Aimen Dean
Aimen Dean is a globally renowned international security, geopolitical risk, and business intelligence consultant. As one of the world’s leading Counter-Terrorist Financing experts, he excels in providing clients with rarefied information to help them navigate complex challenges. Aimen was a former MI6 spy. He previously played a key role in the global campaign against terrorism for the British Secret Intelligence Service, where he was involved in gathering intelligence on al-Qaeda and other extremist groups. He has since consulted for HSBC and several other major private and public entities. Aimen is the Co-Founder and Director of Operations of Cruickshank & Dean Global Intelligence, and the author of the critically acclaimed memoir “Nine Lives: My Time as MI6’s Top Spy Inside al-Qaeda.” Today, he consults on security and counter-terrorism for governments and the private sector with a focus on counter-terrorist finance.
Aimen Dean Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Co-Founder and Director of Operations
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Consultant
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND COUNTERTERRORISM
Aimen’s expertise in international security and counterterrorism is widely recognized.
He advocates for intelligence-based analysis against terrorism and aids public/private sectors in effective risk mitigation strategies.
He supports various businesses, energy firms, traders, financial entities, and more in making informed decisions in high-risk, high-reward markets, with a particular focus on the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries.
He helps multinationals grasp evolving regulatory and political landscapes, identify key stakeholders, potential strategic partners and evaluate new opportunities.
He also assists financial organizations, law enforcement, and regulators in identifying, investigating, and tracking illicit finance.
He provides tailored training to enhance Counter-Terrorist Financing (CFT) capabilities.
AL-QAEDA
In 1997, he joined Al-Qaeda, and became part of its bomb making and WMD development efforts.
Al-Qaeda’s 1998 terror attack on two US embassies in East Africa rattled him. After long soul-searching, he secretly defected to the British government and worked undercover for eight years passing information to UK intelligence on al-Qaeda’s networks and plots.
In 2006, his cover was compromised by a book published in the US. He left undercover work to become a consultant for a global bank in the Financial Crime/Counter Terror Finance, offering insights on terrorism, terror financing, and Middle East affairs.
MEDIA & APPEARANCES
Aimen is the co-host of the podcast “Conflicted” on the history and politics of the Middle East,
His podcast has amassed more than five million listeners around the world and has ranked in the top 25 of all podcasts on the UK Apple Podcasts charts.
Aimen is a renowned speaker who has delivered presentations and keynotes at various forums.
He has shared insights at the International Conference on Counterterrorism in Herzliya, Israel, discussing evolving terrorist threats.
He has addressed New Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) in London, highlighting law enforcement challenges.
He also spoke at the NYC Police Department’s Cyber Intelligence & Counterterrorism Conference and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, sharing experiences with future military leaders.
He has also appeared in Washington Times, NBC, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, The Times, BBC, Real Vision, and many more.