Paragon is the only New Zealand Professional Private Investigation agency with a true nationwide cover of full-time salaried staff and a formal Board of Governance, having an independent fiscal member.
The Chairman is Bryan Mogridge ONZM, FNZIOD. Bryan’s role is corporate and business governance. The Managing Director is Ron McQuilter CFE. Ron’s role is strategic and day to day operations. Wayne Kiely CFE is our General Manager with a responsibility to oversea all investigations. Atul Mehta is a partner in an accounting firm and his role is financial governance. Ron and Wayne are recognized industry leaders, all of whom work on assignments daily.
No wonder Paragon enjoys a prime place in our industry. The collective experience of our board members gives added business synergy, combined with the reputation and delivery of a quality service by our investigation team, all reflected in the high quality of work our clients have come to expect.
OWNERS
Ron McQuilter CFE, Managing Director
Qualifications:
- Certified Fraud Examiner CFE
- Past President of Auckland Branch of Certified Fraud Examiners
- Past Chairman of New Zealand Institute of Professional Investigators
- Winner of the 2009 Insurance Investigator of the Year Award
- Certificate in Judicial Studies JP
- Accepted in the NZ Courts as an Expert Private Investigator
Expertise:
Ron is often regarded as the leading figure in the New Zealand Professional Private Investigation sector. For the past 40 years, since arriving in New Zealand in 1983, Ron has worked tirelessly to promote and advance the PI industry and has served for a total of 17 years as the Chairman of the Industry’s body NZIPI. In November 2022 Ron stood down from the Executive having been made a Life Member of NZIPI. In that role Ron has made submissions to and presented at Parliament in regard to the Private Investigators legislation. He still continues to occasionally assist the Ministry of Justice Licensing Authority PSPLA as an independent expert when considering complaints against private investigators.
Ron has been involved in many high profile investigations for corporates, government agencies and other entities. He is regularly asked to give industry comment by the media and has appeared several times on the likes of 60 Minutes, various other morning and tea-time current affair programmes and the various TV news. He was part of the team in the TV3 Missing Pieces series. In May 2018 the Department of Home Affairs in Australia asked Ron to lecture at a Proceeds of Crime conference in Indonesia. He has run many two day training courses in his capacity as an investigative mentor for experienced investigators wishing to enter the PI profession.
A man totally committed to our profession, Ron still conducts investigations when requested as well as overseeing our other work and being the lead for some of our government contracts, which require a security clearance.
One example was when Ron personally undertook what was deemed the unsolvable Cold Case of Lee Sheppard who went missing in London in January 2003. In November 2008 and, working full-time for a month from a London Police Station in what has been described as the first ever truly joint PI/Police re-investigation with the trust of the Metropolitan Police, the case was solved, although the Metropolitan Police had failed for 6 years previous http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1361403/Workman-vanished-years-ago-died-fridge-recycling-machine.html
Ron is dedicated to his clients and team, often referred to in our profession as ‘The Grey Man‘ for his relentless pursuit of the truth and his integrity in refusing to take sides (see download article below) He is not afraid of the difficult tasks and if that is not enough he has been seen scuba diving with sharks and jumping solo out of planes in his spare time, though more recently a casual golfer. In 2009 Ron was awarded the NZ Insurance Investigator of the year award for his outstanding investigative work in that field.
Experience: 49 years investigation experience. Former Police Officer, Glasgow, Scotland and has conducted investigations worldwide, including being permitted to spend a month as a private investigator working on a case, based out of a London Metropolitan Police office in 2008. Has investigated numerous complex fraud matters for clients and has lectured to government agencies on fraud and enforcement.
Presenter: New Zealand Insurance Institute fraud forums. Lectured at the New Zealand Insurance Ombudsman’s Inaugural Conference on insurance fraud. Asked by NZ Police Commissioner to present a paper on the overlap between private investigators and Police fraud investigators at NZ Police symposium on changing the Policing act https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/symposium-policing-securing-future”
In 2020 Ron wrote BUSTED a book about his many exploits as a career Private Eye. The book sold out three times and was so successful that Ron was asked by the publishers to write BUSTED AGAIN. Both books can be purchased online and in all good bookstores across New Zealand. You can read some of the publicity in the following links
https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/298338-busted-again.html
Ron has also appeared in several podcasts click here
Phone: 09 377 3655
Mobile: 021 222 2232
direct email: ron.mcquilter@paragonnz.com
Download NZ Herald Article on Ron McQuilter
Download NZ Security Magazine – Ron McQuilter “The Grey Man”
Wayne Kiely CFE, General Manager
Qualifications:
- Certified Fraud Examiner
- Diploma in Policing
- Awarded two NZ Police Silver Merit Stars while serving in the New Zealand Police
Expertise:
Wayne is a Former New Zealand Police Detective with over 36 years of investigative experience and a diverse range of skills. His reputation for solving complex frauds and thefts is without exception. He is known in the profession as the PI with the X factor for solving the unsolvable.
Wayne is a former New Zealand Post Security Manager and is a recognised security expert, having performed security consultancy for many of New Zealand’s largest corporate entities and several government agencies. Experience as a qualified New Zealand Police Detective, Wayne worked on all facets of crime investigations including several high profile homicides such as arresting David Tamihere for the murder of the Swedish tourists in Operation Stockholm. During his service in the New Zealand Police Wayne was awarded two Silver Merit Awards for performance. At New Zealand Post Wayne successfully lead a National Security Team of 10 staff. In that role he developed a combination of investigation and proactive strategies for the team to achieve. He also developed a reporting database, producing statistics and reporting protocols to support effectiveness.
Wayne has lead an international Postal Task Force carrying out security reviews at International Airports. Also in that role Wayne lead the team through development of Kiwibank which was a unique opportunity to apply security to a startup bank within budgets, developing security strategies, processes, procedures and training. For the establishment of Kiwibank, Wayne developed new responses to robberies in a corporate and franchise network. He engaged employees at all levels developing new procedures, training and response procedures and the delivery of the same. He was responsible for developing risk matrixes for robbery prevention to enable effective delivery of prevention services for safety of staff. Wayne has also developed and implemented fraud prevention packages for retail networks with the delivery of training.
More recently, Wayne has assisted one of our government clients on a short term contracted number of hours per week re-aligning their security and fraud prevention plans and processes, requiring him to report directly to the board.
In 2012 Wayne was appointed General Manager of Paragon and to our Board of Governance. As part of our succession plan Wayne works alongside our Managing Director taking on some of the day to day activities as well as being responsible for all investigations. Wayne has also taken an increasing financial involvement.
Wayne of course personally performs investigations as our lead investigator and is available to meet clients 24/7. A PI with the true ‘X Factor’ Wayne is more than capable of handling any issue for a client.
Phone: 09 377 3655
Mobile: 021 414 436
Direct email: wayne.kiely@paragonnz.com
BOARD MEMBERS
Bryan Mogridge
Bryan Mogridge ONZ, FNZIOD was appointed our Chairman in November 2006.
Bryan has been a public company Director since 1984. He is well regarded as a business leader and has been Chair of many entities such as Enterprise Waitakere, Waitakere City Holdings Limited, Guardian Healthcare Group Limited, Momentum Energy Limited and The Starship Foundation to name a few. Additionally, Bryan is known for his seat on the board of many large and/or public companies such as Mainfreight Limited, Rakon and Pyne Gould Corporation Limited. Bryan has also chaired the New Zealand Wine Institute, the New Zealand Food and Beverage Exporters Council and the Tourism Board.
Bryan was appointed Vice Chairman of UBS New Zealand Limited in April 2007.
Atul Mehta
Board member – Governance and financial advisory Chartered Accountant.
Expertise: Partner at Markhams MRI, Auckland
Atul joined Markhams Auckland Limited in 1988. Atul’s experience includes provision of management and annual financial statements for a wide range of small to medium sized clients, with particular emphasis on management account for retail businesses, business valuation and consultancy services. He has particular interest in retail pharmacy and retail fashion industries.
Atul has served on the School Board of Trustees for the last seven years. Atul is married with three children and spends much of his free time with his children’s activities.