Behind the Screens: Conversations with Background Screening Pros hosted by Les Rosen

Send us Fan Mail Today we are honoring and remembering my good friend Mike Sankey, a man who shaped this industry and shaped the people in it, myself included. Mike Sankey founded BRB Publications and wrote the books that became the bible of the screening industry, the MVR Book and the MVR Decoder. He was a founding force behind PBSA, the inaugural recipient of the PBSA Lifetime Achievement Award...

Send us Fan Mail I have to be honest with you, I was not sure what to expect going into this one. Four guests, a panel format, all of them colleagues and friends with each other. But within the first few minutes I knew this was going to be one of my favorite episodes. In this panel episode, Les Rosen sits down with the hosts of the Background Screening Collective to hear how the podcast got starte...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind the Screens , I sit down with an incredible panel of women leaders across the background screening industry to talk about how they built their careers, what keeps them engaged, and how the industry continues to evolve. What stands out is a shared theme: no one planned this career, but once they entered the industry, they stayed. Why? Because of the consta...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind the Screens , I speak with Jennifer Daimon, VP of Compliance and In-House Counsel at AccuSourceHR. Jennifer’s journey into the background screening industry started in a way many professionals can relate to. What began as a job researching public records while she attended law school eventually turned into a long-term career built around compliance, inves...

Send us Fan Mail Dan Shoemaker did not start in background screening. He began his career in politics and public policy, working on campaigns, serving in Virginia state government, and lobbying at the federal level. After 9/11, an unexpected opportunity led him into the screening industry. What he thought would be a short detour became a long and distinguished career. Along the way, Dan: Earned hi...

Send us Fan Mail In this international edition of Behind the Screens, I’m joined by the leadership team of the PBSA Europe & Africa Council: Martin Hardy, Will Hogarth, and Sally Ott-Lacoste. We explore how each of them entered the background screening industry, what keeps them passionate about it, and how the industry continues to evolve across Europe and Africa. We also preview the upcoming...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind the Screens , I sit down with Marc Bourne, a true industry veteran who has been part of background screening since 1999 and is still deeply engaged in shaping its future. Our conversation explores what it really means to build a long, meaningful career in background screening, from courthouse research and private investigations to executive leadership and...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind the Screens , I sit down with someone I’ve long admired—Nick Fishman, co-founder of Employee Screen IQ and now a partner at iCubed Advisors. Nick is one of those rare people who brings equal parts insight, creativity, and humanity to everything he does in this industry. We talk about how he built and sold Employee Screen IQ, his early marketing innovation...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind the Screens , I speak with Kym Kurey, Chief Revenue Officer at True Corpus and a powerful voice in the fight against human trafficking. Kim brings a compelling blend of industry expertise, advocacy, and creativity to the conversation—from her leadership in background screening to founding A New Life International, a nonprofit supporting trafficking surviv...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind the Screens , I sit down with Mike Coffey, founder of Imperative, host of the Good Morning HR podcast, and a familiar force in the background screening world. If you think you know Mike—think again. From his early days managing chinchillas and tearing up carpet with P90X, to founding one of the industry’s most meticulous and high-touch screening firms, Mi...

Send us Fan Mail "If you're going to call yourself an expert, make sure you are one." In this episode of Behind the Screens , I sit down with Mary Poquette, a pioneer in the background screening industry, co-chair of PBSA in its earliest years, and recipient of the Mike Sankey Lifetime Achievement Award. What follows is a rich, funny, and deeply insightful conversation that traces M...

Send us Fan Mail She sold beepers from a car trunk—and now she shapes the future of background screening law. This is Kellie O’Shea’s journey. In this unforgettable episode, I sit down with Kellie O’Shea, General Counsel at Creative Services, Inc. (CSI) and PBSA Board Member, to talk about hustle, heart, and the “it depends” moments that make up life as a background screening pro. We talk grit, gr...

Send us Fan Mail In this engaging episode of Behind the Screens: Conversations with Background Screening Pros , I sit down with Carl Cogdill—longtime industry veteran, founder of Astute Public Records, and one of the sharpest minds in the business. From his beginnings with dreams of becoming a Maryland State Trooper to his unexpected journey into the background screening world, Carl shares how eve...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind the Screens , I sit down with Bianca Lager, a respected strategic growth consultant, former CEO, and longtime thought leader in social media screening. Bianca takes us through her fascinating career—from building one of the first social media background screening companies to becoming a LinkedIn Learning instructor and trusted advisor for companies naviga...

Send us Fan Mail In this milestone 50th episode of Behind the Screens , I sit down with Melissa Sorenson, Executive Director of the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA), for a candid conversation about the past, present, and future of our industry. Melissa opens up about her journey from law school to leading PBSA through some of its biggest transformations—like going from a U.S.-f...

Send us Fan Mail Before databases were a click away, Steve Brownstein was already connecting the dots. In this episode of Behind the Screens , I’m joined by Steve Brownstein—a true pioneer whose work helped shape the background screening industry as we know it. From manual county searches to international screening strategies, Steve’s story is one of relentless innovation, curiosity, and community...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind the Screens , I sit down with Alice Quinones, a dual-qualified attorney in France and the U.S., who’s helping shape the future of privacy and compliance in the background screening world. We discuss Alice’s cross-continental legal education, her journey from Deloitte to building her own firm, and how she views the screening industry as both a legal playgr...

Send us Fan Mail What do background screening, the Indian Army, and vinyl records have in common? On the surface, nothing—until you meet Chetan Desai. From serving in the military and as a mountaineer to founding one of India’s first background screening firms, Chetan’s story is proof that discipline, curiosity, and just a little obsession (with both compliance and perfect sound systems) can take...

Send us Fan Mail Think carrying the PBSA gavel is all formality and boardrooms? Think again. When three Chairs sit down together, you get a mix of wisdom, war stories, and a few moments that prove even industry leaders don’t take themselves too seriously. In this episode, I bring together Tim Gordon, Chad Ascar, and Scott Maloney—the current chair, the immediate past chair, and the chair before th...

Send us Fan Mail What if the very foundations of background screening—the databases, the processes, the standards—were shaped by someone who once started out answering phones as a young mom just trying to make it work? That’s the story of Catherine Aldrich Brame. From building the first national criminal databases at CDB Infotech, to scaling Accurate and HireRight, to co-founding Five Diamond Scre...

Send us Fan Mail What does leadership look like when it’s built on resilience, curiosity, and an unwavering belief in people? For Susie Thomson, it looks like a career that has taken her from the ground floor of her family business to the top ranks of global background screening. She helped create Security Watchdog, guided its growth through acquisition, and today leads as COO of Matrix while shap...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you take four professionals from different corners of the background screening industry—each with unique expertise, bold ideas, and a willingness to shake things up—and put them together on one stage? You get disruption. In this special episode, I sit down with Andrew Cashman, Tressa Fullard, Kevin Horval, and Oakley Smith—four innovators who came together at PBS...

Send us Fan Mail What if the path you thought would be temporary turned out to be the foundation of a lifelong calling? That’s the story of Bobby Shank. With a degree in finance and even a chapter of life spent in Costa Rica, Bobby never expected that joining his family’s business, Roundstone, would anchor him in the background screening industry for good. What started as “just a job” became a car...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine a professional who lives and breathes accuracy, thrives under the weight of compliance, and leads teams through constant industry evolution—then drop her into the challenging arena of public records and high-stakes client expectations. That’s Michelle Leblond, a master at turning complexity into clarity. In this episode, Michelle takes us inside her journey from curious ne...

Send us Fan Mail How does a criminal defense attorney end up transforming the background screening industry? In this special 40th episode, I take a turn in the guest seat to share my unexpected journey—from representing clients in the courtroom to founding Employment Screening Resources and writing one of the earliest FCRA compliance manuals. Along the way, I learned that doing things right isn&ap...