Oxblood duotone of a 1950 photograph near Banff: a man in a fringed jacket tips his hat to a bear
About

Small on purpose.

Zed Three is a private risk intelligence firm for mid-market companies with people, suppliers and deals abroad. The judgement of a seasoned intelligence shop, at a price and speed the big incumbents cannot match.

The name

A nod to a Canadian connection, a front that worked, and a network built on trust.

Halftone treatment of the same photograph in oxblood and black
Conrad O'Brien-ffrench and a bear near Banff, 1950. Photograph by Rosalie Ffrench, Moore Family Fonds, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Treatment by Zed Three. [rights clearance pending]

Zed Three honours Conrad O'Brien-ffrench, a member of Claude Dansey's Z Organisation in the 1930s. He ran his network from Kitzbühel behind a travel company called Tyrolese Tours, later settled at Fairholme Ranch near Banff, and is rumoured to be one of the inspirations for James Bond. His memoir is Delicate Mission (1979).

What we take from him: discretion, a commercial business that genuinely works, a Canadian connection, and a network built on trust. What we leave behind: the cloak. Zed Three is a lawful private company, and we say so plainly.

The mark says it too. A Z for the organisation, three bars for the three. Nothing more mysterious than that.

The Zed Three mark. Black and white for the work, oxblood for the judgement.

What we believe

01

Odds, not adjectives

Every judgement comes with how likely and how sure we are.

02

Your decision first

We write for the call you have to make, not for the shelf.

03

Lines we hold

We decline work that crosses our client standards, every time.

Stylised dark terrain with a survey grid and crosshair markers
The deskSenior analysts first. Vetted researchers where the work calls for them.

Who we are

A small team of senior analysts, with vetted researchers where the work calls for them. We do not publish names on the website. You meet the analyst who will write your report on the scoping call.

A PRIVATE COMPANY. Zed Three is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of any government or government agency.
Chokepoint.
Chokepoint · free every TuesdayFive minutes on Tuesday. Fewer surprises all week.