Former CIA Covert Operations Officer; Cofounder of Diligence LLC, now Portman Square Group; Host of Discovery Network's Black Files Declassified
With over 25 years of experience as the CIA’s Operations Officer and as the President and Co-Founder of Diligence LLC (now Portman Square Group), Michael Baker specializes in counterterrorism, counternarcotics, and counterinsurgency operations.
Michael uses his experience within the CIA’s Operations Directorate to speak to audiences about how they can utilize intelligence to minimize risk and maximize opportunities globally. His first-hand examples, case studies, and experiences from both the Agency operating era and the time spent building Diligence, LLC, are shared to provide his audience with an unforgettable experience.
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In today’s increasingly interconnected and global business community, information is your most valuable commodity. Learn what how to look at the steps, resources and mindset necessary for a company to develop an internal business intelligence unit capable of providing senior management with timely, critical information supporting the company’s strategic goals and vision. Baker explains the intelligence cycle and how it relates to the commercial world.
In this address, Baker examines the threats, the perpetrators, and the methodologies involved in cybersecurity. By looking at recent case studies; best practices from the commercial world; and what our intel, law enforcement, and military are doing to protect U.S. interests, Baker leaves audiences with a deeper understanding of cyber threats and what they can do within their organization to mitigate them.
This speech is an exploration of the key geopolitical issues that pose as top threats to US National Security, including a thorough walkthrough of current relations and concerns with China, Russia, and Iran.
It’s been called the greatest transfer of wealth in history. For the US, aggressive economic espionage by China, Russia and a host of state and non-state actors means lost intellectual property, lost jobs, lost revenues and lost investment potential to the tune of tens of billions of USD per year. As former Operations Officer of the CIA, Mike Baker gives a true examination of the perpetrators, their methodologies and how US corporations, big and small, can protect their interests.
With more than 15 years within the CIA’s Operations Directorate, Baker takes and explains the 10 key rules gathered over the course of his career and show how they directly apply to starting, building, and growing a successful business. Using examples of case studies, stories, and personal experiences from both the Agency operating era and the time spent building Diligence, LLC, rules are shared and reinforced on how to properly lead a global intelligence and security firm.
During a career spanning almost 20 years as a covert field operations officer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Mike specialized in counterterrorism, counternarcotics and counterinsurgency operations. He engaged in, organized and supervised operations around the globe, working in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the former Soviet Union and elsewhere. He was recognized professionally for outstanding performance and for operational achievements in hostile environments.
After leaving government service, Mike co-founded Diligence with the goal of building the premier intelligence and risk management firm. As a principal partner over the years, he worked to grow the company as it expanded around the globe. He also worked to establish the company’s security operations in Iraq in 2003, as Diligence built a team of over 300 expat and local personnel involved in security and information collection. In 2019, after a management buyout of the business, Mike rebranded the company as Portman Square Group (PSG) adding crisis communications and policy work to the company’s service lines. PSG now maintains offices in London, New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Phoenix, Monterrey Mexico and Mexico City, providing information, intelligence and investigative support to Fortune 50 companies, leading law firms and high net wealth individuals.
Mike is a regular contributor in the national and international media on intelligence, security and counterterrorism issues. He appears regularly on a variety of news networks including Fox News, CNN, Newsmax and the BBC, as well as other major media outlets. He is the host of the top daily news podcast, the President’s Daily Brief, and has hosted television series for Discovery, BBC and the Travel Channel, including the popular Black Files Declassified series on the Discovery network.
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