Dr. Laurie’s academic work included developing methodological strategies for gathering and preparing data in challenging research environments. His doctoral fieldwork in Zimbabwe, which examined the causes and dynamics of the country’s farm invasions, involved obtaining quantitative and qualitative data from at-risk respondents and generating research insights under conditions often hostile to academic inquiry.

He later applied these methods in a professional context as Senior Director at the global risk analytics and consultancy firm Verisk Maplecroft. There, he led research and advisory projects for major corporations in sectors including extractives, technology, manufacturing, banking and pharmaceuticals, as well as for leading aid agencies and intergovernmental bodies such as the World Bank and the UN.