Vincent Swardt
Co-Owner, Managing Director and Senior Multi-disciplinary Consultant
Vincent has over 13 years’ experience in investigative, risk and critical incident response consulting. He is the co-owner and managing director of Saraband Solutions and a retained Senior Crisis Response consultant for Unity Advisory Group. Vincent has also provided dedicated risk and investigative support to an international mining company with operations throughout Africa for the past 13 years.
Among the critical incidents he has worked are successfully resolved kidnap-for-ransom cases in hostile and challenging environments such as the DRC, Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya, several communicated threats and extortion cases in South Africa, alleged human rights abuses in remote Zambia, and alleged sexual abuse offences in Tanzania. In 2020 Vincent consulted on a short-term assignment (caretaker role) as the Regional Security Advisor (Southern Africa) for one of the largest global telecommunications companies in the world. This task included advising on the client’s security risk exposure at its main campus in Johannesburg, South Africa as well as coordinating a security contingency plan for their operations in Tanzania ahead of the 2020 national elections.
Vincent received certification as a Certified Fraud Examiner through the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) in 2014. The fraud cases that he has worked include asset misappropriation, vendor; insurance and accounting fraud as well as employee/vendor collusion and kickbacks. Other investigations have included IP Infringements, COBC violations, sexual harassment, and various forms of employee misconduct, among many others.
In 2020 Vincent was invited by the African Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (AfATAP) to present on the current situation of Kidnap-for-Ransom in Africa and some of the challenges he has faced working these cases. He has also presented on the role of the crisis response consultant in kidnap-for-ransom cases at several special risks insurance seminars. In November 2020, an article authored by Vincent titled "Occupational Fraud Risk Management" was published in the ACFE South Africa's quarterly publication, Veritas Magazine (Issue 3 - November 2020 - http://online.mobissue.com/eory/whph/)
Jacqueline Cochrane
Co-Owner, Senior Vetting and Due Diligence Consultant
Jacqie joined Saraband Solutions in 2017 and oversees the vetting and due diligence projects undertaken by the company. Her focus on corporate and individual due dilligence, and security related and investigative intelligence sourcing accross the African continent has resulted in the forging of strong networks and relationships with various sources in numerous African countries.
Jacqie is responsible for the vendor, supplier and customer vetting for a global mining company with a large footprint in Africa and with siginifcant exposure to related risks in the region. Jacqie oversees the vetting of all suppliers used and vendors onboarded by the company and her processes go beyond a checklist excercise. Jacqie follows a detailed and focussed approach, whilst remaining within the scope and budget as determined by the client, in providing the an opportunity to make informed decisions on who the client wants to do business with, and the risk, if any, they are willing to assume in this regard.
Jacqie supports international teams, including risk firms, investigators, investors and attorneys on fact finding and due diligence assignments in Africa. Among these assignments have been a major investment project with interests in a mining company with operations in the DRC and South Africa, and support on an investiment project related to several hospitals in Kenya. Other assignments have included enquiries into natural and non-natural deaths, ADD.
In 2019 Jacqie obtained certification in Forensic Investigations from HJN Training, as well as certification from Sasseta on a NQF Level 5 for Conducting Preliminary Investigations. She conducts gender sensitive investigations when required and has worked as an investigative resource on numerous misconduct investigations, including amongst others investigations into sexual harassment, receipt and distribution of offensive electronic material, sexual favours for jobs and contractor collussion and corruption.
Nicol Welsch
Vetting Specialist and Administrator
Nicol joined the Saraband team in 2019 and is responsible for the pre-employment screening that Saraband does for several clients in the mining, telecomunications, recruitment and public sector.
Nicol coordinates and manages the pre-employment screening support services to the HR department of one of Saraband's largest clients. This includes coordinating candidates, taking fingerprints for biometric based criminal record checks, drawing directorship profiles, assesing and reviewing vetting results (including the results from her own checks as well as those received from other service providers), and highlighting risks and areas of non-compliance to the client. For some of Saraband's other clients Nicol also conducts qualification verifications and credit enquiries as part of the vetting process.
Nicol is responsible for the administrative support to one of the company's largest clients, where she provides dedicated support to the Country Risk Manager on a daily basis, working mostly on a dedicated risk intelligence platform. She also assists Jacqie with vetting tasks as and when required and supports both Vincent and Jacqie in cases where administrative support is required on investigations.
Nicol further assists with general office management and administrative tasks as and when required.
Associates, Partnerships and Consultants
Saraband Solutions has built up a network of local and globally recognised associates and consultants in amongst others the following fields:
- Investigations
- Training
- Risk and threat assessments
- Surveillance and undercover operations
- Polygraph examinations
- Handwriting analysis
- Pre-employment screening (national and global footprint)
- Computer forensics
- TCSM investigations
- Executive protection services
These partnerships have allowed Saraband Solutions to remain on the forefront of providing a high quality and driven service to our clients with a diverse set of skills on offer.
In June 2017 a global partner of Saraband Solutions published the following media release on their website:
LYON - FRANCE, 04/06/2017 – In the context of its expansion, CORPGUARD announces today the signing of a partnership agreement with Saraband Solutions, business intelligence, investigation and risk management specialist based in South Africa. This partnership will allow CORPGUARD to benefit from its expertise in Southern Africa and to rely on its operational capabilities. Saraband Solutions LTD will take advantage of CORPGUARD’s knowledge and network in West Africa, North Africa and Europe.
Memberships and Affiliations
ACFE – Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
AfATAP – African Association of Threat Assessment Professionals
CRIMSA – Criminological and Victimilogical Society of Southern Africa
WAD – World Association of Detectives
PSIRA - Private Securty Industry Regulatory Authority
