Navigating National Security Compliance
Vision
Midwatch Consulting aims to become a trusted advisor to organizations operating within the U.S. national security ecosystem by delivering practical, executive-level guidance on regulatory compliance, security governance, and risk management. The firm will support companies working with classified programs, emerging technologies, and defense partnerships by translating complex regulatory requirements into operational governance frameworks
Shannon Llenza
Founder and CEO
The Midwatch Consulting Group
Midwatch Consulting is founded by Shannon Llenza, a national security attorney with more than twenty years of experience across the intelligence community and the private sector. She has advised global technology companies on national security compliance, governance, insider threat mitigation, and regulatory risk associated with participating in classified government programs.
Prior to founding Midwatch Consulting, Shannon served as Senior Director and Associate General Counsel at Snowflake, where she helped develop its national security compliance program. Her work included advising senior leadership on regulatory and governance issues related to classified operations, conducting compliance gap assessments, developing governance frameworks, and supporting Facility Clearance (FCL) and Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) requirements.
Earlier, Shannon served as Assistant General Counsel at Microsoft, where she focused on national security compliance and insider threat mitigation. She advised senior security leadership on insider threat investigations, program governance, and risk management, and helped develop the governance framework and policies supporting Microsoft’s Corporate Insider Threat Program.
Before entering the private sector, Shannon served in the U.S. national security community, including roles at the Department of Justice, the National Security Agency, and the Department of Defense. She also served for twenty years in the United States Navy JAG Corps, retiring in 2024.
Together, these roles have given her a unique perspective on national security governance from both the government and private-sector side—experience that informs her work advising organizations seeking to responsibly operate within the national security and defense ecosystem. This experience enables Midwatch Consulting to provide practical, operational expertise in building and implementing national security compliance programs inside technology companies and defense contractors supporting classified government programs.