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John Brodie Donald is the author of two books Catataxis and Bolt from the Blue. This site explores the main themes in those two books through blog posts for readers who seek further material

An ex-Investment Banker, John now works as a cyber expert in the insurance industry and is based in Sevenoaks, Kent. He is a senior lecturer on the Security and Risk Management MBa Course (SRMC) run by the Frontier Risks Group. He is also an accredited mediator for Family and Commercial disputes.

He is also the progenitor of the Lost London Churches Project

As a sideline, he also produces maps and cartographic illustrations for publications like this Contact me if you are interested in commissioning one…

Catataxis

Catataxis is the confusion between different levels; a misunderstanding of the difference between the micro and the macro. It comes from two Greek words. The first “kata” meaning down or through as in catastrophe or cataclysm. The second “taxis” meaning rank or level, as in taxonomy. So catataxis is a confusion or breakdown between hierarchical levels.

There are four maxims of Catataxis:

1. More of the same is different
2. Complexity requires simplicity
3. Order requires chaos
4. Categorisation destroys information

Blog

November 19, 2018November 19, 2018

Brexit and Arrow’s impossibility theorem

Politics in the UK has been on a rollercoaster ride in the last few weeks over Brexit. There have been many high profile cabinet resignations by ministers who are unhappy with the proposed Chequers plan. Brexiteers and Remainers, who are bitterly opposed each other, have managed to find one thing that they do actually agree …

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November 13, 2018November 13, 2018

The law of large numbers and the meaning of life

The Law of Large Numbers is a cornerstone of statistical science. It says that, while it is very hard to predict things on an individual basis, it is much easier to predict things on an aggregate basis once you have enough individuals in the group. The whole statistical toolbox of bell curves, averages and standard …

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November 8, 2018November 8, 2018

Intangible assets and the catataxic gap

The problem of intangible assets In 1988 Nestle bought Rowntree, the UK confectionary company famous for its fruit gums and jelly babies. It paid £2.5 bn which was three times more than the market thought it was worth. Nestle then had a big problem with its accounts. Traditionally, accountants would only look at the value …

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Bolt from the Blue

A guide for every CEO faced with a disaster not of his own making, such as a regulatory intervention or a cyber attack. Donald and Pullen provide a strategic guide to a CEO who is facing potential armageddon. They explain why dealing with a regulatory intervention is not just a matter for lawyers and why you need the full spectrum of PR, shareholders, stakeholders and government all on side. This book spells out the lessons that can be learnt from the biggest regulatory disasters of the last 15 years. It explains what steps can be taken to get through a regulatory intervention and come out the other side with both reputation and company intact.

About Me

John Brodie Donald was born in London and spent his early life shuttling between the Far East and boarding schools in the UK.

He worked for 20 years as an Investment Banker in Asia and Europe with Phillips and Drew, Jardine Fleming and ING Barings. During this time he spent 7 years living in Japan and a further 7 in Hong Kong.

He left the financial services sector to run a Scotch Whisky company in 2004 and has since been involved in a variety of business ventures and startups in cyber security, business intelligence, internet platforms and alternative assets. He is the CEO of Quadrant Four Risk which is based in Sevenoaks, Kent and provides a variety of risk management services.