An employee walks off the job—carrying a stack of sensitive client files. No exit interview. No handoff. No digital backup. The documents aren’t encrypted. And the stakeholders? They’re 3,000 miles away, already asking who needs to resign.

This case study is especially relevant if you are:

• A COO or founder navigating paper-based processes in fragile regions

• A board member worried about legal or reputational exposure

• A stakeholder dealing with cross-border teams and uneven operational maturity

• A donor or funder concerned about data safeguards and compliance optics

• A leader looking to prevent a small breach from becoming a major scandal

This wasn’t sabotage. It was a systems failure—with fixable roots.

This case study shows how Pholus helped an organization quietly recover physical records after an employee departure, de-escalate U.S.-based stakeholder panic, and implement new protocols to prevent future exposure. No records were leaked. No reputations were damaged. And a crisis that could’ve triggered funding loss instead catalyzed overdue reforms.

If your team still handles sensitive data on paper—and your funders expect polished digital governance—this case study may offer the bridge.

Download it now and read it quietly. You’ll know if it applies.