Human Due Diligence

Examination of systems and subsystems (legal entities, corporate structures, finances, facilities, etc.) is a matter of commonly known corporate due diligence.
But what about man?

When the individual starts business relations with another individual, he is on his own. No matter whether he is a newcomer in business or Forbes list member.

What is Human due diligence?

Potential business partners, buyers, sellers, key executives, board members, lobbies, etc. are subjects of human due diligence investigations.

If you ask private investigators, risk advisory companies and auditors about their job, you will find out that in business related cases they used to work on individuals. Vendors call this process “profiling”, “background screening on individuals”, “intelligence on individuals”, “investigations” or even “checks”.

While corporate due diligence is often compliance driven and formalized, human due diligence has much in common with real intelligence. Every vendor has its own approach to this type of researches, the market avoids publicity. Consequently, it’s a challenging task for a potential customer to find the company capable to assist him in human due diligence investigation.

For 10+ years SA WEST conducts human due diligence investigations in Russia, Europe, Countries of the Former Soviet Union and even in the Middle East.

For details, case studies and quotation get in touch with our team members.

What’s the difference between human due diligence and investigations?

All corporate investigations are about “red flags” and risks. That’s the main approach and the most common method of conducting research on individual – to find out if the subject has ever done something illegal or unethical.

Undoubtfully, it is important to know that your business partner, potential lobby, protector, seller, agent in distant region, etc. has no links with criminals, not a fraudster and has no business relations with individuals under sanctions but:

  • What about links, connections, capabilities of the individual? Is he indeed as resourceful as he pretends?
  • What about subject’s plans, intentions, interests?
  • What about his character? Is he easy to work with?
  • Is he healthy enough to start a new business?
  • He said that he would be ready to invest in the project in the future. He is waiting for money from his business. Is he serious or he’s just taking my time?

All these and hundreds of similar questions are not in focus of corporate investigations and checks.

To the opposite of investigations examining the past, human due diligence is about the past and the future; it is about risks and opportunities.