Dr. Curtis Rasmussen

Curtis Rasmussen is a respected human machine teaming expert, organisational psychologist and former senior government advisor specialising in the intersection of artificial intelligence, cyber security and human performance. A retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer with more than two decades of operational leadership experience, Curtis has built a career focused on helping organisations integrate advanced technologies while maintaining effective human decision-making. Drawing on his experience across defence, government and industry, he is hired as a speaker to explain how leaders can balance AI capability with human judgement in high-stakes environments.

Curtis began his career in the United States Navy, where he served for 22 years and rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. During this time, he developed expertise in leadership under pressure, including work in rescue diving, operational instruction and team management. His time in the Navy shaped his interest in how people perform in demanding environments and how leadership and psychology influence outcomes. After leaving active service, Curtis pursued advanced academic study, completing a PhD in Industrial Organisational Psychology at Walden University with a 4.0 GPA, alongside earlier degrees in homeland security and intelligence studies.

Following his doctoral research, Curtis applied his expertise within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he worked first as a Data Scientist and later as Senior Industrial Organisational Psychologist at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. In this role, he focused on human cyber performance and the relationship between people, technology and decision making. His work included developing frameworks such as MAS for algorithm selection and XAIC for explainable AI evaluation, designed to improve trust in AI systems while reducing over-reliance on automated decisions. He is also the author of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Human Resources: A Concise Guide, a practical resource exploring the role of AI in modern workforce management.

Curtis is hired as a speaker because he brings a rare blend of operational leadership, academic research and practical AI insight. As the owner of Human Cyber Performance Tech and Focal Point Mid Atlantic, and an advisor to the Strategic AI Certificate Program at La Roche University, he works closely with organisations navigating the challenges of responsible AI adoption. His talks help HR leaders, technology teams and executives understand how to maintain effective human in the loop decision making while leveraging the power of artificial intelligence.