Mark G. Hobbs currently serves as President of National Intelligence Service, a professional investigation firm he founded in 2000 that specializes in a broad array of pre-employment services.

Mr. Hobbs' career in law enforcement commenced in 1981 at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and Huntsville Police Departments. From 1984 to 2000, Mr. Hobbs served a distinguished tenure with the Hoover Police Department, Hoover, Alabama. The majority of his tenure was spent serving in the capacity of Detective Sergeant, Investigations Division for financial crimes, property crimes and special investigations.

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby, while serving as Chairman-Select Committee on Intelligence, wrote a letter of commendation for N.I.S. Founder, Mark G. Hobbs. In an excerpt of the commendation, U.S. Senator Richard Shelby wrote, "During his career he has had a 99.5% conviction rate of all narcotic arrests. He assisted in the seizure of more than $1,000,000 in illegal narcotics and assets, and he has a case solvability rate four times the national average for financial crimes. In addition to his many accomplishments, Mark has a strong marketing background which has been beneficial in providing innovative solutions".

Mr. Hobbs actively maintains professional relationships with local, state and federal law enforcement personnel from various divisions including the U.S. Army, F.B.I., D.E.A, U.S. Customs, U.S. Immigration and the U.S. Postal Inspectors.

Mr. Hobbs graduated from the University of Alabama in Birmingham with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Commerce and Business Marketing.

The following article, written by Roger Shuler, is courtesy of Venture, the alumni magazine of the UAB School of Business, which is produced by the UAB Office of Publications and Periodicals.

Mark Hobbs Keeping an eye on business security Mark Hobbs once heard a story of a woman who worked at four companies in Hoover, Alabama. At each job, she was fired after being caught embezzling. “She just went from one company to another and would start embezzling at each place,” Hobbs says. “When she got caught, the companies wouldn’t have her arrested. But they would fire her, and she would go on to become someone else’s problem.” All of that trouble—and considerable expense—probably could have been avoided if the companies had performed thorough background checks. “Many companies don’t screen job candidates because they think it’s too expensive,” Hobbs says. “But it doesn’t cost as much as people think, and it can sure cost a lot of money if you don’t do it.” A Threat from Within Hobbs, a 1986 graduate of the School of Business, founded National Intelligence Service (NIS) in 2000, specializing in a broad array of investigative and security services. He started the company after retiring from a 20-year career in law enforcement. “Even the FBI and CIA have had problems with corrupt employees, so no business should think it is immune,” Hobbs says. “What we do is serious business.” How serious? According to the Bureau of National Affairs, $15 to $25 billion is lost each year to employee theft. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners estimates that occupational fraud costs U.S. companies approximately $600 billion annually. A Florida furniture company faced a $2.5-million court judgment for failing to check the background of a deliveryman who assaulted a customer. Hobbs grew up in Ensley and worked at the UAB Police Department while going to school here. He later spent 16 years in the Hoover Police Department, primarily investigating property, drug, and financial crimes. “One of my first sergeants at UAB asked me what I was going to major in, and I said criminal justice,” Hobbs says. “He told me that the chances of getting hurt or disabled are higher in law enforcement than in most jobs, so he suggested I get a degree I could do something with. I had always wanted to own my own business, so I decided to get a business degree. “By the time I was out of school, I was married and had a child. So I decided to stay in law enforcement and get to a point where I could retire and then move on to something else.” The “something else” proved to be starting his own company, which has a Web site at [www.nationalintelligenceservice.com]. For inspiration, Hobbs turned to his brother Larry, who had started Custom Cable Services in Fultondale. For his staff, Hobbs relied on a network of current and retired law-enforcement professionals he had come to know over the years. They are called associates and work for him on a free-lance basis. Digging Deeper In addition to pre-employment screening, the company provides drug screening, internal investigations, polygraph examinations, computer forensic analysis, covert audio/video operations, technical surveillance operations, physical site security, anti-terrorism preparedness, and executive protection. “One of my clients had been using a state agency to do background checks,” Hobbs says. “They were catching about 25 percent of applicants with criminal records. When they went with us, that number jumped to 50 percent. It’s just a matter of digging a little deeper. It’s like hunting rabbits — if you don’t kick enough stumps, you’re not going to get a rabbit to come out.” At times, Hobbs’s work can sound like it’s right out of a spy movie. An NIS counter-intelligence expert recently discovered a hidden bug in a client’s corporate strategy room. “This is a growing problem in corporate America, and our success on that case demonstrates the quality of our investigative staff,” Hobbs says. “We offer our clients a complete security package on an as-needed basis.” Hobbs has established four national networks of associates - pre-employment screening investigators (analysts), court-record retrievers (investigators), internal investigators, and (court record) drug-screening analysts. “Our associates have an average of 20 years’ experience in law enforcement,” Hobbs says. “They are the backbone of what we do.” —Roger Shuler

Professional Resume