Shawn leads our Intelligence & Analysis practice across Southern Africa. Drawing on experience across military service, academia, entrepreneurship and consulting, combined with more than a decade advising clients across Africa, His areas of expertise includedue diligence investigations, business intelligence, anti-money laundering and financial crime reviews, whistleblower investigations, political risk assessments and broader reputational risk matters.
Shawn helps clients cut through uncertainty, understand what matters most, anticipate potential challenges and identify opportunities that support their long-term strategic objectives. He works closely with multinational corporations, financial institutions, private equity and investment firms, development finance institutions, and organisations across the mining, energy, financial services, technology and infrastructure sectors. Clients engage him to gain a deeper understanding of complex risks, stakeholder dynamics and operating environments across Africa.
Recent engagements include:
- Supporting an international energy client as it evaluated expansion opportunities in Namibia by providing market intelligence, stakeholder analysis and assessments of the country’s evolving political, regulatory and investment environment
- Advising investors and financial institutions on complex due diligence and integrity-related matters across Southern Africa, including assessments that combined political, regulatory and reputational risk analysis
- Leading intelligence-led assessments for clients seeking to understand potential partners, acquisition targets and other counterparties across Africa, combining strategic context with detailed integrity and reputational analysis
Shawn holds a Master's degree in International Relations from the University of Cape Town, a BSc in Political Studies from the University of London and an Honours BA in Criminology and Sociology from the University of Toronto. He is a Certified Anti-MoneyLaundering Specialist (CAMS) and a Professional Certified Investigator (PCI).