Joe Demarest serves as assistant director of the cyber division at the FBI, where the 26-year bureau veteran has worked in investigative matters related to counterterrorism, white-collar crime, organized crime, drugs, violent crime and foreign counterintelligence.Prior to his current role, Demarest led the FBI’s international operations division and was responsible for the bureau’s international and overseas law enforcement operations, liaison, and training efforts.
He started his FBI career as a special agent in the Anchorage division, transferred to the New York division in 1999, was later promoted to squad supervisor in the division and was selected as the division’s SWAT team leader.
In 2000, Demarest was selected to serve as the drug branch’s acting assistant special agent in charge and served as a shift commander for the bureau’s investigation into the September 11, 2001 attacks.
In 2002, he was selected to lead a team of FBI personnel deployed to the joint task force at the U.S. naval station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. and was then promoted to a unit chief position at FBI headquarters in 2002, where he served in the international terrorism operations section within the counterterrorism division.
He was promoted to assistant section chief of the section in 2003 and he later served as an acting section chief in ITOS until he was promoted to assistant special agent in charge of the New York division’s international terrorism branch.
Demarest was later selected as the special agent in charge for counterterrorism and served in that role until early 2008.
In December 2008, he returned to the FBI after a stint in the private sector and was appointed assistant director in charge of the New York division.
His private sector career includes time as managing director for the Americas with Goldman Sachs in that firm’s global security office.
Prior to the FBI, Demarest served as a deputy sheriff in Hillsborough County, Florida for five years.