Russell C. Holske is a Senior Consultant in the Washington, DC, office, focusing on investigations, due diligence, monitorships, and compliance. He brings over 30 years of investigative experience in U.S. and international criminal, civil, and administrative cases working for both the United States Department of Justice and a Fortune 500 company.
- Investigated Institutional Integrity: As a lead investigator, Mr. Holske handled multiple institutional integrity investigations for faith-based entities of varying sizes.
- Critical Incident Review: He led an investigation into the circumstances, policies, and practices related to a critical incident involving behavioral threat assessments at a large educational institution.
- Defending Against Money Laundering Allegations: Holske served as the lead investigator for a law firm defending a foreign financial services business accused of money laundering and illegal money remitting.
- Locating Missing Persons: His expertise extended to domestic and international missing persons cases, resulting in successful location and reconnection with their families.
- Enhancing Controlled Substances Monitoring: Holske played a pivotal role in assessing, evaluating, and enhancing the controlled substances monitoring program for a major wholesale drug distributor.
- Policy Development for Suspicious Orders: He developed policies and procedures for handling suspicious orders at a major drug manufacturer.
- Enhancing Protection for Vulnerable Populations: Holske reviewed and improved policies, procedures, and security measures to safeguard children and vulnerable adults within a large faith-based organization.
- Interim Chief Compliance Officer: He stepped in as the interim chief compliance officer for a drug manufacturer.
- Security Assessments for Institutions: Holske conducted physical security assessments for large institutions, including stadiums and hospitals.
- Harassment Investigations: His responsibilities extend to investigating physical, cyber, and other forms of harassment affecting both individual and institutional clients.
Immediately prior to joining Guidepost, Mr. Holske served as the regional security director – Global Security & Brand Protection for Estée Lauder Companies Asia Pacific based in Hong Kong. He led a team of investigators to address cargo theft, including maritime and air shipments across international borders and jurisdictions, and led brand and trademark protection efforts to disrupt and dismantle illegal manufacture and downstream online and off-line distribution of elite cosmetics and skin care products to protect consumers and business operations. He also directed security design and system integration for a Shanghai-based R&D facility and Tokyo-based manufacturing plant. As a member of the Crisis Management Team, Mr. Holske provided critical support to regional management during crisis situations that included political instability, natural disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic, providing projections, business continuity planning, and access to sensitive intelligence.
With over three decades at the DEA, Mr. Holske has been at the forefront of international narcotics and pharmaceutical investigations. His tenure includes leading the DEA’s Asia Pacific operations from Bangkok, overseeing 18 offices across 13 countries, and collaborating with China to curb fentanyl trafficking to the U.S. Domestically, he headed the DEA’s Pharmaceutical Investigations, managing 66 squads nationwide and launching Operation Pilluted, a landmark initiative against drug diversion. His career began in 1987, advancing from a special agent in major cities to supervising the Asian Heroin Task Force and serving as a country attaché, targeting complex criminal enterprises and corruption.
Mr. Holske received numerous awards, including from the International Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Singapore Prime Minister, the Thai Police Meritorious Honor, and numerous DEA awards.
Did you know?
Russ is featured on the highly rated podcast Crimetown in an episode called Family Ties. He tells the story of an organized crime case in which he was involved and that resulted in a Continuing Criminal Enterprise conviction and numerous arrests.
