At McAfee Institute, our mission is to elevate and empower professionals in intelligence, investigations, and law enforcement to become exceptional leaders, solve complex real-world problems, and ultimately make a meaningful impact. We’ve crafted a unique culture that emphasizes excellence, trust, and a relentless pursuit of growth, creating an environment where top performers can thrive, support one another, and achieve remarkable things together.

This document embodies our culture, defined by four guiding principles:

The Dream Team

At McAfee Institute, we believe that a fantastic workplace is built not on perks or benefits, but on the quality of our people. Like an elite sports team, we look for top performers who not only excel at what they do but bring out the best in those around them. We prioritize skill, integrity, and dedication to our mission, even if that means making hard choices. Here, we expect everyone to contribute to the mission and to elevate one another.

Our Dream Team values are:

• Selflessness — Focusing on what’s best for McAfee Institute, not just for oneself or one’s team; helping others succeed and openly sharing insights and learnings.
• Judgment — Making thoughtful, data-informed decisions for sustainable growth; understanding the long-term impact over quick fixes.
• Candor — Embracing honest, constructive feedback, especially when it’s difficult; being transparent about what’s working and what’s not.
• Courage — Challenging norms and pushing boundaries to innovate and excel; having the resilience to fail forward in pursuit of growth.
• Inclusion — Recognizing and countering biases to foster an environment where everyone can contribute and thrive.
• Curiosity — Always seeking to learn, remaining humble about what’s not yet known, and valuing diverse perspectives.
• Resilience — Adapting quickly, making tough decisions, and persevering through obstacles with purpose.

Our team model means high expectations for performance and for how we treat each other. We work to keep each other accountable, support open dialogue, and empower everyone, including leaders, to uphold these standards. Trust and mutual respect underpin our culture, allowing us to give and receive candid feedback that helps us grow individually and collectively.

People Over Process

At McAfee Institute, we prioritize empowering individuals to make decisions over enforcing strict processes. We believe the best outcomes come when people are equipped with context, trusted with autonomy, and encouraged to take ownership of their work. Leaders here focus on setting clear objectives and providing the “why” behind every mission, while enabling team members to figure out the “how.”

Our commitment to autonomy and trust requires strong decision-making at every level. Leaders ensure context is clear, coach their teams effectively, and step in when necessary for ethical or critical decisions. This approach gives our people freedom to innovate and to learn from their actions, building a dynamic culture where responsibility and growth go hand in hand.

We also avoid unnecessary committee-based decision-making, which often slows progress. Instead, we assign informed “captains” who make the call and are accountable for outcomes. This “highly aligned, loosely coupled” structure empowers our teams to move fast and stay connected while ensuring clarity on accountability.

Uncomfortably Exciting

Our mission at McAfee Institute requires a bold, purpose-driven approach. Whether in developing new certifications, expanding into emerging intelligence fields, or addressing the latest threats, we pursue what’s next, even if it’s uncomfortable. We seek individuals who value this “uncomfortably exciting” environment and thrive on big challenges, bringing their best to advance the field and help others succeed.

Great and Always Better

Our work at McAfee Institute is never done. Just as intelligence and investigations evolve, so must we. We aim to be better tomorrow than we are today, and we expect everyone on our team to share this commitment to constant improvement. Self-awareness, open feedback, and a willingness to change drive our progress. Whether it’s enhancing our programs, refining our methods, or setting higher standards, we believe growth is the pathway to excellence.

As we grow and evolve, our culture will, too. But what will remain unchanged is our dedication to empowering exceptional people, fostering an environment of trust and resilience, and maintaining a high-performance culture where everyone is driven to do the best work of their lives. If you find this exciting and align with our mission, McAfee Institute may be the place for you. But it’s not for everyone, so read on to decide if you’ll thrive here.