About

Charles founded Audere International in 2015 as a specialist commercial intelligence and investigations company emphasising quality human source and analytical research.

He entered the industry in 2004 after leaving JP Morgan Chase and headed up a US-owned practice in London. Charles expanded the business into emerging and frontier markets also establishing a sizeable security company in Iraq after the war.

In 2009 he moved to Page Group as CEO where he developed the global footprint and managed security contracts in Afghanistan, Haiti, the West Bank and Gaza.

He was an officer in the British Army for 15 years before leaving to become an investment banker with Flemings. He was resident country manager for Jardine Fleming in Pakistan for 3 years before returning to run corporate finance coverage of Russia.

Charles has considerable experience of utilising timely intelligence on individuals and companies to facilitate decision-making and de-risk new market entry; as well as expertise in using a network of well-placed, confidential sources to trace assets and investigate financial crime.

He is widely travelled and has published two books about his expeditions Conquering the Desert of Death and In the Footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia.

Nigel has extensive intelligence, investigative and corporate security experience having worked in both public and private sectors, including UK counter terrorism and global aviation operations.

He moved recently from the Aviation Sector where he led Virgin Atlantic Airways’ global security operation, managing complex security risks and threats to this well-known and popular corporate brand. He represented the industry on the National Aviation Security Committee and was the first chair of the Civil Aviation Industry Exchange, a joint UK government and industry intelligence sharing group.

From 2006 he was engaged in counter terrorism operations for the UK Government. He established an extensive network of contacts and is known for breaking down the intelligence barriers between Governments and Industry. Latterly, he spent 3 years in the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) providing advice on a variety of thematic threats to the highest levels of government, the intelligence community, law enforcement and industry in the UK and overseas.

He was an Officer in the British Army with 25 years of operational experience retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Nigel is experienced in the collection and analysis of timely intelligence from multiple sources. He has a reputation for delivering actionable intelligence and complex security solutions in high-risk locations around the world.

Monika has worked in the public and private sectors, including government service and at PwC, investigating political, commercial and security risks.

She specialises in Russia and the Former Soviet Union territories having lived and worked in the region for close to 10 years.

​She has excellent intelligence collation and analysis skills, finding actionable intelligence in situations where it is difficult to obtain, and is a seasoned expert in public domain research.

​Monika was educated in Hong Kong and the UK, holding a master’s degree in Intelligence and International Security from King’s College London.

Teagan leads Audere’s research team and case manages complex due diligence and investigations assignments.  As Head of Research she oversees our open source and human intelligence networks, as well as coordinating pre-transactional due diligence and dispute-related engagements.

She has particular expertise in multi-jurisdictional asset tracing investigations in conjunction with the legal counsel of corporates and international law firms.

​She has worked in business intelligence and investigations for eleven years. Prior to this she was the German business development manager at a UK risk consultancy. She has also worked in research with a global private equity firm.

Teagan studied International Relations at the University of St Andrews and holds a Masters in the same subject from the LSE. A dual German-American national, she speaks German and divides her time between our New York and London offices.

Mike Longstaff is Managing Director of the newly created security division, Audere Securus at Audere International ltd,  a leading UK commercial intelligence and security company.

Longstaff will oversee the company’s ongoing expansion in the defence and security domains, providing expertise and rapid solutions to growing complex global security challenges. He has served in numerous senior leadership roles during his more than 35-year career in government, military, and defence positions.

In his previous roles seconded to the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) he served as the regional director in Central and Eastern Europe and Asia Pacific. Longstaff was responsible for increasing all aspects of the UK’s regional defence and security cooperation working across government departments, agencies, and international organisations to strengthen bilateral relationships and drive business growth.

Before operating with the FCDO he was a senior officer in the British military and completed numerous operational and command tours within the UK and overseas.  He is a pilot and weapon systems instructor and was the Station Commander of a fighter training base. As a principal programme manager in the MOD, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2008 for delivering complex function and organisational change within two major procurement programmes.

He has studied at the NATO Defence College Rome and holds a master’s degree in Defence Strategic Studies from Kings College London and speaks four languages.

Vivien, a native Mandarin and Cantonese speaker, specialises in the Asia Pacific region and Enhanced Due Diligence.

Prior to joining Audere in January 2022, Vivien worked at several prominent global corporate intelligence firms. She is experienced in commercial intelligence and investigation having worked for a wide range of clients including banks, sovereign funds, PEs, law firms and multinational corporations.

Vivien started her career in foreign direct investment consulting. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management from South China Normal University, and a master’s degree in Marketing from the University of Manchester.

Burcu specialises in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean. Prior to joining Audere in April 2023, Burcu taught Middle East politics, conflict, and peacebuilding studies at the University of Cambridge.

She has published widely in academic journals and media, with a focus on foreign policy, counter-terrorism, and energy. Previously, she worked with the United Nations Development Programme, conducted research for the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and has worked in an advisory role for private entities and regional governments on geopolitical risk and security.  She has extensive on-the-ground knowledge of the region, and has lived in Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, China, and the US.

Burcu holds an MPhil and PhD in Politics and International Studies from the University of Cambridge.

Oliver brings a wealth of Africa knowledge where he spent ten years building and managing mining, security and logistics operations.

In his last role, he spent 4 years as Managing Director of a mining venture in South Africa building the project from exploration, mining licences, and breaking ground through to sourcing clients, negotiating and fulfilling long term offtake agreements.

His relationship with Africa started aged 19 when he was Junior Operations Manager of a gold exploration operation in the hostile Karamoja region of North East Uganda. Following this he spent a year planning and coordinating security and intelligence projects at the Page Group in London.

Oliver continued his African mining career in Madagascar as Country Manager, where he spent two and half years managing all aspects of a remote exploration operation proving a 136M ton coal reserve.

After Madagascar, he was Operations Manager at Loza Radar Africa, managing exploration projects across Southern and East Africa with significant projects in Zimbabwe, Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, Botswana, and South Africa. Oliver has a degree in Business from Newcastle University.

Russ is the Operations Director at Audere, responsible for delivery and oversight of all Securus Global Operations. He has extensive operational experience from a thirty-year career, with over two decades in United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) with a strong reputation for delivering operational success.

Areas of expertise include Domestic Counter Terrorism Operations, including two years with National Armed Policing, Hostage Rescue, Close Protection, Surveillance and Small and Scale Focused Interventions. Russ recently left as a Captain, where in his last role he was responsible for the delivery of the largest exercise within UKSF which, tested and validated the response force for national crisis overseas.

Russ is studying a MSc in High-Risk Operations and Governance through Liverpool University and will complete in 2024.

Bryan manages Audere International’s Security Advisory, Executive Protection and Surveillance Services, and brings a wealth of experience from over 40 years serving in the British Army, primarily in a specialised Army environment. 

Prior to joining Audere, he delivered specialist security risk management consultation globally for both Government services and commercial companies. An accomplished and reliable multidiscipline security consultant, Bryan has a proven record of success in setting up physical security facilities and personnel security (vetting) regimes in a highly regulated environment.

He is adept in assessing and understanding regulatory and management requirements for all security disciplines within the UK and overseas.

Bryan is also a Member of the World Institute for Nuclear Security, (WINS) and holds a current UK vetting accreditation.

Mathieu started his career as a director and partner for a risk management consultancy firm in Paris. There, he worked on corporate intelligence cases, due diligence, and geopolitical risk analysis related to Russia, Ukraine, and the Former Soviet Union for the public and private sectors.

He then worked for Chatham House as Senior Research Fellow with the Russia and Eurasia Programme. In his research, Mathieu specialises in Eurasian security and defence issues, focusing on Russian foreign policy and military affairs, Russia-NATO relations, Russia-China defence and security relations, and Arctic affairs.

In addition to his activities with Audere, Mathieu is a Consulting Fellow with the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House – The Royal Institute of International Affairs as well as Non-resident Senior Fellow with the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program at Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).

Mathieu speaks fluent French and Russian. He graduated from Sciences Po Toulouse in France and holds a master’s degree in International Conflict Studies from King’s College London. He is based in New York City.

Jean-François joins Audere with over 30 years’ experience in finance and strategic advisory. Primarily located in Tokyo, Jean-François has advised governments and leading multinational institutions, such as Buhler, JA Kyoto, Safran, Total, UC Rusal and Renault, specifically on bridging the Asian and European markets.

Prior to joining Audere, Jean-François was a Managing Director and Senior Advisor at business intelligence consultancy Kroll in Japan.

He has held both trading and management positions at some of the world’s leading financial institutions. Between 2006 – 2009, he was CEO, Asia-Pacific for Dresdner Klenwort, the investment banking arm of Dresdner Bank.

He is the former Vice-Chairman of the European Business Council in Japan and an Independent Outside Board Member of Denki Kogyo, a prominent listed telecommunications company in Japan.

Iggy was part of the pioneering Bellingcat Investigations Team that uncovered Russian military involvement in the downing of flight of MH17. Findings he unearthed were confirmed by the official investigation of the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service.

He subsequently worked with organisations including the OCCRP to track down assets acquired through corruption and researched foreign interference in EU and US democratic processes. Projects he contributed to were recognised with major prizes including the IRE Tom Renner Award.

Iggy assisted a range of major media outlets including the BBC and the Sunday Times, delivering findings for numerous complex investigative projects.

As an expert in Open Source Intelligence and new technologies, Iggy delivered training and expertise to organisations including the UK Foreign Office, US State Department, Der Spiegel, the Atlantic Council and many more.

In recent years, he has been involved in high-stakes investigations in the private intelligence sector, working on projects focused on war crimes, sanctions evasion and corporate raiding.

A native Russian speaker with a degree in Law (LLB, LLM) from the University of York.

Jordan is a Research Analyst, with strong interests in the Middle East and Africa, having studied these regions in depth. He undertakes open source research and report writing for intelligence and investigations assignments. He also assists the COO in coordinating operations and developing business infrastructure.

Jordan has prior experience in policy and political communications, and has worked with NGOs in Greece and in London.

Jordan graduated from University of Bristol with a MSc in International Security, after earning his BA in History and International Relations from University of Exeter.

Sam is a Junior Research & Intelligence Analyst focused on Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Proficient in Arabic, French, and Spanish, Sam studied and worked for media and charity organisations in a range of jurisdictions across EMEA prior to joining Audere in October 2022.

Sam works with the intelligence team writing and researching complex investigative reports on a range of jurisdictions. Having studied conflict in both academic and investigative contexts, Sam also supports the intelligence work of Audere’s Security teams in Ukraine, Africa, and the Middle East.

In 2022, Sam completed an MSc in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from St Anthony’s College at the University of Oxford, having graduated with a first in French, Arabic, and Islamic Studies at the University of Edinburgh in 2021.

Will is a Research Analyst at Audere with a strong focus on Europe, Russia, and CIS jurisdictions. He is proficient in French and Russian and has experience working for businesses in Paris and Moscow. Will supports case managers in the delivery of complex intelligence and investigations assignments.

Prior to joining Audere International, Will worked as a consultant to a global corporate intelligence firm and as an analyst for an Africa-focused political risk consultancy. He also holds experience working in financial research for a London-based expert network start-up.

Will graduated from Durham University with a BA in French and Russian. He is currently studying to become a certified fraud examiner (“CFE”) with the ACFE.

Thais is a Research Analyst with focus on the Asia Pacific region. Prior to joining Audere International, Thais worked in the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and conducted research and analysis on ongoing war crimes investigations.

She also has experience working with the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, where she assisted with research and project management on preventing violent extremism leading to terrorism in South and South-East Asia.

Thais also worked in the Commercial Sector of the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo where she gained experience in providing strategic advisory to American investors interested in Japanese markets.

Thais speaks fluent Portuguese and Japanese. She holds a master’s degree in International Peace and Security from King’s College London where she studied international law, geopolitics, and wrote her thesis on the Rohingya crisis and its implications in the transitional justice process in Myanmar.

Sir David Wright has over 55 years’ experience in Asian affairs. Fluent in Japanese, he spent 36 years in HM Diplomatic Service, culminating in his appointment as Ambassador to Japan in 1996. He also served as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea.

In addition to these positions, Sir David served as Private Secretary to the UK’s Cabinet Secretary and HRH The Prince of Wales. He was the Director General of Asian Affairs at the Foreign Office, and spent 4 years in the UK embassy in Paris. In 1999 Sir David became the first CEO of the British government’s unified trade and investment promotion Agency, UKTI.

After 2002, he spent 14 years as Vice-Chairman of Barclays Bank developing senior business relationships throughout the Asia Pacific region. Subsequently, he became the global advisor to the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group; Chairman of The City UK’s Japan Market Advisory Group; Chairman of Skarbek Associates;  non-executive director of Rezolve plc; and advisor to a Korean fintech-based tourism promotion group.

His extensive experience, expertise and wide range of contacts enable him to give advice on policy, strategy and engagement at all levels to help Audere facilitate business in the Asia Pacific region.

Lady Olga has developed relationships which are key to businesses with over 35 years experience in security and governmental activities. Centre stage is the influential foreign affairs and defence think tank, the Defence and Security Forum, which she founded and is President.

She was a Member of Parliament from 1992 – 1997. During her time, she specialised in defence and security issues, sitting on the Defence Backbench Committee before becoming Parliamentary Private Secretary to Sir John Wheeler, Security Minister at the Northern Ireland Office.

Since leaving Parliament, Lady Olga has become CEO of the International Association of Money Transfer Networks.  In turn, she is a regular speaker at international conferences on corporate governance and security. This includes chairing cyber security forums.

She has a portfolio for business development with a reach which takes her from Africa and the Middle East to Asia.  Since 2005 she has chaired the Algeria British Business Council and has a deep knowledge of foreign direct investment in this emerging market and across North Africa.

Sir Tony Brenton has dealt with Russia at a senior level for the past 25 years. He served twice as a senior British diplomat in Moscow, the second of these as UK Ambassador 2004-8. His Diplomatic Service career, 1975-2008, also included key negotiations on the Middle East, the European Union and Climate Change.

He was in charge of the British Embassy in Washington DC throughout the Iraq war and dealt too with the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident and the establishment of the International Criminal Court. On leaving the Foreign Office he became a Fellow of Wolfson College Cambridge and a Senior Fellow at the Cambridge University department of Politics and International Affairs.

Sir Tony has held various consultancies and directorships including as an advisor to Lloyds Insurance Market and as a member of the Board of the Russo-British Chamber of Commerce. He has written books on environmental diplomacy and the Russian revolution and contributes regularly to media discussion on Russian issues.

Konark has two decades’ worth of experience in Investment Banking and Strategic Business Development in India.

Located in Mumbai, Konark has collaborated with both the public and private sector in India. He has spent nearly ten years in the Indian Defence & Aerospace sector, leading numerous global defence contracts in areas such as high technology weapon systems, Naval C4I and Optronics.

Recently, Konark has diversified his business development activities to core infrastructure and power sectors, including surface transport and related technologies, digital metering networks for power utilities & efficiency solutions for thermal power plants. In addition, he has played a pivotal role in assisting India’s leading engineering companies to develop their operations in Africa.

Konark was educated in India and the United States; he graduated from New York University with a degree in Economics.

Chris spent 28 years in HM Diplomatic Service in senior management positions dealing at high level with a variety of complex and sensitive political and security issues.  He specialised in the MENA region and East Africa and lived and worked in both regions for 18 years.

Since retiring from HM Diplomatic Service in the late 1990s, he has held a number of positions in the private sector: Business Development Consultant to a large German industrial and educational group; Middle East Adviser to one of the UK’s big four accountancy and business advisory practices; Director of a medical start-up in the Middle East; and Board Director of a London-based business consultancy providing bespoke business intelligence services.

His private work since the mid-2000s has included carrying out all types of due diligence and asset tracing investigations, mainly in the Middle East, Iran and Africa, for a number of regular British and foreign clients.

His extensive public and private sector experience, security expertise, and wide range of contacts enable him to give advice on policy, strategy and engagement at all levels to help facilitate business in overseas markets.

Alan has profound experience as a senior executive, entrepreneur and advisor focused on complex growth markets, especially in Asia. He is co-founder of ECube Investment Advisors which is dedicated to raising India’s corporate standards of environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) performance.

In 2009, he co-founded Kiran Energy, one of India’s pioneering solar power companies. Earlier, he was Executive Director of Tata Sons and responsible for the Tata Group’s international strategy, prior to which he was Chairman of Jardine Matheson India.

His earlier career included acting as Strategy Director of United Distillers, CEO of Piersons (a division of Courtaulds Textiles) and as a banker with SG Warburg. He was a member of the Policy Unit at 10 Downing Street in 1991 – 1993.

Alan has served as a director of public and private companies in Asia, UK and North America. He has written and spoken widely most especially about business, sustainability and entrepreneurship in India. He was awarded a CBE in 2014.

Tom has a wealth of knowledge in the financial services industry. In the past 30 year he has advised executive boards of multi-nationals, entrepreneurs and governments on hundreds of transactions. He has particular expertise in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2001, Tom founded Ambrian.  Under his leadership as CEO he successfully developed the company into London’s leading investment bank in the mid and small cap natural resources sector.

As a member firm of the London Stock Exchange, Ambrian raised over $1.8 billion for 90 growth companies. In 2011, he left Ambrian and joined Fleming Wulfsohn Africa where he is currently a Director.

Prior to founding Ambrian, Tom was a Director in the Corporate Finance department of Robert Fleming and latterly JP Morgan Chase.  He holds an MBA from Manchester Business School and a BA (Hons) from the University of Sussex.