As the head of corporate security for telecommunication giant Nokia’s North American operations, Brad Unz had a pretty good gig going. Then he learned of L&W Investigations , a private investigations firm specializing in insurance cases and claims. The rest, as they say, is history.

With offices nationwide, including Canada, Puerto Rico and the Hawaiian Islands, L&W provides investigative service to more than 50 local markets, supported by a national network or investigations offices. That rare combination, in addition to an impressive list of more than 100 existing clients, made the decision for Unz to come on board as leader of L&W’s Northern California territory a relatively simple one.

“At Nokia, we used private investigations / security firms all the time and, to be quite honest, the thought of creating a national network of investigations offices never really occurred to me because I didn’t know if it would be possible to duplicate the systems, processes and procedures on a national level,” said Unz. “I believe Neal Lyons [L&W’s CEO and Chairman] is a visionary in that regard and that the L & W concept is the future of investigations because we are able to successfully duplicate our model nationally without diminishing our strength in the local market.”

Looking to the future has always been the signature of Unz’ career, starting as early as the age of 15 when he started his own business.

“I come from a long line of achievers and entrepreneurs. Both of my parents were extremely well educated, each holding degrees from Northwestern University. My father was a land developer and my grandfather was one of the first 150 Illinois State Policemen when the agency first formed in 1922 and later became a the chief of police in Dwight, Illinois,” said Unz.

It was that connection between public and private sector that led to Unz’ start in business. After the untimely passing of his parents at age 15, he opened a police uniform supply shop in 1978 in Kankakee, Illinois, with the assistance of his grandmother. So while most kids that age were still a year away from getting their learner’s permit, Unz ran a business grossing more than $100,000 per year.

That close connection to the police, particularly after his parents’ deaths, also led Unz to a career in law enforcement. Starting out as a police officer in Groveland, Florida and later Bradley, Illinois, he rose to become the chief of police in Grant Park, Illinois by the age of 25.

“My time as a police chief was an incredible experience from many perspectives—being an administrator, managing people and, of course, law enforcement,” said Unz. “After nine years, the politics that went along with the position eventually made me ready for the next challenge.”

Unz embarked on a career in corporate security. Starting out as retail investigator / security agent for Walt Disney Company, he eventually landed in a similar role with Nokia, the global communications giant. In his almost 11 years with Nokia, Unz rose through the ranks to eventually become the company’s head of corporate security for North America, based in White Plains, New York. During that time, he also earned his bachelor’s degree in criminology and a master’s in security management from Stafford University. Still, the entrepreneurial spirit that inspired a 15-year-old to open his own business was now calling.

“After being in corporate management for that long, I was looking to take on something new that would enable me to live in California. I looked into several opportunities but it was L&W that got my attention. Basically, the opportunity to take over L&W’s Northern California territory encapsulated every experience from every phase of my career, starting with running a store at 15 to heading security for a billion-dollar, international organization, said Unz.”

L&W’s Northern California base will be located in the Sacramento area and Unz foresees satellite offices in the Bay Area and Fresno area over the next several months and into early 2009. In addition, Unz has recruited a management team of respected industry professionals, accountants, attorneys and military veterans to manage the operations, administrations and sales divisions of the new L & W Investigations’ Northern California offices.

“From the very first minute I began researching L & W, I knew that this was an exciting opportunity that I could put all of my passion and many years of industry experience to work,” said Unz. “As far as I’m concerned the sky is truly the limit for L&W and, in Northern California, we’re happy to do our part to take it there.

For more information on L&W Investigations or to contact an L&W office near you, please visit www.lwinvestigations.com.