Business Intelligence

Engagement
An activist investor with a minority stake in a US technology company asked Gryphon to investigate the chairman of the board, who the client felt was not fit to lead the company.  Our client commissioned us to find evidence and commentary to show that the chairman had similar leadership issues at previous companies.

Investigation
A deep dive of the public record revealed that the chairman had been discharged or forced out of a number of companies he led before. Further investigation revealed that the subject had engaged in questionable business practices, such as overstating revenues, which led to a steep decline in the stock price of another company he ran and led to a number of civil litigation cases. During the investigation, we spoke to sources who corroborated adverse information identified in the public record. The sources offered further evidence of the chairman’s questionable management practices, including retaliation.

Result
Armed with this intelligence, our client led a successful proxy fight, which ended with the client pushing the chairman out and installing an ally to lead the company.

Engagement
Gryphon was retained by a family office to conduct an investigation into a potential new Chief Investment Officer to help grow the family’s wealth.

Investigation
Gryphon undertook a deep-dive background investigation on the client’s top candidate, which included a public records review and human intelligence gathering among the candidate’s former colleagues and close associates. A public records review revealed no adverse information. However, interviews with the candidate’s former colleagues uncovered a different story. Adverse commentary from human sources uncovered of a variety of adverse facts regarding the candidate, including a failure to uphold fiduciary duties at another firm the candidate had helmed—which was also failing financially. Sources also noted the candidate’s poor people management skills, work ethic and judgement.

Result
As a result of our investigation, Gryphon’s client decided not to move forward with the candidate.