Nicole Byrd is the Illicit Trade Director at Global Financial Integrity. She examines both illicit economies and how licit economies are used to obscure and facilitate criminal activities such as money laundering. She has a deep understanding of how anti-corruption work is a central pillar of countering organized crime.
Before joining GFI, Nicole worked in both the U.S. Government and the nonprofit sector combating drug, human, and wildlife trafficking. She is a firm believer that the only way to successfully defeat organized crime networks is to block their sources of funding, and that the best way to do this is to look holistically at the points where different crimes converge in illicit financial flows and logistics. That said, Nicole has a particular passion for defending natural resources and wildlife.
Nicole holds undergraduate degrees in International Studies and Psychology, and a Master’s in International Conflict Resolution from American University. She also holds professional certificates in Project Management, Non-profit Management, and wine (yes, really!). She welcomes any chance to engage in Spanish, and is working on improving her French as well.