What you need to know
- Snap has hired outgoing Secret Service chief James Murray as its chief security officer.
- Murray will join the company next month, reporting directly to CEO and co-founder Evan Spiegel.
- He is set to retire from his post at the end of this month.
Secret Service chief James Murray is joining Snap Inc. in August as a chief security officer, reporting directly to CEO and co-founder Evan Spiegel.
According to The Washington Post, Murray is set to retire from the Secret Service on July 30 after a 27-year career with the agency. Snap, the parent firm of Snapchat, has confirmed to Variety that it has hired Murray.
"We’re thrilled to welcome Jim Murray to Snap and look forward to him joining our team on August 1," a Snap spokesperson said in a statement. "Jim will bring a wealth of experience to this new role, which will help ensure the safety and security of the more than 5,000 Snap employees who live and work across the globe."
Last week, the Secret Service announced Murray's imminent retirement from the agency, where he served as chief executive since May 1, 2019.
"Since the Spring of 2019, Director Murray successfully guided the agency through eight National Special Security Events and nearly 20,000 international and domestic protective operations," the agency said in a press release. "During that time, the agency also recovered approximately $4.2B in fraud loss and prevented an estimated $8.1B in additional losses at the hands of criminal enterprise."
Murray's retirement marks a culmination of his 32-year service to the government.
The agency also praised its outgoing chief for his efforts to "navigate the unique challenges presented by the historic COVID-19 pandemic, throughout which the agency continued executing its integrated mission of providing protection to senior elected leaders and investigating crimes targeting our financial infrastructure."
