Training Courage and Building Trust with Ryan Wismer
Date Published
Born and raised outside Dallas, Texas, Ryan Wismer’s life was influenced by military mindsets and calm thinking from a young age. After stepping foot inside Chemonics to hand off his resume, Ryan spent 15 years at the company, rising through the ranks to become director of security. In this interview, Ryan covers his experiences from crisis response in conflict zones to sharing inspiring insights for fellow international aid professionals whose work have been recently impacted.
Ryan Wismer, former Director of Security at Chemonics International
What did you see as your core mission in the work you were doing?
"Making sure our projects and leadership understood the risks—and had the resources to mitigate them appropriately. It’s not about eliminating risk; it’s about right-sizing it so people can do the work safely and effectively."
Was there a moment where that mission really felt fulfilled?
"Yeah—Sudan. We had to evacuate our team under live conflict. We were more prepared than most, but the situation escalated quickly. It was about making sure decisions were made with full awareness of the risks, and then helping execute those decisions under pressure."
How did you end up in this kind of work?
"Honestly, I raised my hand. Two weeks into the job, I was on a plane to Afghanistan. I didn’t know exactly what I’d be doing—just that I’d do whatever was needed. And that turned into a career of crisis response, project management, and making security something that enables, not restricts."
