digital Forensics, Expert Testimony, DOJ and FTC Second Requests, National Security Investigations, Cloud and Mobile Forensics, Cryptocurrency Investigations, Incident Response, Litigation Support, Executive Communications, Evidence Preservation, Policy and Governance, FedRAMP and Regulatory Compliance

Experience

1. Managing Director Technology

   FTI Consulting

   Jul 2021 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   Lead high-impact digital forensics and investigative engagements for government agencies, law firms, and multinational corporations. Serve as a testifying expert in criminal, civil, and regulatory matters, overseeing end-to-end investigations and guiding clients through complex regulatory responses, including DOJ and FTC Second Requests. Drive practice development, national security initiatives, and thought leadership across FTI’s Technology segment, with a focus on cloud and SaaS forensics, mobile and collaboration platform evidence, cryptocurrency and blockchain investigations, and AI-enabled discovery workflows.Key Contributions:• Lead forensic strategy on major Second Request (2R) and complex regulatory matters, directing large cross-border teams under accelerated agency timelines.• Expand FTI’s engagement with federal and regulatory agencies, including the Department of Justice, Department of Commerce, and Executive Branch entities.• Direct global digital forensics training and certification strategy, designing multi-month curricula, certification roadmaps, and practitioner development programs across regions.• Build and maintain high-value business development relationships across law firms, government, and corporate legal departments.• Serve as testifying expert in high-profile litigation, arbitration, and regulatory investigations.• Advance FTI’s leadership in cloud and SaaS forensics, mobile and collaboration platform evidence, cryptocurrency and blockchain investigations, and AI-enabled discovery workflows.

Skills

• Security Management
• Private Investigations
• Risk Assessment
• First Responder Training
• Cle Presentations
• First Responder
• Suveillance
• Management
• Records Management
• Litigation Support
• Litigation
• Program Management
• Incident Response
• Organizational Development
• Project Management
• Business Process Improvement
• Manage Complex Projects
• Networking
• Strategic Partnerships
• Leadership
• Ence
• Digital Forensics
• Strategic Planning
• Network Security
• Physical Security
• Penetration Testing
• Threat & Vulnerability Management
• Information Security Management
• Investigation
• Mobile Forensics
• Computer Forensics
• Cybercrime
• Ftk
• Encase
• Disaster Recovery
• Cissp
• Security
• Internal Investigations
• Consulting
• Electronic Evidence