Who we are
Dr. Jay Grusin
Jay Grusin is a highly-regarded expert on intelligence analysis. After a career of 29-plus years with the Central Intelligence Agency, Jay joined Leidos (then part of SAIC) in 2008. In 2012, Jay established Analytic Edge to bring intelligence training to public and private sector organizations outside the U.S. intelligence community. During his tenure at the CIA, Jay was a member of the Senior Intelligence Service, was instrumental in creating and delivering a training course, which redefined how analytic tradecraft would be taught, and became the foundation of the Directorate of Analysis tradecraft training curriculum. He also led the development and delivery of the first sequenced management/leadership curriculum. He is a Central Intelligence Agency University certified instructor with over 13,000 hours of classroom experience instructing analysts and their managers, and he received the Director’s Career Intelligence Medal in recognition of his contributions. Jay has a B.A. from Bradley University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona.
Contact Information: jrgrusin@gmail.com | 571-215-6552
Jay Grusin is a highly-regarded expert on intelligence analysis. After a career of 29-plus years with the Central Intelligence Agency, Jay joined Leidos (then part of SAIC) in 2008. In 2012, Jay established Analytic Edge to bring intelligence training to public and private sector organizations outside the U.S. intelligence community. During his tenure at the CIA, Jay was a member of the Senior Intelligence Service, was instrumental in creating and delivering a training course, which redefined how analytic tradecraft would be taught, and became the foundation of the Directorate of Analysis tradecraft training curriculum. He also led the development and delivery of the first sequenced management/leadership curriculum. He is a Central Intelligence Agency University certified instructor with over 13,000 hours of classroom experience instructing analysts and their managers, and he received the Director’s Career Intelligence Medal in recognition of his contributions. Jay has a B.A. from Bradley University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona.
Contact Information: jrgrusin@gmail.com | 571-215-6552
Steve Lindo
Steve Lindo designed and teaches a master's course in financial risk management at Columbia University and a master's course in enterprise risk management at the Ohio State University. His professional career spans more than 30 years managing risks in global corporations, both financial and non-financial. Prior to his current role as principal of SRL Advisory Services, an independent consulting firm specializing in risk governance, education, regulation and data risk management, Steve held senior risk positions at Fifth Third Bancorp, GMAC (now Ally Financial), Cargill Financial Services, Lloyds Bank and First National Bank of Chicago (now part of JPMorgan Chase). In 2010, Steve completed a two-year engagement as executive director of PRMIA, The Professional Risk Managers’ International Association, a non‐profit member organization with over 75,000 members in 198 countries. Steve is a regular presenter at conferences, author of risk management articles and case studies. He has a B,A, and M.A. from Oxford University and speaks fluent French, German, Spanish and Portuguese.
Contact Information: steve.lindo@gmail.com | 612-865-6647
Steve Lindo designed and teaches a master's course in financial risk management at Columbia University and a master's course in enterprise risk management at the Ohio State University. His professional career spans more than 30 years managing risks in global corporations, both financial and non-financial. Prior to his current role as principal of SRL Advisory Services, an independent consulting firm specializing in risk governance, education, regulation and data risk management, Steve held senior risk positions at Fifth Third Bancorp, GMAC (now Ally Financial), Cargill Financial Services, Lloyds Bank and First National Bank of Chicago (now part of JPMorgan Chase). In 2010, Steve completed a two-year engagement as executive director of PRMIA, The Professional Risk Managers’ International Association, a non‐profit member organization with over 75,000 members in 198 countries. Steve is a regular presenter at conferences, author of risk management articles and case studies. He has a B,A, and M.A. from Oxford University and speaks fluent French, German, Spanish and Portuguese.
Contact Information: steve.lindo@gmail.com | 612-865-6647
What we do
We show you how to test your judgments in high-stakes situations. Whatever your decision-making process, we show you how to overcome interference from biases, emotions and organizational influence in your decision analysis. Our methods use time-tested, structured discussions which are indifferent to your organization’s culture, objectives or industry sector.
Traditional v Structured Decision Analysis
Traditional decision analysis methods are error-prone in complex and uncertain situations because of intelligence risk, which comprises the information overload, inconclusive data, cognitive biases, emotions, organizational influence and intense time pressure involved in high-stakes business decisions.
The deficiency of traditional decision analysis methods in such situations is demonstrated by the long list of well-publicized business debacles in both financial and non-financial sectors, and stems from the following reasons:
Typical examples of dysfunctional decision analysis include:
By contrast, in the world of government intelligence analysis, disciplined decision analysis processes have been developed and field-tested over more than 20 years, in the course of managing the continuous and ever-changing stream of high-stakes situations involving money, lives, property and influence.
Steve Lindo and Jay Grusin have teamed up to establish these intelligent risk management practices in the business sector. Combining more than half a century of experience in the government and private sectors, Steve and Jay bridge the gap between the decision analysis practices in both worlds.
Traditional v Structured Decision Analysis
Traditional decision analysis methods are error-prone in complex and uncertain situations because of intelligence risk, which comprises the information overload, inconclusive data, cognitive biases, emotions, organizational influence and intense time pressure involved in high-stakes business decisions.
The deficiency of traditional decision analysis methods in such situations is demonstrated by the long list of well-publicized business debacles in both financial and non-financial sectors, and stems from the following reasons:
- High-stakes decisions typically occur infrequently, meaning that participants have few opportunities to hone their decision analysis skills in complex and uncertain situations.
- The large amounts of data, expert projections and qualitative risk analysis which are contributed by multiple departments, functions and stakeholders in such situations present an enormous challenge to reconcile in a short timeframe.
- Organizational biases and emotions frequently interfere with objectivity in the process of analyzing complex and uncertain situations.
Typical examples of dysfunctional decision analysis include:
- "Here’s what I (the CEO) want to do, speak up anybody who thinks it’s a bad idea."
- "The accountants have already run the numbers, so all you have to do is vote yes or no".
- "We’ve already run this by our lawyers and they’re fine with it."
- "You can ask as many questions as you like, but we have to make a yes/no decision by the end of this meeting."
By contrast, in the world of government intelligence analysis, disciplined decision analysis processes have been developed and field-tested over more than 20 years, in the course of managing the continuous and ever-changing stream of high-stakes situations involving money, lives, property and influence.
Steve Lindo and Jay Grusin have teamed up to establish these intelligent risk management practices in the business sector. Combining more than half a century of experience in the government and private sectors, Steve and Jay bridge the gap between the decision analysis practices in both worlds.