TheBridge profile: Al Hanson

Name: Al Hanson

Current city: St. Augustine, FL

Current job: Assistant Director, Cyber Statecraft Initiative at The Atlantic Council

Past job: Analyst at Krebs Stamos Group

Q. How are you currently bridging the gap between innovation and regulation? Krebs Stamos Group is equipping innovators with information and insights that augment their ability to create the technology of tomorrow, and provide services that are secure and resilient against pernicious threats that permeate their operating environment. In the regulatory area, we are ensuring that innovators are acutely aware of regulation and policy developments that will affect the efficacy of their operations in the future.

Q. Job advice in three words? Never stop learning

Q. What can innovators learn from policymakers? Innovators should attempt to better comprehend the factors that policymakers must consider as they develop policy. It is not always a straightforward process to create and pass policies that encompass an entire technological ecosystem while at the same time, not constraining businesses' ability to operate and innovate. From my experience, innovators can do a better job understanding how policies can possibly affect their ability to operate and innovate.

Q. What can policymakers learn from innovators? Policymakers need to understand the aspirations and broad visions that innovators are trying to materialize. Many times, policymakers are focused on the issues that affect their constituents and can, at times, be out of touch with the path that innovation is taking in certain areas. Some policymakers occasionally maintain a degree of unawareness with respect to the developments that are taking place.

Q. Can you describe a skill you have carried throughout your career that has always proved to be valuable?Connecting concepts that seem to be unrelated has proven to be very valuable.

Q. What is the best job interview question you have ever been asked? What is your process for keeping up with news/current events?

Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting? Anywhere that is quiet and has contemporary jazz music playing in the background.

Q. Do you have a favorite book and/or podcast you would recommend? There are several books I would recommend: How We Were made by William Neil; The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil; The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn; The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel; Exhalation & Story of Your life and Others, both by Ted Chiang

Podcast: The Lex Fridman Podcast

Q. Why are you part of TheBridge community? Or, why do you think it's important this community exists for tech, policy and political professionals? Going forward, the pace of technological innovation is going to increase, and the consequences of lethargic policy development will continue to become more pronounced. Facilitating a dialogue between tech and policy professionals is a necessary step in ensuring the most secure, efficient innovation process.

Q. Everyday is probably different, but are there certain skills you think are essential to your job? The ability to apply effective critical thinking to very dynamic situations is essential to success. One must be open to criticism and committed to constant improvement.

Q. If you had to live in another city, which would it be? Dubai, UAE

Q. Last time you were completely unplugged? On vacation in 2017 to Palm Springs, California, I took a hike in the San Jacinto Mountains. That was the last time I believe I was completely unplugged.

Q. How often do you work from home? Everyday besides when I attend conferences or have occasional in person meetings.

Q. How do you unwind after work? Brazilian Jui Jitsu


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