CAPABILITY STATEMENT CONTROL RISKS MEXICO GENERAL 15 AUGUST 2012 Control Risks Mexico, S.A. de C.V. Cottons Centre Cottons Lane London SE1 2QG United Kingdom T: +5255 5000 1700 www.controlrisks.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS CRISIS AND SECURITY CONSULTING 1 Security consulting and services 1 Executive protection services 1 Security management 2 Crisis management and business resilience 2 CORPORATE INVESTIGATIONS 3 Business intelligence and due diligence 3 Information gathering capabilities in Mexico 4 The information contained herein does not constitute a guarantee or warranty by Control Risks Group Holdings Limited, its subsidiaries, branches and/or affiliates ( Control Risks ) of future performance nor an assurance against risk. This report is based on information provided by the client and other information available at the time of writing. It has been prepared following consultation with and on the basis of instructions received from the client and reflects the priorities and knowledge of the client as communicated to Control Risks. Accordingly, the issues covered by this report and the emphasis placed on them may not necessarily address all the issues of concern in relation to its subject matter. No obligation is undertaken by Control Risks to provide the client with further information, to update this information or any other information for events or changes of circumstances which take place after the date hereof or to correct any information contained herein or any omission therefrom. Control Risks work and findings shall not in any way constitute recommendations or advice regarding the client s ultimate commercial decision, which shall, in all respects, remain the client s own. This report is for the benefit of the client only (including its directors, officers and employees) and may not be disclosed to any third parties without the prior written consent of Control Risks. Copyright Control Risks. All rights reserved. This document cannot be reproduced without the express written permission of Control Risks. Any reproduction without authorization shall be considered an infringement of Control Risks copyright.
CRISIS AND SECURITY CONSULTING Control Risks focuses on providing security advice, assurance and services to clients so that they understand and minimize their risk exposure. Our clients can choose from a wide range of security consulting and crisis management services which are seamlessly integrated, while benefiting from the highly experienced team of Control Risks consultants and our network of international offices. Security consulting and services Our security consulting services support companies throughout every step of the security function; from evaluating threats to their business to reviewing existing systems and designing new ones. Control Risks is able to develop unique and customized risk mitigation strategies. Threat and risk assessment. We can provide a professional assessment of a company s threat exposure worldwide and develop a tailored risk profile which takes into account the general political and security risk environment. Security review. We can conduct a security survey of a company s international operations, which covers personal security for staff, security of company assets and an evaluation of the effectiveness of existing security procedures. Based on the findings we recommend any necessary changes. Corporate security organization. Global companies are driven to do business in uncertain climates that require the development of formal security policies, plans and procedures. Control Risks is highly experienced in developing corporate security programs for individual companies that help them establish in-house solutions, as well as in conducting organizational reviews and benchmarking studies. Training. No security program or policy is set in stone. Periodic reviews, revisions and updates are essential in order to respond to ever-changing business necessities. It is even more critical to ensure that staff is made aware of and trained in these developments. Control Risks can provide a full array of training services to meet these needs. Executive protection services In today s unpredictable world, it is necessary to take precautions in high-risk security environments. Control Risks flexible security services are tailored to support any business in protection of its assets, people and reputation. Our clients come from all sectors and industries; as a result, Control Risks excels in understanding the nuances of each sector and the respective needs of our clients. Protection programs. Our asset protection services are designed to protect a company s key assets: its employees, business, reputation and shareholder value, information, and operations. We support organizations throughout all stages of security protection programs, from development to implementation. We also conduct in-depth security audits and reviews of existing programs to ensure that they meet industry best practices and are compliant with applicable regulations. Executive protection. Executive protection ensures security and peace of mind for those traveling in environments that are considered particularly unstable. Control Risks has a proven operational capability to provide executive protection consultants, coordinators and advisors to accompany senior executives traveling in Mexico or internationally. We can assist in assessing the risk and recommending the level of security commensurate with the threat level. -1-
Event security. Organizing security for an event is a complex and delicate process which should never be overlooked or left to the last minute. Control Risks is widely experienced in security management at events where disruption, by either activists or disgruntled shareholders, can jeopardize a company s reputation or the safety of those attending the event. Security management We work with our clients to plan and develop their security prevention and response programs. Embedded consultants: Most companies lack the in-house capability to satisfy their multiple, diversified security requirements. Control Risks can fill this gap from deploying embedded consultants to supplying their entire security function saving our clients the cost of employing and training an internal team. We can also serve as the company s security department, establishing and managing the corporate security function within a client s corporation. Crisis management and business resilience Control Risks offers the full range of crisis management and business continuity consulting services, from delivering a single tabletop exercise to a discrete client team, to managing the development of a global, enterprise-wide crisis management or business continuity program that establishes a structure and approach for the client organization to manage any crisis in any location. Our methodology is informed by both best practices business standards and industry norms and a meaningful assessment of each client s unique characteristics, including its risk profile, organizational structure, regulatory requirements, and geographic exposures. Our crisis management and business continuity consulting services focus primarily on reducing the impacts of a crisis to our clients. Specifically, the overarching goal is strengthening our client s ability to: Protect its employees, their families, the communities in which the organization operates and any other relevant stakeholders Safeguard its reputation, key assets, and other core interests Ensure that its business operations continue uninterrupted, regardless of location Achieve compliance with standards and regulatory requirements Safeguard our clients financial position through risk management and planning To achieve that goal, Control Risks takes a collaborative approach with the knowledge that we can only provide effective, sustainable consulting with the active participation and support of our clients and a detailed understanding of their organization s structure, operations, culture, and values. We work with all levels of management from the site level to the corporate board room and across departmental lines to design solutions that make business sense given both the overarching objectives of the organization and the specific needs of its component parts. Control Risks experience suggests that having a designated and trained Crisis Management Team at the senior executive level is an industry-standard good management practice, and a requirement for effective response to crises. Further, systems for crisis management and business continuity are becoming a standard element of corporate good governance that stakeholders except to be in place. -2-
This is exemplified by organization s reporting on planning efforts in annual financial statements. Organizations that fail to designate and train a Crisis Management Team in advance of a crisis-level event often suffer greater harm to reputation and stakeholder value than organizations that have taken this step. Whether the engagement is a half-day workshop or a long-term program development project, our approach provides the client with specific strategies, knowledge and/or skills for managing crises. This document provides detail on the numerous services we provide. Control Risks welcomes the opportunity to discuss any of these solutions at your convenience. CORPORATE INVESTIGATIONS Control Risks provides critical corporate investigation services to clients operating in today s difficult and dangerous environment in Mexico. These services are essential for clients trying to operate profitably, safely and within the boundaries of accepted American standards of corporate ethics while facing difficult circumstances and rapidly deteriorating conditions in many parts of the country. Our capabilities in both the investigative and security arenas in Mexico allow us to assist our strategic partners and clients in responding to the escalating violence and increasing penetration by the cartels and criminal elements into business life. Control Risks provides a wide range of investigative services to assist clients in making informed business decisions in a timely manner. This ranges from information-driven consultancy and analysis services to on-the-ground fraud investigations. Control Risks office in Mexico City is the headquarters for business intelligence and due diligence work conducted in Mexico and throughout Central America and the Caribbean. We are accomplished in all aspects of investigations, from gathering information and intelligence to unraveling fraud schemes, as well as identifying cartel and criminal elements that weave their way into legitimate business operations. Business intelligence and due diligence Control Risks is able to provide our clients with business intelligence and due diligence services. We provide investigative-based international consultancy to companies and sovereign entities either seeking investment opportunities or facing fraudulent or hostile commercial activities against their interests. Our business intelligence consultancy helps our clients anticipate and manage the hidden risks in complex deals. We assist in bringing a greater level of confidence to clients involved in market entry, contested mergers and acquisitions, investments, disposals and the selection of joint venture partners, investors, suppliers, advisers, agents, distributors, staff and clients. Control Risks focuses on providing value-added, integrity-focused information, intelligence, and analysis. Through our comprehensive sectoral and regional experience, we have become highly skilled at helping to close the information gap in Mexico s opaque and often hostile investment climate. This is achieved by combining exhaustive analysis of the public record at an international and local level with specific intelligence from a network of well-placed and reliable trusted associates and contacts on the ground across the country and in a variety of sectors. Information from these sources provides excellent insight into reputation, source of wealth, strategy and commercial success. This includes trusted and vetted American and Mexican law enforcement and military sources that have the ability to monitor the criminal and cartel underworld operating with impunity in many parts of the country. -3-
Control Risks strives to accomplish the following on behalf of our clients in Mexico and around the world: Perform investigations in a confidential, ethical, and professional manner. Advise clients on the integrity of their enterprises, the reliability of their partners, and the challenges facing the continuity of their business. Provide consistent and high quality, regionally specialized information and advice. Provide clients with actionable information and intelligence that allows them to make informed business decisions that increase their chances for bottom line success. Control Risks has provided business intelligence to clients in many complex or hostile situations. On several major transactions our work has extended well beyond a penetrating due diligence. Our riskbased advice has been sought to help clients make business judgments on transactional value, financial and regulatory compliance, competitive threats, market entry, and deal structuring. We have also gathered targeted intelligence on the interests and activities of individuals and companies who have been responsible for various threats to the corporate integrity of our clients, whether through fraud, financial malpractice, conflicts of interest, or anti-competitive practices. Our work complements that of accountants, corporate financiers and lawyers, looking beyond contracts and financial statements to ascertain the facts and assess potential partners motives, agendas, and transparent and non-transparent ownership structures, reliability and reputation. Information gathering capabilities in Mexico Control Risks is positioned to provide excellent research and information gathering across Mexico. Control Risks researchers and consultants are able to synthesize pertinent information from a variety of sources to fully understand and report on the security environment in operationally challenging locations. We target our investigations to clients needs, and are able to focus on security concerns from the micro- to the macro-levels. Control Risks also has access to and experience in utilizing onthe-ground sources to provide information that is otherwise unavailable. Control Risks researchers regularly conduct comprehensive desktop research, including consulting a variety of media sources across Mexico, such as local and national newspapers, as well as specialist databases to which the company has access. Researchers and consultants are able to quickly locate the specific media outlets that are best positioned to provide timely and accurate information on events in specific areas throughout Mexico. Control Risks also gathers relevant information from non-traditional news resources in Mexico, such as blogs and social networking websites. Such sources often provide timely and pertinent information that is otherwise not reported in traditional media outlets. Control Risks maintains regular contact with and gathers information from sources in operationally difficult locations, such as Ciudad Juárez and northeastern Mexico, which is a critical means of gathering timely and accurate information in the current Mexican threat environment. Most sources have years of military and/or security experience and are able to collect timely, relevant, on-the-ground information that is rarely available from media sources or public records. -4-