A potential partner whose interests are unclear? A negotiation where the real decision-maker is elsewhere? Conflicting accounts of what happened? A geopolitical development that changes your options?
I work directly with founders, CEOs, investors and principals to understand these situations and prepare their next move.
My work brings together strategic analysis, human intelligence, influence and communication. We examine the wider environment, the people involved and how you are interpreting the information available.
When to work with me
You might:
- be preparing for an important negotiation, investor meeting or partnership;
- be trying to understand someone's interests, behaviour or commitments;
- be examining a situation where information is incomplete or contradictory;
- be navigating a conflict or a change in a key relationship;
- be making decisions affected by geopolitical developments;
- be looking for ongoing support during a demanding period.
- be operating across jurisdictions, with exposure to geopolitical and regulatory dynamics
- be operating in highly-competitive and fast-paced environments (technology, finance, energy, health, commodities, minerals, defense) where speed and capital matter
I identify geopolitical, human and informational vulnerabilities, detect early warning signals, stress-test decisions and PREPARE organizations for disruption before it becomes crisis.
How we work together
You can commission a specific project or work with me through an ongoing private engagement.
Investigations & Due Diligence
Defined projects for clients who need to establish facts before entering a relationship, committing capital or responding to a dispute.
I investigate complex, cross-border situations where ownership is difficult to establish, information is fragmented and the formal account leaves important questions unanswered.
These are the grey areas of business: opaque corporate structures, informal intermediaries, competing interests and relationships spanning several jurisdictions.
Assignments may include:
- Due diligence: examining individuals, companies, partners, investors or intermediaries – their background, business interests, relationships and relevant risks.
- Global asset searches: identifying and tracing assets across jurisdictions, examining ownership structures and connections to the individuals or entities concerned.
- Financial investigations: examining financial relationships, transactions and corporate structures to investigate suspected fraud or clarify a complex financial situation.
- Fraud investigations and case reconstruction: bringing together records, timelines and connections to establish what happened, identify the parties involved and document their respective roles.
- Strategic intelligence: investigating the people, interests and geopolitical developments relevant to a transaction, negotiation or market entry.
Depending on the assignment, the work combines documentary research, human-source enquiries and specialist expertise. Methods and access to information must comply with applicable law.
Each assignment has an agreed scope, timeline, fee and deliverables.
Reports distinguish documented findings, analytical conclusions and matters requiring further verification. The scope of cross-border research depends on the jurisdictions involved and the records available.
Perception & Influence Advisory
Projects for clients preparing to communicate, negotiate or respond to competing accounts of a situation.
I examine who matters, what they understand, whose account they trust and what influences their position. The work may include:
- Stakeholder and influence mapping: identifying decision-makers, intermediaries, interests and relationships that affect the outcome.
- Strategic communication: preparing messages, briefings and interventions for specific audiences.
- Narrative development: organising complex facts into a clear, substantiated account.
- Negotiation and positioning: preparing how you present your interests, address objections and communicate your commitments.
- Response to reputational pressure: examining the claims in circulation and deciding what to clarify, contest or address.
Each project has an agreed objective, scope, timeline, fee and deliverables.
Private Executive Advisory
An intensive, one-to-one engagement built around your actual decisions, relationships and negotiations.
We examine both the situation and how you are responding to it: what you notice, what you assume, whose account you trust and what you hesitate to address.
You may understand that a relationship needs to change and still avoid the conversation. You may recognise a weak argument but accept it from someone whose approval or access matters to you.
We work through these moments. I question your interpretations, challenge inconsistencies and help you prepare the action you need to take.
The engagement includes:
- a weekly 90-minute session;
- direct contact via Signal between sessions, within agreed boundaries;
- preparation and debriefing of important conversations and negotiations;
- practical exercises adapted to the difficulties we identify;
- in-person work where relevant, with scope and arrangements agreed separately.
We review what happens against what you expected, then adjust. The aim is to develop your ability to recognise these dynamics and respond independently.
Investigations and other substantial project work are scoped separately.
Initial engagement: three months.
Working together
I work with a small number of clients directly. Each engagement has a clear scope and agreed communication arrangements.
The work is confidential. You retain responsibility for your decisions; my role is to help you examine them, prepare and act with a better understanding of the situation.
To discuss an engagement, tell me briefly what you are facing and when you need to act.