Investigator Spotlight: Vanessa Li

Our Investigator Spotlight series invites you to meet some of our Pinkertons from around the world. When Allan Pinkerton started the Pinkerton National Detective Agency in 1850, the profession was not held in high regard. It was Pinkerton and his team’s skill for detective work, keen intellect, and watchful eyes that turned contempt to esteem and gave birth to the modern security industry. To be counted among Pinkerton investigators is an honor belonging to a relative few and a position reserved for the best in the field.

We would like to introduce you to Vanessa Li. Vanessa, please tell us what you do at Pinkerton.

I am the due diligence manager for the Asia Pacific region. I oversee supply chain and Know Your Client (KYC) due diligence investigations, background checks, pre-employment screening, and data analysis. Before becoming an investigator, I was in business development in the Asian region. I focused on building client relationships and vendor management.

How many languages do you know?

I know four languages: Spanish, English, Mandarin, and Cantonese

When did you know you wanted to be an investigator?

I was always interested in solving mysteries. I was inspired by the books written by Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie that I read during my childhood. Then I read an article about how Pinkerton investigators searched the markets in China, looking for evidence of brand/trademark infringement. They interviewed merchants who led them to manufacturers that were engaged in some dubious activities. The Pinkertons collected the evidence and turned it over to the police for further action.

Is this what inspired you to become a Pinkerton?

It was very exciting to see the Pinkertons in action on the brand infringement case in China, which is known as the “factory of the world.”

I became a Pinkerton six years ago. I was inspired to be a part of one of the oldest corporations in the security industry — one with such a transcendental history. Pinkerton’s core strength is its people from all backgrounds and corners around the world.

I enjoy working with a cross-cultural team that transcends cultures and geographies. We have a great team with different mindsets and skill sets, and we all collaborate for a common purpose, which is to support our clients by providing effective risk management solutions.

What talent or skills do you need to be a great investigator?

I believe great investigators need to be critical thinkers who possess deductive reasoning and are driven by an innate curiosity. They need to have social perceptiveness, flexibility, and problem-solving skills.

What is your most memorable case?

We received a call from a client who was being harassed by environmental activists threatening to release adverse information on the company to the media. The client was an eco-friendly manufacturer engaged in environmental protection practices and abided by the law as per their industry’s standards. Nonetheless, the negative publicity would greatly impact their business.

We launched an investigation into the activists and discovered they had a record of engaging in the same practices with organizations in other countries. Furthermore, there was an obvious conflict of interest and ulterior motives beyond the initial environmental activism. The activists operated a consulting company and appeared to be selling services to their target organizations in return for stopping their harassment campaigns against them. Our client took all this information to their legal department, which helped them prepare to confront the activists.

This case illustrates just how important it is for organizations to do their due diligence to avoid future risks.

You’ve been a part of so many different cases that take you all over the world. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Many of the assignments we receive consist of supporting our clients with their internal investigations. I remember one case where our client’s IT director was suspected of running his own business while still under contract with our client, violating their contractual agreement. The director was also suspected of conflict of interest for recommending and using suppliers that were owned by his relatives — his spouse and, as we discovered later, his mother-in-law as well as using a vendor who was providing services for both his business and the client’s IT department.

We launched an investigation, and each piece of evidence helped to put the whole picture together, taking us across the world. We traced the spouse’s business to Asia where multiple locations were unveiled in various cities.

The allegation with the other vendor took us to the Middle East where discreet source inquiries confirmed that our client’s IT director was providing services both to our client and his own business under an intricate scheme. It was difficult to find concrete evidence as the vendor was working as a freelance consultant for another company who in turn was servicing our client.

This case is very interesting because it showcases how our global network of human expertise can work to connect the dots together no matter where the evidence is located. This is possible because we have subject matter experts in every major hub around the world.

Throughout history, Pinkertons have served as advisors and consultants for national and global organizations, defining new standards for investigations and consistently driving change within our industry. As a trusted partner, you can rely on our family of thousands of employees and connected partners across 100+ countries to support your investigative, risk management, and security needs. If you’d like to know more about Pinkerton’s Investigative Services, connect with our team.