Tom Glocer to invest in US business intelligence firm

The firm K2 Intelligence offers investigative services in a range of areas, including governance risk and compliance with regulations like the Bank Secrecy Act. It was started by the family that used to head investigations firm Kroll Inc. Founder Jules Kroll and his son Jeremy started K2 in 2009 after leaving Kroll, which has changed hands through a series of acquisitions in recent years.

Glocer, pictured, will “help round out the board,” which now has six members, said Jeremy Kroll, chief executive of K2. He cited Glocer’s experience leading regulated companies as key to helping K2 understand the needs of clients. He also hinted at K2‘s potential acquisitiveness, saying Glocer had led Thomson Reuters through a period of merger-and-acquisition activity. “He’s very bullish on the company,” Kroll said. Founded in 2009, K2 has offices in Bahrain, London, Madrid and New York. 

Glocer, 53, is a former mergers and acquisitions lawyer who became CEO of Reuters in 2001 and of Thomson Reuters upon its formation in 2008. He left the company at the end of 2011. He is the founder and managing partner of Angelic Ventures, a family office focusing on early stage investments in financial technology, media, “big data” and healthcare. His directorships include Merck and Morgan Stanley. 

Glocer’s K2 investment is expected to be announced on Monday.

POSTSCRIPT

Tom Glocer’s investment in K2 Intelligence was announced on 12 August. Jeremy Kroll said: “As a recognized leader in the information services industry, Tom brings significant expertise in technology and global M&A. This perspective is extremely important to us as we grow our tech-powered corporate intelligence business. Tom has taken a strong interest in K2 since its development and we are pleased to officially welcome him as a board member.”

Glocer said: “The challenge of running a major global enterprise today is that C-suite executives are drowning in a sea of big data, but cannot filter the precise, actionable intelligence they need. K2 Intelligence provides that expert filter and focus, along with a suite of innovative analytical tools. I’m very excited to work closely with the management team to help K2 expand its tailored investigative solutions to clients globally.

“As we’ve seen in recent weeks, threats to corporate data are increasingly complex and difficult to detect. No other intelligence firm matches K2’s ability to help companies understand their data, identify internal and external vulnerabilities and prevent fraudulent activity such as insider trading, cybercrime and money laundering.” ■