Frances Townsend is an Executive Vice President for Worldwide Government, Legal and Business Affairs at MacAndrews & Forbes Incorporated. She works across MacAndrews’ portfolio companies focusing on international, legal, compliance and business development issues.

Prior to joining MacAndrews & Forbes, she was a corporate partner with the law firm Baker Botts, LLP. From 2004 to 2008, Townsend served as Assistant to President George W. Bush for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, and chaired the Homeland Security Council. She also served as Deputy National Security Advisor for Combatting Terrorism from 2003 to 2004. Townsend spent 13 years at the U.S. Department of Justice under the administrations of President George H. W. Bush, President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush. For President W. Bush, she served as Homeland Security Advisor.

Townsend is an on air senior national security analyst for CBS News and, before that, she was at CNN for seven years. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission.