Welcome to the International Due Diligence Organization
Unifying the due diligence industry to help individuals and institutions make the best possible, well-informed decisions in any situation.
The IDDO was founded with the purpose of unifying the due diligence industry through an ever-evolving set of processes and standards, helping individuals and institutions make the best possible, well-informed decisions in any situation. We are not the first, and we will not be the last — we follow a long line of thinkers who, for hundreds of years, have advanced human progress and how we apply what we know.
While due diligence was good as a noun, it is better as a verb. We have redefined it to complement existing sciences and technologies, bringing the latest understanding of human psychology and situational awareness into the decision-making process.
Our mission & vision
To create an evolving resource and set of processes that empower better decision-making — in both individual and institutional situations — and minimize unnecessary mistakes and risks.
Wait — doesn’t everyone already do due diligence?
Due diligence has been around for hundreds of years in various shapes and guises. It’s time to redefine it. For too long, due diligence has been mistakenly thought of as a noun:
due dil·i·gence
noun (the traditional definition)
Reasonable steps taken by a person in order to satisfy a legal requirement, especially in buying or selling something.
We feel there is a better way. Due diligence is not a thing — it is an action, a process that we do. So we redefine it:
due dil·i·gence
verb (the IDDO definition)
The process of making the best possible, well-informed decisions in any situation. A situational investigation process that applies a standard of care to create a comprehensive picture of the situation and empower better decision-making. It provides a structured, systematic program for planning, identifying, prioritizing, collecting, and analyzing appropriate, relevant, and necessary data — creating consistent, efficient, and methodical processes that support fundamental decision management.
Why should this matter to you? Everyone talks about due diligence, but by learning proper IDDO processes you can avoid mistakes you simply don’t have to make. It is common, for instance, to mistake audits — crossing your t’s and dotting your i’s — for due diligence. Little could be further from the truth.
Through this site and its resources, we have aggregated and created powerful repositories to help you know better. Explore our offerings, get involved, and contribute to a future of better decisions.
Led by practitioners, not theorists
L. Burke Files, DDP CACM
President, Co-Founder
Mr. Files heads an international investigative firm specializing in asset recovery, due diligence, anti-money laundering, and intellectual property matters. Previously he was a partner in a regional consulting firm specializing in business, financial, and securities consulting, and served as Director of Corporate Finance for an investment banking company.
He is the practice section leader on due diligence, asset recovery, and intellectual property investigations. As a financial industry insider, he is keenly aware of the type and accuracy of information required to make informed, timely decisions. He has managed fraud investigations ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to over $3 billion, and is an international expert on due diligence, regularly sought out for the cases that bedevil desktop practitioners. Using both conventional and unconventional techniques, he works with counsel and clients to unravel the money trail and find assets for recovery.
Mr. Files is the published author of five books — notably the two-time award winner Due Diligence for the Financial Professional (2nd edition, 2010) and Money and Budgets — along with numerous studies, white papers, and articles. He is quoted widely in domestic and international publications and is a highly sought-after international speaker.
Ethan Fialkow, JD, MBA
Co-Founder
I’ve spent over two decades as a consultant, operator, and strategist — a catalyst and problem solver who has helped countless people and brands unlock their true potential. My philosophy centers on three principles: empowerment, education, and optimization.
I write, build, consult, and teach at the intersection of business, neuroscience, and behavioral science. I help founders and operators get unstuck, own their minds, and create competitive advantages through The Mind Model — my working framework for how the mind actually operates. I’m the founder of We Unf*ck, a consulting firm helping ambitious businesses scale without breaking the people running them, and We Optimize Wellness, a holistic system focused on the physical foundation of human optimization.
I’m also the author of Minerals Revolution: Why Western Medicine Missed the Science on Why We’re Getting Sick — and What We Can Do, a deep examination of the gaps in modern medical thinking and a practical protocol for restoring the mineral foundation most of us are missing.
A bench of world-class expertise
Brian Mahany, Esq.
A former New Orleans street cop turned prosecutor turned high-profile lawyer, Brian specializes in justice by financial recovery in difficult, high-stakes situations. He is the architect of many multi-billion-dollar whistleblower filings, including some of the largest cases against financial institutions in recent history.
Brian represents aggrieved corporate and victims’ groups in recovering losses from massive financial frauds, while defending international financial entities ensnared in draconian offshore tax reporting schemes. A frequent expert commentator for the financial and popular press, an often-cited blogger, and a highly rated speaker, he enthralls business and legal audiences with his engaging style.
Mike JW White
Mike is a London-based security and risk management consultant with 15 years in the UK private security industry, following periods in defence electronics and local government. His experience spans strategic board-level work across the UK critical national infrastructure — including power stations, national electrical control rooms, and the London Stock Exchange.
He holds a degree in Security and Risk Management from the University of Leicester and a Certificate in Terrorism Studies from the University of St Andrews. He is Chairman of the International Professional Association, a Liveryman in the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals, a Freeman of the City of London, and a sitting member of the British Standards Institute committee co-authoring a new national standard for Strategic Security Management.
Drew Miller, Ph.D., Col, USAFR (Ret.)
Dr. Miller is Director of Advanced Analysis Applications, consulting in M&A negotiations and due diligence, disaster response and business continuity, financial threat and investment risk analysis, decision analysis, strategic planning, and business wargames.
He served as Corporate Planning and Development Manager at ConAgra and VP of Planning and Development at Securities America. A Certified Management Accountant, Certified Financial Planner, and Certified M&A Advisor, he helped found the Alliance of Mergers and Acquisitions Advisors. Drew served in the Senior Executive Service in the Department of Defense, retired as a Colonel in the US Air Force Reserve, and holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Bob Carleton
Bob is an internationally recognized authority in organizational performance and effectiveness with a career spanning over 40 years, honored with the prestigious Geary Rummler Award for the Advancement of Performance Improvement (2012). He is a global thought leader and pioneer in the emerging field of Cultural Due Diligence in M&A integrations, having created the concept and published the first paper on Cultural Due Diligence in 1997.
His turnarounds include GM, Honeywell-Bull, Prudential Assurance, British Airways, and Square D Company — including reversing a 10-year record of spiraling costs at British Airways’ 5,000-person WorldCargo operation and improving cargo delivery 200%. He co-authored Achieving Post-Merger Success (2004) and authored Implementing Organizational Performance Improvement in Organizations (2010).
Gary Craig
For almost 30 years, Gary has helped people and organizations move through dramatic change. Since joining the Vector Group in 1989, he has contributed to large-scale strategic initiatives across the US, UK, Europe, South America, and the Middle East, in industries from transportation and insurance to oil & gas and telecommunications — with clients including British Airways, Prudential Retail (UK), HP/Compaq, Texaco, and GrafTech International.
He is certified as a Due Diligence Professional (DDP) with the IDDO, a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and a SHRM Certified Senior Professional. He co-authored The Management Mirror, honored with a Highly Commended Author Award by the Emerald Literati Club.
Phillip Silitschanu, MBA, JD
Phillip is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Token IQ, which provides an AML/KYC-empowered security tokenization platform to issuers of tokenized assets. He is widely recognized in the press as an expert on global capital markets and financial services, quoted in Barron’s, BusinessWeek, Financial Times, Wall Street & Technology, Funds Europe, and more.
Fluent in English, French, Brazilian Portuguese, and Spanish, he holds a JD in Securities Regulation Law from Stetson University, an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Babson College, and a BS in Finance from Boston University. He has taught courses on anti-money laundering and blockchain, and co-authored Multi-Manager Funds: Long Only Strategies for Managers and Investors.
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