Forbes McKenzie is a war veteran whose career began in some of the most complex and high-stakes environments imaginable. Today, he runs one of the fastest-growing fintech companies, bringing military-grade intelligence capabilities into the commercial world.
Mr McKenzie is the founder and CEO of fintech McKenzie Intelligence Services, which delivers actionable insights to global insurance and commercial companies around the world when faced with catastrophic events and natural disasters.
Among his clients are Zurich, Markel, Axis, and Lloyds, with each firm able to successfully prepare its response to disasters and conflicts thanks to McKenzie Intelligence’s intervention.
Speaking to GB News, he shared: “While serving in Iraq in 2008, I led high-profile operations to identify and locate individuals suspected of war crimes. It really was like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
Mr McKenzie is using his military experience to assist the private sector
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Working in military intelligence, he combined analysis with satellite imagery and remote sensing data to build what he calls “detailed intelligence pictures”, helping allied forces locate and arrest those individuals.
He added: “That experience shaped everything I do today. It taught me how powerful accurate intelligence can be when lives, justice, and accountability are on the line. It’s the foundation of how McKenzie Intelligence Services operates now.”
According to Mr McKenzie, public service was almost inevitable. “I’m the fourth generation in my family to serve, so it was very much part of my upbringing,” he explained.
He also credits his schooling in the Scottish Highlands with reinforcing a sense of duty: “I went to a wonderful school that taught service. I was also a member of the Mountain Rescue Service.”
British soldiers in Iraq
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Joining the Intelligence Corps felt like a natural fit. “Intelligence underpins everything the armed forces do What attracted me most was the ethical framework it operates within. Doing things properly, legally, and with moral courage really mattered to me.”
That ethical grounding continues to define his approach to business. “That by-the-book approach, doing the right thing even when it’s difficult, is something that has guided how I’ve worked ever since,” he said.
A sixth-form Army scholarship took Mr McKenzie to Sandhurst, where his career direction became clear: My Company Commander and I realised I was much better suited to the close-knit culture of the Intelligence Corps than my original plan of mapping.”
Sandhurst instilled lessons he still relies on. Mr McKenzie added: “Success is about recognising what you don’t know, then addressing any gaps. That process is just as vital in business.”
Lloyds is among the firms using Mr McKenzie’s services
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“Plan where you’re going, then how you’ll get there. But stop worrying about tomorrow. At Sandhurst, we took each day as it came. That’s the only grounded way to overcome significant new challenges.”
Decision-making under pressure shaped his leadership style. The businessman shared: “Those who can make snap decisions are extremely rare. So I always plan, rehearse, and gather my tools before moving. Resilience and learning from past mistakes also help.”
After leaving the Army, his timing when joining the private sector was unfortunate as it coincided with the financial crash and subsequent recession. Despite this, while interning at Diageo, he spotted a gap.
“The 2010 crash meant the jobs available were too junior,” he said. “I realised how prevalent subcontracting is. That’s when I decided to bridge the gap between individual contractors and large corporations by building my own company.”
A turning point came during a 2012 investigation in North Africa: “I realised the technology I’d been using for years in the military had emerging commercial applicability. That, and a team made up of many ex-military members with outstanding dedication, formed the foundations of MIS.”
Today, McKenzie Intelligence Services supports insurers and commercial clients responding to natural disasters, conflict, and crisis across the world.
Mr McKenzie is candid about the emotional weight of that work: “I view MIS as an emergency service. Our unique insights bring new positivity to the table, such as faster insurance repairs.”
Leadership lessons came from those he served under. “I’ll always admire my Major General from the Intelligence Corps. He combined steely composure with genuine humanity perfectly.” Another senior colleague stood out for “quiet, understated, next-level intelligence” and an exceptional ability to break down processes.
The lesson that still resonates most strongly is humility. “Humility allows us to address gaps in ability,” Mr McKenzie says. “It’s only by recognising what we don’t understand that we can begin to approach success.”
That philosophy runs through MIS itself. “Around half of our team is ex-military. That means we can knuckle down, even when everyone has their own problems in the background. That really helped during Covid.”
Looking ahead, Mr McKenzie wants to keep learning. “I’d love to formalise my decades of experience via a relevant MPhil at Cambridge,” he shared, exploring “the intersection of geospatial tech and finance and how you underpin that with edge capital”.
On legacy, he is clear. “Professionally, the goal is to inspire confidence and easier access to tech . Personally, I want to drive positive change so my children can live in a better world.”