Prior to joining International Risk, Michael spent 30 years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) where he retired as the Deputy Assistant Director in charge of international operations, including the Bureau’s Legal Attaché program and FBI personnel assigned to U.S. Embassies worldwide. Prior to this assignment, he served over 10 years abroad, and his postings included being the Bureau’s first Legal Attaché in Moscow, Russia, the senior representative in Hong Kong (with regional responsibility to include the PRC and India) and in Manila, Philippines. He has extensive international investigative experience, particularly in the areas of organized crime and corruption, white collar crime and international terrorism investigations.

Following his Bureau career, Michael worked in London for a Fortune 100 investment bank as its Regional Security Director covering Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He also worked closely with the bank’s legal department on investigative due diligence projects, focused on parts of the former Soviet Union and other emerging markets. Most recently, Michael returned home to San Francisco and managed the Bay Area office for an international investigative group, focused on international due diligence inquiries, particularly in Asia, Russia and Europe. Over the past two years, he has traveled widely in U.S., facilitating workshops for U.S. mayors and senior local officials, on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), on how to prepare for, respond to and recover from terrorism incidents involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Michael has a B.A. from Syracuse University and a Juris Doctor degree from Albany Law School. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the World Association of Detectives (WAD), the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), and the Society of Former Agents of the FBI. Michael speaks fluent Russian.