Contact
drakonresearch@protonmail.c
Huw Watkin
om Freelance Writer and Researcher
Australia
www.linkedin.com/in/huw-
watkin-40ab7729 (LinkedIn)
Summary
Top Skills Huw Watkin is a freelance writer and researcher now based in
Analytical Skills Australia. Previously he was the principal of Drakon Associates, a
Teaching boutique research and investigation company he founded in Hong
Research Kong and which focused on the Asia Pacific region.
Publications From April 2011 until November 2018 Huw was Head of Business
Journalism Intelligence for Thomson Reuters’ Risk Managed Services (RMS),
also based in Hong Kong from where he oversaw a global team of
regional managers, researchers, editors and contracted collaborators
that provided Reuters’ RMS clients with the insights they required to
understand and manage their risk exposure.
Earlier, Huw created the business intelligence unit at IntegraScreen
to enhance that company’s public domain research capacity with the
insights and experience of well-placed and expert human sources.
Originally focused on the Asia Pacific with an emphasis on China,
India and Southeast Asia, IntegraScreen’s business intelligence
unit subsequently expanded under Huw’s oversight to provide
comprehensive global coverage and meet a range of specific client
intelligence requirements.
Before focusing his energies on risk and enhanced due diligence
Huw pursued a career in radio, television and print journalism which
brought him to Asia from Australia nearly 30 years ago. He has
lived and worked in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and
Hong Kong. He also completed extended assignments in Indonesia,
East Timor and Pakistan, and continues to travel widely in Asia and
further afield.
Huw is an anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism funding
specialist, and holds a Master’s Degree in Journalism with a focus
on international relations in East Asia from the highly regarded
University of Hong Kong.
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https://www.scmp.com/author/huw-watkin - see Publications below.
Experience
Huw Watkin
Freelance Writer and Researcher
May 2024 - August 2024 (4 months)
Drakon Associates - Founder and Principal.
Founder of Drakon Associates: Focused on risk, research and
investigation in the Asia Pacific.
November 2018 - May 2024 (5 years 7 months)
Hong Kong
Thomson Reuters
Global Head of Enhanced Due Diligence Business Intelligence
April 2011 - November 2018 (7 years 8 months)
Hong Kong
• Global oversight of Risk Managed Services' human intelligence gathering,
adding insight, analysis and value to desktop research. Reputational, political,
economic, security, regulatory risk assessment; country, sector and market
entry risk profiling.
• Personal oversight and project management of high value and complex
cases.
• Member of the Risk Managed Services senior management team.
Huw Watkin is the Head of Business Intelligence for Thomson Reuters’ Risk
Managed Services (RMS). He is based in Hong Kong from where he oversees
a global team of regional managers, researchers and editors. In 2017 Huw’s
team produced more than 2000 reports in 150 countries, providing RMS clients
with the insights they need to properly understand and manage their risk
exposure.
Huw created the business intelligence unit in 2006 to enhance what was
then IntegraScreen’s public domain research capacity with the insights and
experience of well-placed and expert human sources. Originally focused on
the Asia Pacific region with an emphasis on China, India and Southeast Asia,
the business intelligence unit has since expanded under Huw’s oversight to
provide comprehensive global coverage and meet a range of specific client
intelligence requirements.
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Before focusing his energies on risk and enhanced due diligence, Huw
pursued a career in radio, television and print journalism which brought him
to Asia from Australia more than twenty years ago. During that time he has
lived and worked in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
He has also undertaken extended assignments in Indonesia, East Timor and
Pakistan, and continues to travel widely in Asia and further afield.
Huw is a certified anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism funding
specialist, and holds a MA in Journalism with a focus on international relations
in East Asia from the highly regarded University of Hong Kong.
He enjoys photography, travel, reading, staying physically fit, fishing, diving
and boating.
World-Check
Head of Business Intelligence
February 2009 - April 2011 (2 years 3 months)
Hong Kong
• As above, expanded operations from the Asia-Pacific to include Europe, the
Middle East, Africa and the Americas.
IntegraScreen
Assistant Vice President
October 2006 - February 2009 (2 years 5 months)
Malaysia and Hong Kong
• Consolidation and rationalization of business intelligence and risk
assessment activities in China and India, expansion to Southeast Asia and
the wider Asia Pacific region, management and administration of staff and
vendors; design, quality control and timely delivery of business intelligence and
risk assessment products.
• Design and implementation of procedures, staffing structure and workflow
patterns to facilitate the expansion of IntegraScreen’s public domain research
team in Malaysia from 15 to more than 60 staff.
• Creation and staffing of a reports editing desk, authoring of an in-house
English-language style guide and business intelligence research manual
detailing best-practice procedures and methodology.
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South China Morning Post SCMP
Deputy International News Editor
September 2003 - September 2006 (3 years 1 month)
Hong Kong
• Daily oversight of the newspaper’s international news coverage, liaison with
senior editorial staff to ensure consistently high quality coverage relevant to a
Hong Kong readership.
• Management and administration of foreign desk staff and international
contributors.
Agence France-Presse AFP
Editor and Correspondent
September 2001 - July 2003 (1 year 11 months)
Hong Kong
• Coordination and processing of material from AFP’s 26 Asia-Pacific bureaus.
• News and feature writing, regional reporting assignments.
South China Morning Post SCMP
Accredited Vietnam Correspondent
May 1999 - September 2001 (2 years 5 months)
Vietnam
• Regular contributor to The Australian, The New Zealand Herald, Time
Magazine, the Phnom Penh Post, Agencia efe (Spanish News Agency), DPA
(German News Agency), Voice of America, Radio Deutsche Welle and Radio
Australia.
Multiple Publications
Freelance Journalism
January 1999 - May 1999 (5 months)
Thailand
• Freelance journalism, regional travel including Indonesia and East Timor.
South China Morning Post SCMP
Cambodia Correspondent
January 1997 - January 1999 (2 years 1 month)
Cambodia
• Regular contributor to The Australian, The New Zealand Herald and
The Daily Telegraph (UK), Quadrant Magazine (Australia), and Courrier
International (France), Voice of America, Radio Deutsche Welle, Radio New
Zealand and Radio Australia.
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Phnom Penh Post
Reporter
January 1996 - January 1997 (1 year 1 month)
Cambodia
• Contributor to The Nation (Thailand), The West Australian.
• Instructor Indochina Media Memorial Foundation (September 1996).
Cambodia's state news agency
Adviser and Chief of Staff
February 1995 - December 1995 (11 months)
Cambodia
• Chief-of-staff of the English-language section of Cambodia’s state news
agency. Journalism training in its provincial bureaus.
Curtin University
Lecturer, Journalism
January 1992 - December 1994 (3 years)
Perth, Western Australia
• Design and delivery of undergraduate journalism units.
• Radio and television production at 2nd and 3rd year level (students
presented award-winning current affairs programs broadcast on Radio 6NR
[Public Radio] and documentaries for Special Broadcasting Service television).
• Supervision of industry liaison and placement scheme.
• Freelance feature writing and corporate documentary production.
• School of Cultural Communication staffing committee.
• 6 NR board of management.
Radio 6 NR
News Editor
August 1990 - January 1992 (1 year 6 months)
• Oversight of editorial, operational management, staffing and administration.
• Senior Producer, Undercurrents (Nationally networked current affairs
program).
Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio
Senior Producer "Drivetime"
June 1990 - August 1990 (3 months)
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
Reporter, 7.30 Report
January 1989 - June 1990 (1 year 6 months)
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Perth, Australia
• Research, production and presentation of current affairs and magazine
pieces for a nationally
networked daily current affairs program.
State Affair, Seven Television Network
Reporter
January 1988 - December 1988 (1 year)
Perth, Australia
• Similar to above, but in a commercial format.
Golden West Network TV News
Reporter
November 1986 - January 1988 (1 year 3 months)
Radio 6KY (now PMFM)
Journalist
July 1986 - November 1986 (5 months)
Open Mind", Radio 6 NR
Reporter/Producer
August 1985 - July 1986 (1 year)
Education
The University of Hong Kong
Master of Arts, Journalism (International Relations) · (2011 - 2014)
Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists
Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing
Curtin University
Bachelor of Arts, Journalism and Film and Television
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