Jim Wygand

Jim has over 40 years of experience in Brazil. He began his career as a “Brazil analyst” with the US Agency for International Development in 1965. His career spans having worked in industry (both in Brazil and in the USA), banking, and the service sector. While living and working in the USA he was also an economic advisor to a US Congressman.

Jim has written extensively on business, economic, and political issues in Brazil ranging from macro-economic analysis and forecasts to monographs on specific management issues such as reporting results from Brazil, labor/management relations, business risk forecasts, and other relevant topics. He is the author of two books, one on personal crisis management (“Fired! – Guide to Personal Crisis Management”) and the other on personal security (“The Secure Urbanite - Personal Security in the Asphalt and Concrete Jungle")

Jim has provided consulting and information services on Brazilian political and economic issues to numerous multinational companies and foreign governments both in Brazil and abroad, and has spoken at seminars on Brazil in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. He also has hands-on management experience having worked on contract as president of 3 international companies (2 start-up companies and 1 business development effort). All three businesses rose to dominant market share in their respective sectors.

During part of his long and diverse career in Brazil Jim was also involved in the successful negotiation of a number of kidnaps and a major, highly complicated extortion case in Brazil.

Jim has B.S. and M.A. degrees in Economics from the University of Wisconsin and was a Fulbright Scholar to Brazil in 1972. He is currently a vice-president and member of the Board of Directors of the Canada Brazil Chamber of Commerce.


Ian Bannister

Ian has broad experience of the risk consultancy business following almost 6 years as head of the corporate investigations department of Control Risks Brazil.  At Control Risks he had responsibility for overall management of all investigations work and also case-managed numerous individual cases in the areas of due diligence, extortion,  fraud,  asset tracing, cargo theft and general problem-solving.  Most of this work was carried out in Brazil or Argentina.  He also handled a range of crisis management work and assorted security consultancy operations.

After Control Risks, Ian moved to be head of HSBC Brazil´s combined fraud and security department for 2.5 years where he had overall responsibility for all fraud, security and investigations issues.   He left HSBC in late 2007 to return to the risk consultancy business.

Prior to Control Risks, Ian worked for 15 years in the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Diplomatic Service).  He served overseas postings in Brazil and Uganda, and had a range of home postings in London that included coverage of terrorist issues, Southern Africa, Central America, and counter narcotics.

Ian was brought up and educated in England, and has an M.A. in history from Oxford University.