Our Team

Dr. Wilkas Janke has more than 25 years of psychology, security, and investigative experience. As a psychologist, Dr. Wilkas Janke has worked with individuals who are experiencing anxiety, depression, adjustment challenges, trauma, women’s issues, and substance abuse. Dr. Wilkas Janke has also conducted research and published work in the areas of stalking and domestic violence, self-esteem and young women, and stress management.

Dr. Wilkas Janke earned a doctorate in Clinical Psychology after an illustrious and varied career that included being a Special Agent in the Washington Field Office the United States Secret Service. She went on to become a protection agent on numerous government contracts and was the only female to ever officially protect a foreign president outside of the United States.

As part The Investigative Group, Inc., a global leader in investigative intelligence in Washington D.C., Dr. Wilkas Janke lead an inquiry during the “Iraqgate” investigation and an investigation for 60 Minutes on the Duke Lacrosse scandal. She also served as a counselor in the Stalking Unit of Victim Services in Queens, NY, during which time she researched and created a Stalking Risk Assessment Prototype. Dr. Wilkas Janke holds a Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology from Widener University in Philadelphia and a Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. She received her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Indiana University in Bloomington along with a minor degree in Spanish Language, following intensive studies at the Universidad de Sevilla.

Dr. Wilkas Janke currently works as a consultant in the fields of forensic and clinical psychology and continues to consult in the areas of threat assessment and protective security. She is the Director of Special Projects for Hunter Global Security Strategies, an international security and investigative firm. Additionally, she teaches Abnormal Psychology and the Psychology of Crime and Violence at the George Washington University in Washington, DC.

In April of 2020, Dr. Wilkas Janke’s book, ‘The Protector: A Woman’s Journey from the Secret Service to Guarding VIPs and Working in Some of the World’s Most Dangerous Places’ was published. It is a memoir of her life as told through the exciting and dangerous missions she accepted as one of the few females in the world of international executive protection agent.

Ambassador Cofer Black is an internationally recognized authority on counterterrorism, cyber security, national security, and foreign affairs, with private sector experience and expertise in international business development and strategy, particularly in the Middle East and Africa.

In a government career spanning thirty years and serving at the highest levels of the CIA and the State Department, Ambassador Black conceived and executed highly effective programs of international significance, possessing steady, successful, stand-alone leadership in times of crisis and adversity, and a unique ability to assess and influence people. He is experienced at interacting at the presidential level and with Congress to successfully secure support for critical initiatives, managing media as a diplomatic spokesperson, and representing the United States at the Head of State level. Ambassador Black received the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the CIA’s highest award for achievement.

In the private sector, as Founder of Cofer International, LLC, Ambassador Black provides strategic guidance, business development, and high level consulting to Fortune 500 Companies, utilizing domestic and international relationships to advance business and resolve problems. After creating the framework for successful solutions, he strategically makes crucial introductions that produce the highest benefits for his clients. He is highly intuitive, skilled at spotting trends before they fully emerge, and using this information to help companies gain market advantage and to prepare for change.

He also serves on both corporate and civic boards, including the Baltic International Bank, Burisma, Northwest Biotherapeutics, the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at the George Washington University, and Stop Soldier Suicide.

Ambassador Black is a powerful keynote speaker, highlighting leadership lessons learned from personal involvement in some of the country’s most historically significant events. In 2011, he was the keynote speaker at the Black Hat Convention in Las Vegas, which is recognized as the most technical and robust global information security event series in the world. His topic was “10th Anniversary of September 11th and Lessons Learned.”

His career highlights have been portrayed in the best-selling books Ghost Wars, Bush at War, First In, Jawbreaker, At the Center of the Storm, and in Showtime’s widely watched documentary, The Spymasters, the CIA in the Crosshairs, in which Ambassador Black, as one of the agency’s top operatives, is a prominent figure.

A retired United States Secret Service Special Agent (1982-2003), Mr. Brenner last served as the Agent in Charge of the Santa Ana, California Office. He offers a diversified background with over 45 years of experience in the fields of major events coordination, executive protection, and criminal investigations.

Mr. Brenner holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement Administration from Western Illinois University. Prior to his USSS career, he served as a Police Officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (1979-1982). His Secret Service career included an assignment to the Presidential Protective Division at the White House. He has conducted and led complex protection advances, internal investigations, and criminal investigations while assigned to field offices in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Nevada, Los Angeles, and Santa Ana, California.

Mr. Brenner protected six US Presidents as well as numerous foreign dignitaries, including Pope John Paul II, USSR Premier President Mikhail Gorbachev, and Israel Prime Minster Ehud Barak, in the United States and throughout the world.

Mr. Brenner is also served as a Federal Agent with the Transportation Security Administration, Internal Affairs Division (2004-2018) in San Diego, CA. Within his TSA career he held a position with the Federal Bureau of Investigation- Border Corruption Task Force, and was the TSA Assistant Federal Security Director of Law Enforcement in Phoenix, AZ. Accomplishments and responsibilities included: security screening testing controls at US airports, security facilities management, emergency preparedness, anti-terrorism intelligence, criminal and civil investigations, business and law enforcement liaison, and internal employee integrity.

Mr. Brenner has worked in the private sector providing security consulting at three NFL Super Bowls, fraud investigations (civil and criminal), workplace violence prevention & intervention, facility site security, executive protection, and threat assessments. Clients have included Talon Executive Services in Orange County, California, 21st Century Fox of New York City, the Arizona Cardinals Football Club, Kerzner International in Dubai and the Bahamas, and the Banco Noroeste of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Additionally, he has served as an on-screen security consultant for MSNBC television news.

He is currently serving part-time as an applicant coordinator and background investigator for the Secret Service in San Diego and holds a US Government Top-Secret Security Clearance. He also serves as a consultant for Wayne Black & Associates of Miami, Florida and SINTL Global Security Consulting, Potomac, Maryland.

As a former US Special Forces member in the Green Berets with 19 years of involvement in high and low conflict military operations in Lebanon, Panama, Monrovia, Iraq and Bosnia among others, Pete Conners is an accomplished personal protection and security professional with over 30 years of experience, 17 of which in a supervisory capacity.

Mr. Conners has participated in security matters and related training worldwide and has received advanced training from the US Department of Defense, Justice and State, covering a variety of security topics, improvised explosives/ordinance and communication equipment.

As the Assistant and the Regional Security Officer (RSO) at the US Embassies in Zaire, Philippines and Cambodia he was responsible for emergency evacuation planning as well as the supervision and training of personal protection details. During this time Mr. Conners planned and conducted personal protection missions for the Assistant Secretary of State, Members of Congress and US Ambassadors.

In Cambodia he worked with the US Department of State and the United Nations Transitional Authorities of Cambodia (UNTAC), responsible for guard force operations, secure communication links and the training and implementation of personal security details.

As a member of the International Conference on the former Yugoslavia (ICFY), Mr. Conners established mobile patrol observation elements to monitor activity along the border between Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. He further participated in a train and equipment mission sponsored by the US Department of State within Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Mr. Conners participated in providing brigade level training to the Federation of Bosnia Army, responsible for physical security matters, security-screening procedures and inquiries involving local support personnel.

Mr. Conners served as a member of the US Department of State, Presidential Security Advisory Unit (PSAU), providing personal protection to Haitian President Preval as well as training the Haitian Presidential Security Unit. Mr. Conners developed all course instruction in his role as Primary Instructor to the Haitian Counter Ambush Team (CAT).

While working under contract for the US Department of State, Mr. Conners served as Shift Leader and Detail Leader on the personal protection unit for US Ambassador Jaques P. Klein and US Ambassador Ralph Johnson, United Nations Office of the High Representative, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Most recently Mr. Conner’s assignments include deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Colombia and Indonesia. Mr. Conners possesses a valid SECRET security clearance. He is fluent in Spanish.

Professional educator, author and keynote speaker Steve Tarani has served the U.S. Defense, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence communities for over 35 years as a respected protective programs subject matter expert and service provider to numerous high/ low-profile US federal agencies. Mr. Tarani is a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee who served in protective programs and formerly on staff at the US Dept. of Energy (DOE) National Security Institute (Security Force Training Dept.) at Kirtland Air Force Base (NM) where he worked for the US State Department Anti-terrorist assistance program (ATAP).

A nationally recognized defensive tactics subject matter expert (SME), holding multiple federal firearms instructor certifications: US Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Firearms Certified Instructor (FITP), US Department of Energy (DOE) Firearms Certified Instructor, US Department of Defense Security Center Firearms Instructor and others, Tarani currently works in executive protection, provides protective services instruction. Specializing in operational readiness, he served on the POTUS45 pre-election executive protection detail and is a certified force options instructor actively contracted by the US Department of Defense, National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, Drug Enforcement Administration, and throughout the private sector.

Steve is additionally a master knife designer, federal contractor, active protective agent and remains an advisor to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), US Department of Defense, and serves on the School Safety and Security Committee for the National Sheriff’s Association.

Mr. Oosthuizen was born and educated in the Eastern Lowveld of South Africa and served 10 years in the South African Defence Force, nine years as a qualified Special Forces Operator in the renowned Recces, gaining combat experience throughout various deployment areas and becoming a qualified Special Forces Instructor, completing PSIRA - A to E. Current on F-POS.

He has since become a dynamic, versatile, detail-orientated security professional spanning over 30 years of experience in the private sector, positively impacting organisational performance in highly-demanding environments while staying focused and task oriented to deliver mission success to clients.

Mr. Oosthuizen has served on numerous Dignitary Protection Details, as a team member as well as team leader in some of the most challenging and exposed areas of the world.

He has trained security contractors to serve on protection details on American Dignitary Programs to protect Iraqi TR 1 & TR2 details as well as other host nation nationals.

He continues to expand his knowledge and experience by travelling and working in Africa and the Middle East.

His knowledge and insight into customs and cultures have allowed him to successfully assist clients in Namibia, Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia as well as in the middle East on deployments in Iraq, Kuwait and Turkey.

In addition to his operational depth of knowledge, Mr . Oosthuizen is a subject matter expert on African wildlife and accomplished hunter, specialising in taking VIP’s on Africa Safaris.

Scott Holloway is a founding member of SEAL Team SIX, the Naval Security Coordination Team (Red Cell) and counter-terrorism / anti-terrorism unit, whose primary mission involved vulnerability assessments and security enhancement of U.S. military bases, assets and personnel worldwide.

SEAL Team SIX conducted infiltration and system defeat executing a non-specialized trained terrorist approach. Targets included shore-based facilities and structures as well as aviation and maritime components of US interest.

In addition Mr. Holloway served on SEAL Teams ONE and THREE and retired from the Navy after an illustrious career as U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman Senior Chief (E-8).

He earned his Bachelor of Science, Health Sciences in May of 1990 from the George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

Since his retirement from the Navy, Mr. Holloway has been operating as a security contractor for the US government and private entities in high-risk areas for the last two decades.

He has been applying and sharing his extensive training and experience to provide protective services as a team leader overseas and has been instrumental in instructing host nation nationals in anti-terrorist training, tactical training and assisting foreign presidential protection details to improve their capabilities in very complex environments.

Mr. Holloway is a dynamic individual who is continuously improving his skill sets and foreign language abilities.

Chris Forrest has an extensive background as a Navy SEAL and as an overseas security contractor for the government.

After numerous deployments to the Middle East both while on active duty with SEAL Team 1 and later as a contractor for the US government, Mr. Forrest decided to start a training facility to empower tactical professionals and safety minded civilians by building habits that will not degrade under stress.

More importantly, students learn critical thinking skills to evaluate and implement safe courses of action in varying situations, to assess situations, to work safely and efficiently under stress and problem solve.

TACTIC has since evolved in a premier training site that goes beyond instructing clients in tactical skills and developing strong situational awareness.

Chris and his team’s passion and depth of experience empowers people to reach the next level, whether that goal is to become a better marksman, overcome trauma, develop new skills or simply find the strength and confidence to reach their potential.

TACTIC training is about learning a new mindset that comes from being prepared, seeing options, and understanding human worth for the purpose of protecting yourself and others.

Courses can be custom tailored to particular client needs or team specifics and a high instructor-to-student ratio allows for greater focus on each participant and maximizes return of investment.

Educated in a private school in Hamburg/Germany, Sebastian Wüsthoff studied security management in high school for police and administration in Kiel (Verwaltungsfachhochschule).

Drawn at an early age to the private security sector, he has been providing security services and executive protection for two decades for a broad range of clients.

While based in Germany, VIPs, celebrities and high net-worth families all over Europe have benefited from his attention to detail and customer service approach to private security.

Since 2010 Mr. Wusthoff specializes in developing and implementing counter surveillance anti-kidnapping concepts for client families and has acquired a deep understanding of the special needs of the international celebrity market as well as corporate security or family offices.

Mr. Wusthoff and his team offer customized measures for all special needs, from travel security over daily routines, up to interfaces from private to corporate sector areas in Europe.

Additionally he is a shooting instructor and Red Cross certified paramedic.

Hugo Alvarez Zaldívar served as Commander with the Policía Municipal del Estado de Mexico (State of Mexico Police Department) where he received tactical and team training to combat the drug and gang related conflicts in the area.

He also went through special Protection of Officials training from basic to advanced to presidential level in order to provide protective services to high level officials and politicians.

Since his retirement from active law enforcement, Mr. Alvarez Zaldivar has applied his extensive experience to the private sector and assisted with executive protection and specialized security services for visiting VIPs and business executives throughout Mexico.

He has been assigned to several large US movie productions in Mexico and provided security to numerous high profile US actors, artists and musicians over the last 20 years.

Mr. Alvarez Zaldivar maintains an extensive network of security professionals not only in Mexico but also in various Central American countries and counts on a vetted group of security professionals to assist with missions within Mexico.