FBI veteran Michael Nordwall now works to strengthen UPMC’s security

PITTSBURGH — Michael Nordwall has had an interesting path to his latest position as UPMC’s first-ever vice president of enterprise safety and security. His job is to help ensure the security of UPMC personnel and information and systems, and he’s spent the time that he’s been at the Pittsburgh-based health system so far visiting all of the sites to help understand employees’ concerns. He previously was an FBI field agent, special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh FBI office and then executive assistant director of the entire agency before his retirement in 2025. Before joining the FBI in 2002, Nordwall was a chemical engineer at Fluor Corp. and Honeywell. He began at UPMC in December 2025 and said he jumped at the chance to return to Pittsburgh.

So how does a chemical engineer join the FBI? Growing up, I was always interested in law enforcement and serving the community. I was really good at science and math, and my dad was an engineer. I enjoyed my time as an engineer. The problem-solving, the logic behind it. But at some point, I realized I wanted something more rewarding. I wanted my life to take a different direction. I applied to the FBI. There were a string of hiring freezes at the time, but I was in one of the first classes right after 9/11. Those events really solidified my desire to serve and make a difference.

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