Traceable evidence
Use lawful open-source research and client-provided information, with sources for material factual claims.
About the founder
John Oxendine
Founder of Highlands Intelligence. Geopolitical analysis grounded in economic questions and the decisions an organization has to make.
John Oxendine / FounderTwelve years in the
intelligence community.
John worked in the Department of Defense intelligence community from 2012 to 2024, including several years in deployed environments. His experience includes economic analysis for the Defense Intelligence Agency, open-source intelligence, and leadership of analytical teams.
That work required assessing incomplete information, explaining uncertainty, and connecting developments to the choices facing decision-makers.
At Highlands, John applies that discipline to the conditions behind critical materials, components, and trade routes. The question is how external developments could affect a particular business, and which decisions may follow.
Professional background on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)Why Highlands
Bring the analysis
closer to the operation.
A business may know its direct suppliers well while having less visibility into the conditions further upstream. Highlands examines that exposure alongside the people who know the operation.
The objective is to make sourcing assumptions explicit and identify developments that could change the available options.
Working together
Direct access.
A shared understanding.
You work directly with John. Your team contributes the material specifications, supplier relationships, and constraints that open sources cannot establish.
Research and discussion develop together. The resulting playbook and briefing distinguish evidence from judgment and identify the questions that remain open.
How an engagement worksAnalytical standards
Clear about the evidence.
Clear about its limits.
Explicit judgment
Explain the mechanism, assumptions, and uncertainty behind the assessment, including what would change it.
Business context
Relate the analysis to the specific input, operating constraint, and decision. Leadership retains the choice.
Start with a critical input.
Bring a material, a supplier concern, or a sourcing decision.