John Withers
President
John Withers
Northern Ireland
Send Email
John began his investigative career in 1991, completing a five-year apprenticeship across Ireland and the United Kingdom. Based in Northern Ireland, he is Managing Director of Priority International, providing global intelligence and investigative services.
John was elected President of the Council of International Investigators (CII) in September 2026, having previously served the Council in several leadership roles, including Secretary, Treasurer, Board Member and Regional Director for Ireland & the UK. He has twice been honoured with the Malcolm W. Thomson, C.I.I. Memorial Award for Regional Director of the Year, in 2019 and 2024.
John is also Secretary of the Irish Professional Private Investigators Association (IPPIA). Prior to his investigative career becoming his full-time focus, he spent ten years with the British Antarctic Survey and served as a Magistrate of the British Antarctic Territory from 2005 to 2012. He was awarded the Polar Medal in recognition of his Antarctic service.
- President 2026–Present
- Secretary 2023/24 & 2025/26
- Treasurer 2020/21
- Board Member 2019/21, 2023/24 & 2025/28
- Regional Director, Ireland & UK 2018/21, 2023–Present
Mike Gillam
Vice President
Mike Gillam
New Zealand
Send Email
Mike Gillam, New Zealand, is a seasoned investigator with over 20 years of experience in managing complex criminal and civil cases. Mike's background includes comprehensive training and service with the New Zealand Police and a successful track record leading to countless criminal prosecutions and employment dismissals. As a Certified Fraud Examiner, Mike has demonstrated a high level of expertise in conducting and overseeing a wide range of investigations for corporations, law firms, and private individuals. His ability to handle sensitive situations with discretion and professionalism sets him apart in the industry. Mike is the Operations Director at The Investigators New Zealand and is based in Auckland.
- Vice President 2025-Present
- Ethics Committee Chair
- Secretary 2024/2025
- Board Member 2024/2029
David MacLeod
Secretary
Dave MacLeod
Australia
Send Email
David MacLeod is the founder and director of Macil Global, with over 20 years of experience in the Insurance and Investigation industry. He oversees all lines of business at Macil Global. David holds a Diploma of Science – Occupational Health & Safety, Certificate IV in Investigative Services, Certificate IV in Risk Management & Security, and is a qualified Trainer and Auditor. He has worked in all facets of the industry and closely with many legal practitioners within the WorkSafe-appointed panel firms. He has also presented to various industry groups and interested parties on surveillance and factual investigations. David served on the Board and ultimately as President of CII (2019) and hosted the 2023 Annual General Meeting in Melbourne.
- Secretary 2026-Present
- Board Member 2025/2028
- Vice President 2024/2025
- President 2019/2020
Debra Allen
Treasurer
Debra Allen
USA
Send Email
Debra is the Hawaiʻi representative for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and consults on cases through its Team Adam program, a nationwide roster of retired homicide and crimes against children detectives. She holds credentials in mediation and workplace investigation, and in 2023 received a TOP COP Hawaiʻi award from the Law Enforcement and Security Coalition of Hawaii.
- Treasurer 2026-Present
- Audit & Finance Chair
- Board Member 2025/2028
Roman Bazikalov
Board Member
Roman Bazikalov
Canada
Send Email
Roman Bazikalov is a licensed private investigator operating a boutique investigation firm with offices in Montreal and Toronto, Canada. Roman solves complex civil and criminal matters for litigators and corporate clients from all over the world. Over the course of his 22-year career in the industry, he worked undercover and overseas, investigating cases involving intellectual property, fraud, conflict resolution, corporate, legal, and insurance matters. He is a Certified Legal Investigator (CLI), Certified International Investigator (CII), and Certified Master Investigator (CPIO-MI). Roman also serves on the board as an International Regional Director for the National Association of Legal Investigators (NALI).
- Board Member 2024-Present
- Professional Development Chair
Ronald Bosman
Board Member
Ronald Bosman
Switzerland
Send Email
With more than two decades of experience, Ronald Bosman is an investigator and intelligence consultant specialising in corporate investigations, business intelligence, asset tracing and geopolitical analysis. He is the founder of Sourced Research & Consulting and holds a master’s degree in history.
Based in Switzerland, Ronald and his team support clients on investigative matters across the DACH region, the Benelux, the Dutch Caribbean and wider Europe. Before establishing his own firm, he worked at global risk consultancy Control Risks, where he managed complex due diligence and litigation support investigations. He began his career at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ronald has lived and worked in Venezuela, Colombia, the United States and the Netherlands, and now resides in Switzerland. He works in English, Dutch, German and Spanish, combining international investigative experience with an extensive network of specialist researchers and sources across Europe.
- Board Member 2023-Present
- Public Relations & Marketing Chair
- Editor of The Councilor 2024-Present
- Coordinator and editor of the CII Case Book
Bernarda Skrabar Damnjanovic
Board Member
Bernarda Skrabar Damnjanovic
Slovenia
Send Email
Bernarda Škrabar Damnjanović is an expert in private investigations, strategic security, and corporate integrity. With more than two decades of experience, she combines operational investigative practice, academic research, and the systematic development of professional standards at both national and international levels. She serves as CEO of the Detective & Security Agency, recognized as one of the most respected investigative collectives in the region, and as President of the Expert Council of the Institute for Security and Strategic Research, where she contributes to the advancement of analytical, intelligence, and regulatory approaches within the security sector. As a PhD candidate in security studies and a holder of a master’s degree focused on the legal regulation of operational investigative methods, she continuously strengthens her professional practice through research-based insight. She is currently completing a second master’s degree in psychosocial counseling, expanding her expertise to include the human dimension of security and crisis environments. She is co-author and co-editor of the Commentary on the Detective Activity Act (ZDD-2), author of numerous academic and professional publications, and a regular contributor to leading legal journals Legal Practice and The Attorney. In the past year, she published two professional volumes and is currently preparing a scholarly monograph dedicated to the development of the detective profession. Within the framework of professional regulation, she is a member of the Detective Examination Commission, was the first Data Protection Officer of the Slovenian Detective Chamber, and the first Chair of the Commission for the Supervision of Detectives, serving for many years on its Executive Board. She is actively engaged in international professional associations and contributes to the shaping of ethical and professional standards in investigative practice. As a recognized speaker, she regularly presents at international conferences and professional forums; she has delivered a TEDx talk and was a finalist in the national “Speaker of the Year” selection. She also made history as the first female Dean of an international detective school in Bucharest. Her work is defined by intellectual integrity, high ethical standards, strategic vision, and the ability to integrate legal, operational, and human perspectives in resolving the most complex cases. For more than a decade, she has been a proud member of the Council of International Investigators (CII), which she considers her professional family. Within CII, she actively contributes to the organization’s development and conceived and leads the International Exchange Program, fostering cross-border collaboration and professional excellence.
- Board Member 2024-Present
- Strategic Planning Chair
- Lead International Exchange Program
Chris Nielsen
Board Member
Chris Nielsen
Canada
Send Email
Christopher T. Nielsen of Canada is the Global Lead, Strategic Partnerships & Investigations Director for Aberdeen Investigations Inc. He is a credentialed International Professional Investigator with over thirty-eight years of experience serving the insurance, government, and corporate sectors since January 1988. Aberdeen Investigations is a national agency with a team of 86 across Canada. Since 2009, Mr. Nielsen has been a proud Senior International Investigator (S.I.I.) member of the Council of International Investigators. Mr. Nielsen leads the global investigations sector for Aberdeen Investigations across Canada. He looks for strategic vetted partnerships for various cases. From vetting foreign applications to corporate due diligence Mr. Nielsen keeps up with international laws, regulations and privacy compliance related to international assignments. Prior to joining Aberdeen Investigations Inc., Mr. Nielsen successfully owned and operated his own investigative firm for more than twenty-five years. “Twenty years ago, I was told Insurance companies will only deal with National firms. Now I predict in 15 years they will only deal with Global firms. What better reason to be part of a great International Investigative Association.”
- Board Member 2026-Present
- Conference Committee Chair
- Board Member 2017/2019
- Treasurer 2018/2019
Sam Zonensein
Board Member
Sam Zonensein
Isreal
Send Email
Sam is an International Investigator with more than 30 years of experience in the private and governmental sectors. Sam is the CEO and owner of Renzone Consulting, a boutique agency that operates from Israel and works internationally. Renzone Consulting is an international company engaged in advising on intelligence matters, security consulting, and private investigations for business and institutional entities and private clients. Their main services are in intelligence gathering and asset tracing of all types. The agency is also engaged in law enforcement training, especially in types of physical surveillance.
- Board Member 2024-Present
- Membership Chair
Gautam Kumar
Immediate Past President
Gautam Kumar
India
Send Email
Gautam worked in the finance industry for a few years before joining the family business, Globe Detective Agency, in 2011. Gautam is the third generation of the promoter family and the first of his generation to have joined Globe. Gautam underwent an intensive training program in Security & Investigations before onboarding with Globe. In the recent past, Gautam was involved in multiple initiatives of the CII, enabling him to understand how the Council functions. He is confident of adding a fresh perspective to the Council. Gautam served as the Webinar Administrator and oversaw the technical end of the monthly webinars during the pandemic. He has been involved in multiple initiatives of the CII, which contributed to his understanding of how the Council functions and puts him in a great position to give back to our tightly-knit community.
President 2025/2026 & 2024/2025
Vice President 2023/2024 & 2022/2023