Investigative · Intelligence · Transformed
The people behind Webutation, and the experience behind every case.
Michael Petrie
Founder / CEOMichael’s curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit led him to pioneer Webutation, combining traditional investigative methods with advanced digital intelligence. With a knack for navigating complex data, both digital and non-digital, he focuses on addressing risks, protecting brands, and benefiting individuals and employers.
A licensed Private Investigator with over 30 years of experience, he is a recognized expert in social media investigations, OSINT methodologies and big-data analysis. He founded Webutation, Inc. and previously co-founded Social Detection, the first social media investigation platform built for the insurance industry, acquired in 2020, and is a sought-after speaker on social media investigations for risk reduction, claims resolution and brand defense.
Max Terzi
CTOMax is the engineering force behind Webutation’s platform. A principal software developer and solutions architect with more than two decades building enterprise planning and business-intelligence systems, he designs reliable, efficient applications for data-driven decision making, turning large, complex datasets into fast, dependable systems.
As CTO he leads the team building Webutation’s next-generation investigative services platform, pairing modern AI and data engineering with forensic and OSINT methodology. A computer scientist by training and a triple-certified IBM Cognos TM1 specialist, he brings enterprise-grade software depth to investigative work, so the platform scales cleanly from custom cases to large workloads.
Patrick Malark
VP of OperationsPatrick’s instincts were forged over two decades on the front lines of investigation, and he brings that same field sense to the way Webutation runs day to day. With a feel for both the people and the data behind a case, he is focused on exposing fraud and delivering answers, and value, that clients can’t find anywhere else.
A licensed New York private investigator and Fraud Claims Law Specialist (FCLS), he came up through every part of the craft, from surveillance and claimant work to social-media and OSINT investigations, before building and leading teams of investigators. That hands-on experience now shapes the standards and quality behind every case Webutation takes on, and makes him a trusted voice on where OSINT and AI are taking the industry.
The wider team
The analysts and engineers behind every case Webutation takes on.
OSINT analysts
Our investigators and OSINT analysts work to the standard a courtroom demands. Every case is built on proven investigative methodology and disciplined open-source tradecraft, now amplified by AI that widens the search and surfaces connections a manual review would miss. The technology extends our reach; our analysts verify every lead themselves.
We trace subjects across the open web, social platforms, and public records, corroborate each source against others, and document the trail behind every conclusion. Nothing reaches you until it has been checked, sourced, and made ready to withstand scrutiny, because a finding is only as valuable as its ability to hold up in court.
Engineers & data
The engineers behind our proprietary OSINT engine, our secure workspace, and the data pipeline that powers them. They pair modern open-source intelligence methodology with large-scale data analysis and purpose-built AI, turning the sprawl of the open web into structured, searchable, and verifiable intelligence.
Speed and privacy are architected in from the first line of code. Every search runs fast at scale, every finding is captured and preserved with its source intact, and every case stays sealed inside an environment engineered for confidentiality. The platform is held to the same standard as the findings it produces: fast, secure, and built to hold up under scrutiny.