Countries of particular concern included Yemen, where there has recently been a surge in jihadi activity, Somalia, the Republic of Congo and several South American states.
Harris, who is a former Army officer, said it was impossible to give firm statistics about kidnap numbers as crimes were often unreported and figures manipulated by governments. But he is confident that the general trend points to an escalation and a "dramatic increase" in kidnappings worldwide.
He pointed out that it was important for companies to identify the risks and realise that the motivations of kidnappers could vary significantly between different areas.
Harris said: “You have to identify who the potential culprits are likely to be and what is motivating them, whether it is – for example – financial or political.
“You also have to have a plan for how an individual will react if they are taken hostage, how their family is going to deal with it and what your organisation is going to do.”
In addition the Team Leader pointed out that members of staff need to be briefed on how to react if a rescue attempt is made, highlighting that a recent operation in Afghanistan had ended in tragedy for one hostage caught in a crossfire between soldiers and insurgents.
Harris said that statistically nine out of ten of those kidnapped across the world would survive, but that chances would be “greatly improved” by rigorous preparation.
He added: “Remember Murphy’s Law and make sure you have a plan for how you are going to react when you get that call, and that the individuals from your organisation know how they should behave if the are caught up in a kidnap situation.”
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