Jody Gilzene, Esq.

Founder & Senior Executive Officer
U.S. Air Force Veteran

Whether consulting, coaching, delivering specialized training, speaking, writing, or offering objective insight, for over 20 years, Jody has been a clear, steady, and trustworthy partner in helping clients navigate complex challenges across various sectors.

Jody leads our business development and expert engagement.

Before forming Knapdale Group, Jody was a Vice President and Assistant General Counsel - Global Financial Crimes for the largest bank in the US and the fifth largest bank globally. She regularly advised senior executives across the global enterprise on significant government investigations, cross-border financial crime matters, regulatory compliance, and enterprise-wide legal risk mitigation.

Previously, Jody served as a Supervisory Assistant US Attorney (federal prosecutor) in the US Department of Justice, in West Texas. While at the DOJ, she conducted complex criminal investigations and handled a broad array of high-stakes federal crimes, including money laundering, corruption and bribery, drug trafficking, immigration fraud, various customs-related violations, computer-related crimes, wire fraud, cultural properties and art theft, false representations to government officials, and financial fraud. Jody also litigated criminal cases in federal district court, collaborating with agents and other attorneys, as lead counsel.

In her earlier government service, Jody served on active duty as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the US Air Force. Her assignments spanned roles as a prosecutor, ethics advisor, general counsel, criminal defense attorney, and civil litigation counsel in employment law. She operated in high-stakes, diverse environments across multiple countries, including a deployment to the Middle East.

While attending law school to obtain her Juris Doctor, Jody worked full-time as a criminal investigator for a county government agency, handling financial crime investigations and restitution matters in the Economic Crimes Unit.

Education

Master of Business Administration (MBA), Cornell University

Master of Laws (LLM), Securities & Financial Regulation, Georgetown University Law Center

Juris Doctor (JD), Cooley Law School

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Criminal Justice, University of Illinois at Chicago

Attorney Licenses

Texas & Michigan

Certification

Trained Mediator, University of Texas School of Law

Interesting Facts

Jody was an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship student-athlete throughout all four years of college.

Jody is a naturalized US citizen and first-generation immigrant, born in Jamaica.

In her free time, Jody enjoys spending time with her family and close friends, traveling, and learning new skills.

Jody's Social Media

LinkedIn