About

After serving for fifteen years as an officer in two storied regiments, the Gurkhas and the Green Jackets, which pioneered the use of camouflage in the British Army, Charles became resident country manager for Jardine Fleming in Pakistan for 3 years, then ran corporate finance coverage of Russia; headed up a US-owned commercial intelligence practice in London; and established a sizeable security company in Iraq. In 2009 he moved to Page Group as CEO where he developed the global footprint and managed security contracts in Afghanistan, Haiti, the West Bank and Gaza. Charles founded Audere in 2015. He is widely travelled and has published two books about his expeditions Conquering the Desert of Death and In the Footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia.

Mike Longstaff is the Managing Director of Audere Securus. An experienced senior executive with proven track record in business development, stakeholder engagement, relationship management and international relations, with an in-depth knowledge of contemporary defence and security global issues, specifically in the UK, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Indo-Pacific. He has served in numerous senior posts across the military, government, and internationally, managing complex programmes introducing innovation/creativity to business solutions.

After serving 25 years in the Intelligence Corps in the British Army, Nigel worked on counter terrorism operations for the UK Government. He established an extensive network of contacts and is known for breaking down the intelligence barriers between Governments and Industry. He spent 3 years in the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) providing advice on a variety of thematic threats to the highest levels of government, the intelligence community, law enforcement and industry in the UK and overseas. Before moving to Audere, he led Virgin Atlantic Airways’ global security operations

James has spent over 40 years managing a complex range of security and intelligence risks around the world. After graduating from Oxford University in 1980, he travelled widely across Soviet-occupied Afghanistan with the Mujahideen. He served in the British embassies in Lima and Islamabad; was CEO of an investment bank in Karachi; Iraq country manager for Control Risks, Regional Manager in Erbil and Director Middle East in Dubai; and Director of Special risks at Hiscox.

Bryan served over 40 years serving in the British Army, primarily in the Special Forces. He has delivered specialist security risk management consultation globally for both Government services and commercial companies and has a proven record of success in setting up physical security facilities and personnel security (vetting) regimes and in assessing and understanding regulatory and management requirements for all security disciplines within the UK and overseas. Bryan is also a Member of the World Institute for Nuclear Security, (WINS.) and holds a current UK vetting accreditation.

After serving for over a decade as a Royal Marine Commando, Jonny worked extensively with US environmental, security, and engineering companies and in leadership positions in a leading UK medical, safety, and mine/UXO clearance service provider, as well as a prominent integrated risk management group. Jonny’s experience spans Iraq, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Libya, Kuwait, the UAE, and Antarctica, where he worked with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) team.

Oliver holds the position of COO at Audere. With a wealth of Africa knowledge and a decade of experience in building and managing mining, security, and logistics companies and operations, he brings invaluable expertise to the team. In his previous role, he served as Managing Director of a mining venture in South Africa for four years. During this time, he successfully oversaw the project’s entire lifecycle, starting from exploration and obtaining mining licenses, to breaking ground and establishing long-term client relationships and negotiating off-take agreements.

Oliver’s connection with Africa began at the age of 19 when he held the position of Junior Operations Manager for a gold exploration operation in the Karamoja region of North East Uganda. Subsequently, he spent a year at the Page Group in London, planning and coordinating security and intelligence projects. Continuing his career in African mining, Oliver became the Country Manager of an Australian listed company in Madagascar. Over two and a half year period, he effectively managed all aspects of a remote mining exploration operation, successfully proving the presence of a 136-million-ton coal reserve.

Following his time in Madagascar, Oliver assumed the role of Operations Manager at Loza Radar Africa. There, he managed sizeable exploration projects across Southern and East Africa, leading projects in Zimbabwe, Angola, Kenya, Mozambique, Botswana, and South Africa.

Oliver holds a degree in Business from Newcastle University.

Monika has worked in the public and private sectors, including government service and at PwC, investigating political, commercial and security risks.

She specialises in Russia and the Former Soviet Union territories having lived and worked in the region for close to 10 years.

​She has excellent intelligence collation and analysis skills, finding actionable intelligence in situations where it is difficult to obtain, and is a seasoned expert in public domain research.

​Monika was educated in Hong Kong and the UK, holding a master’s degree in Intelligence and International Security from King’s College London.

Burcu has extensive on-the-ground knowledge of the Middle East, and has lived in Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, China, and the US. Burcu has taught Middle East politics, conflict, and peace building studies at the University of Cambridge, where she earned her PhD. Previously, she worked with the United Nations Development Programme, conducted research for the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and advised private entities and regional governments on geopolitical risk and security.

Sam is a Junior Research & Intelligence Analyst focused on Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Proficient in Arabic, French, and Spanish, Sam studied and worked for media and charity organisations in a range of jurisdictions across EMEA prior to joining Audere in October 2022.

Sam works with the intelligence team writing and researching complex investigative reports on a range of jurisdictions. Having studied conflict in both academic and investigative contexts, Sam also supports the intelligence work of Audere’s Security teams in Ukraine, Africa, and the Middle East.

In 2022, Sam completed an MSc in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from St Anthony’s College at the University of Oxford, having graduated with a first in French, Arabic, and Islamic Studies at the University of Edinburgh in 2021.

Tom graduated from the University of Exeter with a BA (hons) in International Relations and won the Deans Commendation Award. Tom’s studies focused on conflict, genocide, and counter terrorism, culminating in a thesis examining how wildlife conservation strategies could counter the drivers of violent extremism in Northern Kenya. Tom subsequently assisted King’s College London Study Group’s Director of Programmes with assessments on topics including Russia’s war against Ukraine and alternative counter terrorism strategies.

Lucas is operations and logistics professional with an aviation dominant background. He conducted operations for sensitive clients in demanding situations and under critical timelines. His services include ISR, MEDEVAC and cargo transportation. Lucas has over 10 years of experience working in complex, high threat and remote environments. Areas of operation include Africa, Middle East and Europe. Lucas currently holds UK vetting accreditation.