In October 2023 a client requested support on a due diligence investigation into a Middle Eastern defence conglomerate. They wanted a well-triangulated authoritative report based on human source intelligence which provided real insight into the subject, its past and present activities, competence and culture. The client wanted to make an informed decision about the nature and extent of potential future involvement with the company and to identify/manage any risks or potential issues. They wanted to focus on the evolution and activities of the company and the backgrounds of the individuals, their political and familial links, and their personal and professional reputations. They asked us to focus on 12 senior management/director-level individuals at the defence company.

We carried out the following work:

• background research into the 12 individuals and the subject company’s history, based on public/open source records.
• We spoke to around 20 sources in the defence sector of where the company is based to understand more about why the subject had been created, who was backing it, where it got its funds from and who was really running it We looked into how it had done business so far (its track record) and what its reputation was. We used local source enquiries to write full profiles of each individual and their particular strengths, weaknesses and connections. The subject is politically sensitive (being government-owned) so great care was taken to speak to the right sources.
• We also checked local corporate records to understand how the company was structured and whether there were other owners hidden in the shareholding records.

We delivered a report to the client in December 2023.

To find out how we can carry out a similar service for your company, please contact Eleanor Gillespie at [email protected]