The Digital Executive Podcast

Episode: Inside Risk: How Paul Boynton is Redefining Global Due Diligence with AI and Deep Data
Guest: Paul Boyington, Co-founder & COO, Company Search Inc. (CSI)
Host: Brian (Coruzant Technologies)
Release Date: August 30, 2025
Duration: ~12 minutes

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Brian interviews Paul Boyington, an industry veteran and co-founder of CSI, a next-generation business intelligence platform. Paul shares insights from his extensive risk management and insurance background, and how CSI leverages AI, deep data, and proprietary tools to transform global due diligence, address compliance complexity, and support companies navigating fast-shifting regulatory environments like the new BIS 50% rule. The discussion elucidates CSI’s unique approach to data integrity, scalable AI, and entity mapping in international trade and compliance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Paul's Career Origins and Vision for CSI

[01:20 – 05:03]

• Paul describes his career trajectory from underwriter at SGI Management Co. to negotiating reinsurance treaties and then managing risk for Fortune 100 companies at Johnson & Higgins.
• His early international and operational experience highlighted the crucial role of in-depth, boots-on-the-ground due diligence, especially for challenging or emerging markets.
• Quote [04:27]:
  • “That is the passion of that next-level due diligence...that’s behind what we’re trying to do here with this CSI platform—provide that level of due diligence, but you don’t have to get on a plane and you don’t have to get the information yourself.”
    — Paul Boyington

2. Human Connections & Data-Driven Analytics

[05:05 – 06:30]

• CSI aims to bridge the gap between pure data analytics and the irreplaceable insights that come from local human relationships.
• Their platform aggregates data on backgrounds, ownership, media, operations, performance, and even fills coverage gaps where major credit agencies like Moody’s and S&P don’t operate.
• Quote [05:45]:
  • “We’re not replacing a person, but we’re trying to provide gaps of info...the insight that you’re not looking at, maybe you should be looking at as you ascertain and analyze risk.”
    — Paul Boyington
• CSI’s analytics can let clients replace arduous travel and site visits with smarter, data-augmented remote decisions.

3. AI as a Tool—Powered by Quality Data

[06:54 – 09:16]

• Paul notes that true value in AI depends on data quality, not just algorithms:
  • CSI’s strong data quality index underpins every new AI feature.
  • The in-house large language model 'Zaba' sources solely from proprietary, cleaned datasets—unlike general LLMs scraping the entire internet, Zaba gives context-rich, industry-specific outputs.
  • Example: For a query on Turkish textile mills, Zaba immediately surfaces financially validated, detailed candidate companies from CSI’s deep database (vs. generic web search links).
• Despite challenges scaling with a small team, CSI continues to improve anomaly detection, analytics, and LLM-powered functions, always balancing domain expertise and technical resources.
• Quote [07:39]:
  • “Zaba is our AI mode...extracting info just from our data pool...Whereas our database and Zaba have every textile mill in Turkey...and it will come back and say based on your criteria, these are some things you need to think about and these are five good ones you may want to do business with.”
    — Paul Boyington

4. Navigating New Compliance Rules: The BIS 50% Example

[10:07 – 11:45]

• The introduction of the US BIS 50% rule raises stakes for ownership transparency in global supply chains (e.g., Vietnamese firms with Chinese control now subject to tariffs).
• CSI’s proprietary tools for entity mapping and ownership penetration research are designed precisely to reveal these hidden links (“ownership of the owner, subsidiaries, affiliates”) much more efficiently than traditional methods.
  • Coverage spans extensive customs data from 33+ countries and comprehensive trade information well beyond official reports.
  • CSI is positioned as an industry leader in this niche.
• Quote [10:51]:
  • “We are probably the industry leader in ownership penetration research...every company in China that does business in the US—we know who they’re selling to and we know who they’re buying from.”
    — Paul Boyington

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On next-level due diligence
  “That is the passion of that next level due diligence. That is behind what we’re trying to do here…”
  — Paul Boyington [04:27]
• On the role of human vs. machine
  “We’re not replacing a person, but we’re trying to provide gaps of info...”
  — Paul Boyington [05:45]
• On AI and proprietary data
  “Zaba is our AI mode that is extracting info just from our data pool...whereas our database and Zaba has every textile mill in Turkey…”
  — Paul Boyington [07:39]
• On regulatory shifts and CSI’s edge
  “We are probably the industry leader in ownership penetration research...every company, China that does business in the US—we know who they’re selling to and we know who they’re buying from.”
  — Paul Boyington [10:51]

Key Segments & Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------|-------------| | Career Path & Origins of CSI | 01:20–05:03 | | Human Element in Data-Driven Analytics | 05:05–06:30 | | AI, Data Quality & CSI’s Proprietary LLM | 06:54–09:16 | | Regulatory Landscape: BIS 50% & Compliance | 10:07–11:45 |

Memorable Moments

• The candid discussion on the limits of current LLMs vs. domain-specific tools like Zaba [07:39].
• Illustration of CSI’s real-world impact by detailing how their tools uncover hidden trade/ownership relationships now vital under new export rules [10:51].

Conclusion

Paul Boyington’s interview offers a deep dive into the transformation underway in global risk and due diligence. Through stories from his insurance career and technical details about CSI, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the interplay between human insight, AI, and proprietary deep data in navigating today’s complex compliance environment.

For those managing risk, compliance, or international supply chains, this episode is a concise, insightful resource on the next era of business intelligence.