Directors

Richard Hester, QPM
Director

During his 32-year service in the British police service Richard Hester gained vast experience in the area of covert operations, specialisinig in international organised crime. Working throughout Europe,the Far East and the United States with Federal agencies, he became one of Scotland Yard's most , travelled and accomplished detectives. During this time, he accumulated a vast network of international contacts from law enforcement forensic accounting and ex-military personnel.

In 1985, he was appointed to the Specialists Operations Group at Scotland Yard where, in addition to functioning as an undercover officer in the field, he was involved in the training of international and UK based police officers in covert operations, Whilst in this post, he was the official liaison officer for the Metropolitan Police with the US Federal Agencies, the Bank of England, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and all major European police and banking agencies.

ln 1991,Richard Hester was recognised for his achievements in covert policing by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and received the Queen's Police Medal an award reserved for outstanding police officers.

Paul Whybrow
Director Operations

Paul is former member of the City of London Police serving for over 20 years. During his service he was attached to the Company Fraud Squad in the City of London for seven years, dealing with major international fraud investigations in the Far East, United States, former Eastern Bloc countries and Western Europe working with numerous police and government agencies.

He was acknowledged as an accomplished company fraud investigator during his time in the City of London Police. In 1990 he was seconded to Scotland Yard’s Specialist operations Department where he became one of the leading undercover fraud investigators in Europe. Whilst engaged in this capacity he worked undercover with the US Secret Service in Italy against organised crime, money laundering. When the National Crime Intelligence Service was formed in 1994 he was seconded as a Regional Intelligence Officer.

Upon leaving the City Police he became an investigator in the USA based in Miami and operated extensively in South America. On returning to the UK he became a consultant to several major pharmaceutical manufacturers operating worldwide.

Since the inception of Citimet’s sports security division 2003 he has become vastly experienced in the deployment and management of security operations at international sporting events.

Consultants

Jerry Ohlson

Jerry Ohlson is a Consultant with Richard Hester Associates Ltd. He has wide ranging experience in the management of fraud investigations.

Jerry was with the City of London Fraud Squad for 20-years, rising in rank to become Head of Fraud from 1994 to 1997. Responsibilities for this position included representing the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) as a fraud expert on:

• Financial Fraud Information Network (FFIN), a multi-agency coordinating group under chairmanship of Bank of England and latterly, FSA.
• Steering Group on Financial Fraud, a group formed under auspices of HM Treasury examining a range of counter-fraud measures
• Drugs and Organised Crime Working Group, set up in response to implementation of anti-money laundering measures in EC member states
• Working Party on International, National and Inter-force Crime; a group examining police response and options for change, leading to the formation of the National Crime Squad.
• Working Party on Police and Inland Revenue Co-operation, advising Ministers on potential impact on organised crime by creation of legal gateways for information sharing.
• National Working Group on Fraud, a group co-ordinating the business of Police Fraud Squads nationally.

Jerry has led investigations into three major bank collapses (Johnson Matthey, BCCI and Barings). He was seconded to the Serious Fraud Office as Senior Police Liaison Officer for 3 years and had responsibility for their operational teams investigating serious, complicated and sensitive fraud cases.

Jerry left the Police to join the Financial Services Authority as a Senior Forensic Investigator with responsibility for the conduct of a wide range of criminal and regulatory investigations within the FSA’s Enforcement Division.

Richard Cumming

Retired from the City of London Police Fraud Squad in 2004 as a Detective lnspector, having spent the previous 13 years working on complex fraud and money laundering cases,including a period of secondment to a sensitive section in the Foreign Office targeting international organised crime.

He passed the advanced UK National Police Training Course on investigation of money laundering/asset tracing and was engaged in the most serious money laundering and fraud investigations involving international and organised crime.

He was also engaged in the delivery of anti money-laundering training in the UK and abroad.He was security vetted to the highest level and frequently called on to investigate particularly sensitive cases outside the conventional Fraud Squad remit. For example,the compromise of computer systems involved with UK National security. He received several commendations from Chief Officers of the City of London Police.