Letter from the Managing Director
When we started in 2008, colleagues would ask me, “What makes Black Watch different others providing intelligence and political risk services?”
My response then and now is the way we combine expertise on hard-to-reach areas of Africa and South Asia together with an ingrained desire to apply our research and analysis to our client’s specific problem set. We do this by listening to our customers while blending a global network of vetted experts with our core team of multi-disciplinary experts. Throughout, we remain dedicated to providing unrivaled customer service and cost-effective solutions. I am proud that our team never takes on a project unless we can provide value to the customer.
This unique approach is a product of our assessment of the current marketplace. In our view, customers in the market for political risk consulting services are faced with a misalignment of analytical value, focus on the customer, and price. On the one hand, there are service providers that offer overwhelming depth of content and expertise, though understanding neither the needs and constraints of the customer nor how their ideas become operational. On the other hand, there are service providers who offer costly solutions that are not customer-focused—at times selling recycled analysis—and are not scalable to meet customers’ current budget constraints. Moreover, few in either category provide services that support clients’ strategic planning and investment decisions.
Our clients rely on us when they have a pressing need for honest, objective analysis on political risk and intelligence issues in Africa and South Asia. They know our consultants provide significant professional expertise on difficult issues, while being responsive to our clients’ needs. The Black Watch team does this through:
Listening. Our consultants take an active approach to engaging with clients and listening to their most challenging problems so that our solutions are tailored to achieve maximum utility.
Creativity & Adaptability. One size does not fit all. Each client, each problem set, and therefore each solution require a nuanced approach. Our consultants are given latitude to creatively apply the breadth of our corporate resources and their own expertise to deliver customized solutions.
Energy. Our consultants take pride in knowing that, without question, no other firm in the industry works harder for its customers.
Perspective. Our consultants put our clients’ interests first. Regardless of the difficulty of task and the complexity of the challenge, our consultants maintain a clear perspective of the strategic implications of their work for our clients.
Integrity. Our clients trust us to tackle difficult issues with professionalism and in strict confidence.
The research and advisory services our team provides help clients in government and industry tackle their most wicked problems—from counterterrorism to energy security to investment in frontier markets—by leveraging unique global networks and building winning strategies.
I am proud to say that our team—unique for their expertise and commitment to fieldwork—is above all the best team of problem solvers in the industry.
If you’ve worked with us in the past or would like to learn more about our team and our unique approach, please feel free to contact me directly. I’d love to hear from you.
Kind regards,
Andrew Black
Managing Director
