Palantir Technologies Hires British Security Official

Palantir Technologies, a Silicon Valley startup that has become an influential player in Washington’s spy world, is beefing
up its senior ranks. The company has hired
Gavin Hood, a British lawyer and national security expert, to be the chief of staff to Palantir CEO
Alex Karp.

Hood has served as a liaison between British and US
national security and intelligence agencies, and he is well known in
counterterrorism
circles. He was recently the legal adviser to the British
embassy in Washington, where he dealt with national security issues.
And his connections to American policymakers include a stint as
the United Kingdom’s legal adviser to the Coalition Provisional
Authority in Iraq, which ran the country following the 2003
invasion by US and allied forces.

“Gavin is a brilliant catch for Palantir. He’s a smart and charming diplomat and has gotten to know everyone in the intelligence community in Washington,” says John Bellinger, a partner in the national security practice at Arnold & Porter who previously served as the legal adviser for the Department of State in the Bush administration. 

At Palantir, Hood will join other former high-level
intelligence officials who advise on business and strategy for the
company,
which makes sophisticated data-analysis software. It’s used by
military forces and the intelligence agencies to share classified
information. And it has been especially helpful tracking
terrorist suspects and identifying terrorist networks, according
to government officials who use the product.

Last year, Palantir hired
Michael Leiter, the former director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, as a senior counsel. The company’s advisers also include
a former CIA intelligence officer and aide to national security adviser
Condoleezza Rice, as well as top officials from the so-called “Five Eyes,” an international partnership comprised of intelligence and security
services from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Karp, Palantir’s CEO, said Hood’s “legal, policy, and
national security expertise, combined with his experience working with
the UK Foreign Service and with a range of governments and
international organizations around the world, will help guide the
company as we continue to grow and expand into new markets.”

Palantir’s business has been primarily focused on US
government agencies and American companies. But it is expanding in the
United Kingdom, as well, and will be working closely with
British security officials for the upcoming Olympic Games, company
executives said.

Shane Harris