We help our clients solve their biggest candidate screening, hiring, and onboarding problems.
The Strategic Consulting team at FA is composed of Lean Six Sigma Black Belts and experienced industry professionals dedicated to optimizing First Advantage clients’ background screening programs. Since the team was founded in 2016 by Chief Operating Officer Aaron Cook, we have consulted for hundreds of clients across the globe, including some of the world’s highest-volume employers, to improve screening programs, making us the leading experts in the industry.
Process Mapping and Optimization: We meticulously map out client screening, hiring, and onboarding processes, identifying pain points and areas for improvement. Our goal is to streamline these processes, ensuring seamless transitions and minimizing bottlenecks.
Benchmarking and Performance Analysis: We help clients compare processes, performance metrics, and results with those of similar industries and organizations. We deliver valuable and actionable insights and identify best practices that elevate our clients’ outcomes.
Balancing Speed, Cost, and Risk: Program alignment is at the heart of our approach. In background screening, speed, cost-effectiveness, and risk mitigation are interdependent. We provide the data and insights clients need to strike the right balance for their programs, ensuring optimal outcomes.
Data-Driven Decision-Making: Our experts analyze screening, hiring, and employee performance data so our clients can make fully-informed decisions about how background screening changes will impact downstream organizational performance. We can help bridge the gap between technical concepts and practical understanding for all levels of client stakeholders. Whether it’s executives or hiring teams, we ensure everyone is well-informed and making decisions with the best data available.
Continuous Improvement: Our analyses help even those clients with well-established and successful background screening programs. Employers need to continuously review screening practices to ensure alignment with ever-evolving government regulations, fast-moving technology, and shifts in company culture. We have developed standard analytical deliverables that help our clients stay on top of these discussions and continuously fine-tune screening programs for optimal efficiency.
As one of the world’s leading background screening companies, First Advantage has access to unparalleled amounts of industry data. No one is making more data-driven and well-informed hiring decisions than clients working with Strategic Consulting at First Advantage.
Chuck Lauer
serves as Vice President of Strategic Consulting at First Advantage, leading client-focused consulting initiatives. He was one of the founding members of the Strategic Consulting Team, and partners with organizations to optimize hiring through streamlined onboarding, improved screening processes, and data-driven performance insights. Prior to First Advantage, Chuck held roles in federal service and at Nielsen, bringing a unique blend of organizational psychology, analytics, and product leadership. He received his Master’s Degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology in 2009 from Missouri State University. During his time there, he simultaneously taught introductory psychology and began his tenure with the United States Office of Personnel Management where he eventually served as an analyst, budget certifying officer, personnel research psychologist, and organizational consultant. Chuck brings a focus on where systems meet people meet numbers, bringing together individual and organizational behavior and the metrics that allow us to understand and optimize them for businesses in the 21st century.
Brian Larrow
is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with extensive experience optimizing client screening programs through data-driven analytics and results-focused engagements. He has pioneered new methods of analyzing key metrics such as turnaround time, adjudication, missing information, and industry benchmarking. In his prior role with First Advantage, he leveraged his self-taught Mandarin Chinese language skills in managing the APAC region for several large global clients. In addition to his supply-chain-focused BBA from the University of San Diego, Brian is passionate about city planning and completed the [IN]CITY certificate program at the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design. An avid traveler, he has visited 37 countries, 49 US states, 30 Chinese provinces, and nearly 200 units of the National Park Service.
Savanna Green
brings two decades of deep expertise in the background screening industry to her role as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt at First Advantage. She is recognized for her multifaceted contributions, excelling in strategic solutioning, lean processing, client & internal training and education, project management, and power data analysis. Serving as a SOAR Facilitator and FA Mentorship committee member, Savanna actively contributes to FA employee and management training programs. Throughout her career, Savanna has collaborated with some of the world's largest and most trusted brands, optimizing their screening programs and earning a reputation as a trusted client advisor. Her commitment to excellence extends beyond the professional realm, as she volunteers as a chapter leader for one of the world's oldest women's non-profit organizations. With a focus on driving operational efficiency and client success, Savanna embodies a holistic approach to her work, leveraging her expertise and passion to make meaningful contributions both within and beyond corporate boundaries.
Calvin Weber
brings a deep background in strategy and M&A consulting from his time at EY-Parthenon to the Strategic Consulting team. He leads high-impact customer engagements focused on optimizing background screening programs, reducing time-to-hire, and improving the efficiency and scalability of hiring processes. Calvin’s professional experience spans global clients across industries, where he has delivered initiatives ranging from multi-billion dollar transactions to operational transformations. He joined the First Advantage Strategic Consulting team in February 2026. He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and holds an MBA from Georgetown McDonough School of Business.
Raphael dos Santos
is a Strategic Customer Lead Data Analyst with First Advantage, bringing extensive experience supporting multinational organizations across North America and Latin America and providing a unique global perspective on workforce screening challenges and opportunities. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV EPGE), where he developed a strong foundation in statistics, economic modeling, and empirical research methodologies that continue to shape his analytical and consulting approach. Early in his career, Raphael joined a leading background screening provider in Latin America, where he partnered with executive stakeholders to transform complex operational data into compelling business insights that supported the company's acquisition by a large enterprise organization. Following the acquisition, he transitioned into Workforce Management, forecasting labor demand, and optimizing staffing strategies for background screening operations. As a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Raphael specializes in transforming large and complex datasets into actionable recommendations through benchmarking, decisional analysis, process optimization, and performance measurement. His work helps organizations make data-driven decisions that improve hiring outcomes while balancing speed, cost, and risk. Outside of client engagements, Raphael enjoys exploring emerging technologies, advancing his expertise in AI-driven analytics, and continuously discovering new ways to solve business problems.
Suyog Mohan
holds an MBA with dual specializations in Operations and Marketing, and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, bringing a structured, data-driven approach to process improvement and operational excellence. Prior to his current role, he worked with McKinsey & Company as a Management Consultant, where he contributed to large-scale process improvement and operational transformation initiatives across industries. His experience includes identifying inefficiencies, designing optimized workflows, and implementing sustainable solutions to drive measurable impact. He joined the strategic consulting team at First Advantage in 2026, where he focuses on solving complex questions utilizing a data first strategy. His work includes benchmarking industrial clients on key performance metrics, analyzing package utilization, and evaluating drug screening programs to improve efficiency and effectiveness. He also brings hands-on experience in project management, leveraging analytical problem-solving and data-driven insights to deliver actionable recommendations. Outside of work, he enjoys trekking and playing badminton, reflecting his passion for staying active and exploring new experiences.
