Ep 36 – MY LIFE AS A SPY – Andrew Kirsch

Andrew Kirsch didn’t grow up watching spy movies, or dreaming about being a real-life James Bond. He was hardly aware that Canada even had its own intelligence service – let alone knew what its officers did. But when a terrorist attack occurred near the office of his financial services job, all of a sudden fighting terrorism meant a lot more to him than the markets.

Within 18 months he had landed a job with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) – where he spent the next decade of his life.

In his book ‘I Was Never Here’, Kirsch (now an in-demand security consultant) spills the secrets of what life as an intelligence officer is really like, and dispels a few myths along the way.

On today’s podcast, Kirsch shares his on-the-ground experience (or as much of it as he’s allowed to) of becoming a member of CSIS and his ‘out-of-the-norm experiences’ that came with the job.

Kirsch takes you behind the scenes with an authentic view of Canada’s spy agency, and the intricate intelligence-sharing apparatus that works day and night to keep us safe.

Make sure to pick up a copy of his best selling book ‘I Was Never Here’ which is also a testament to one man’s drive to serve his country, and the sacrifices, big and small, that he made along the way.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Andrew Kirsch.