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The Metropolitan Cathedral on the Zócalo in Mexico City

03 · Defend

Enterprise Risk & Intelligence

Protect your operations. Make informed decisions.

We help businesses identify hidden risks, understand counterparties and navigate challenges that could threaten their people, operations or growth.

Our advice draws on experience in national and international government affairs, global corporate security and cross-border operations. We combine intelligence with practical guidance for businesses operating in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Latin America, coordinating with legal counsel when operational challenges create legal or regulatory exposure.

When clients call us

  • A consequential decision needs discreet fact-finding.

    Leadership needs clarity on a sensitive concern before acting.

  • A business relationship raises questions.

    A supplier’s ownership, conduct or connections warrant deeper investigation.

  • Criminal pressure threatens operations.

    Employees face extortion, intimidation or demands to use a particular provider.

  • A new venture introduces unfamiliar exposure.

    A plant, acquisition, market entry or transportation route requires assessment.

  • A security challenge requires an informed liaison and coordination with law enforcement.

    Leadership needs guidance on appropriate institutional contacts, escalation and response.

The moments it answers

  1. ScaleYou’re expanding into a new geography, a new state or across a border, and the rules there are not the rules here.
  2. Not chosenA security incident at a plant, a warehouse or on a route.
All sixteen inflection points

The Elevo Method

The Elevo Method in an Enterprise Risk & Intelligence engagement

  1. 01

    Illuminate

    What is actually true here?

    Exposure mapping and baseline

  2. 02

    Interpret

    What does it mean, and what happens next?

    Threat analysis and scenarios

  3. 03

    Insulate

    What do we do about it?

    Controls, policies, playbooks

  4. 04

    Institutionalize

    How do we make it hold?

    Monitoring and governance

Key services

  • Sensitive investigations

    Discreet fact-finding on internal concerns, counterparties and complex relationships.

  • Counterparty and supply chain intelligence

    Ownership, integrity and relationship reviews before and throughout a commercial engagement.

  • Security and operational resilience

    Site, cargo, corridor and personnel assessments connected to business continuity.

  • OFAC and FTO related exposure

    Identify relationships, transactions and operational pressures requiring deeper diligence and legal review.

  • Crisis and executive advisory

    Support leadership with escalation planning, incident coordination and decisions under pressure.

Matters we handle

Enterprise Risk & Intelligence
  • Sensitive Investigations
  • Counterparty & Partner Diligence
  • Site & Market Entry Assessments
  • Supply Chain & Logistics Security
  • OFAC & FTO-Related Exposure
  • Personnel Security & Duty of Care
  • Crisis Management & Business Continuity
  • Institutional Liaison & Regional Intelligence

Who leads it

Who to talk to.

The whole team

Enterprise Risk Advisor

Executive security and enterprise risk advisor with over 20 years across organized crime, supply chain security, cross-border operations and corporate security leadership.

Enterprise Risk & Intelligence

Karlo Villalpando, Enterprise Risk Advisor

Karlo Villalpando

Enterprise Risk Advisor

Enterprise Risk & Intelligence

Karlo Villalpando is an executive security and enterprise risk advisor with over 20 years of experience spanning transnational organized crime, supply chain security, cross-border operations and corporate security leadership.

As Global Director of Security for a multinational manufacturer serving OEM and aftermarket customers, Karlo oversaw security across manufacturing facilities and distribution center operations in complex jurisdictions. His work connected the protection of people, assets and supply chains with business continuity and enterprise objectives.

Karlo served in Mexican Customs from 2009 to 2019, specializing in interdiction and intelligence operations targeting transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) at ports of entry while protecting legitimate international trade. During his federal service, he collaborated operationally with national and international law enforcement and military agencies.

Advisor, Mexico Relations

Bicultural entrepreneur who has launched and advised companies in both the United States and Mexico.

Enterprise Risk & Intelligence

Francisco Martinez

Francisco Martinez

Advisor, Mexico Relations

Enterprise Risk & Intelligence

Francisco is a bicultural entrepreneur with an extensive background in launching and advising companies in both the USA and Mexico. His unique background across these two cultures have endowed him with a deep understanding of the business landscapes in both countries, enabling him to navigate and bridge the nuances of each. Francisco’s extensive background and diverse international expertise make him a pivotal leader dedicated to driving innovation and excellence.

Francisco is currently the President and CEO of Direx Factor Humano, an HR consulting firm he started in 2015 in Monterrey Mexico. With over nine years of leadership in business process and organizational institutionalization, human factor consulting, and strategic planning, Francisco has driven significant growth and development within the company.

In addition to his role at Direx, Francisco has been the Vice President of Mexico Relations for NASCO (North America Strategy for Competitiveness) since 2006, focusing on enhancing the competitiveness of the North American supply chain, workforce, the environment, and energy independence. He also founded and participated as a board member for various companies in the USA and Mexico related to the import/export of Industrial Consumables, International Logistics, Robotics and Education.

Francisco spent a decade in Overland Park, Kansas, where he earned his MBA from Baker University and gained valuable corporate experience. He worked for Marley Cooling Systems, where he led business development across Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and China.

Francisco has been a guest trainer for Sandler Training México for over a decade, where he delivers training in sales, strategic planning, conflict resolution, and business management.

Technology Advisor

Bilingual executive with more than 25 years of international experience with Fortune 500 companies.

Enterprise Risk & Intelligence

Miguel Gomez

Miguel Gomez

Technology Advisor

Enterprise Risk & Intelligence

Miguel is a bilingual Executive with +25 years of International experience with Fortune 500 companies in the Manufacturing, Consumer Goods and Consulting industries. His expertise is in providing vision, leadership, and management to teams to drive profitability, growth, visibility and process effectiveness through the architecture, design and implementation of technology- based solutions and best practices. Visionary, entrepreneur, change agent with a track record of success, Miguel has built performing organizations in multinational environments creating a culture of continuous improvement, partnership and customer focus, bringing value and positively impacting enterprise performance and customer satisfaction.

He has led large teams in domestic and international markets to deliver large scale programs including IT Strategic Planning, Shared Services, Business Process Outsourcing, IT Financial Transformation, Acquisition Integrations, Enterprise IT Governance and Security, Data Harmonization, Business Information Visibility / Data Warehouse, ERP & CRM implementations, Applications Development and IT Infrastructure modernization.

A firm believer of technology as means to maximize potential, Miguel has expanded his domain of proficiency beyond IT to a broader scope including IoT, Industrial Automation, Industry 4.0 and Energy Services. Objective, open-minded, trusted adviser with in-depth technology expertise and global mindset, Miguel builds organizations focused on true partnership and value creation.

See your exposure before it becomes an incident.

The Exposure Diagnostic establishes an initial view of the risks that could affect your business objectives, and shows leadership where greater attention or investigation may be needed.