Mindblowing: Keith Siegel's company hired an ex-MI6 agent to save him from Hamas

In an extraordinary revelation that reads more like a spy thriller than corporate policy, Danish pharmaceutical company Lundbeck mounted a covert operation involving a former MI6 operative to rescue their employee Keith Siegel from Hamas captivity, only to see the mission ultimately frustrated by management changes and the complexities of hostage negotiations in Gaza.

Siegel, who was released about two weeks ago after fifteen months in captivity, worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative for Lundbeck, promoting their psychiatric medications including the well-known antidepressant Cipralex, until his abduction on October 7. According to medical news website Doctors Only, the company's response to his capture went far beyond typical corporate crisis management.

Following Siegel's kidnapping, Lundbeck Global took the extraordinary step of hiring a specialist in locating missing persons - a former operative of Britain's MI6 intelligence service. The agent, whose identity remains confidential, was deployed to Tel Aviv with a mandate to operate in Gaza and negotiate directly with Siegel's captors.

"There was very strong backing from the Danish company at the start, extensive efforts were made, and various avenues to assist were explored," revealed Shani Tzuri, marketing director of Lundbeck Israel, in an interview with Doctors Only. The company's determination led them to analyze every possible lead, scrutinizing footage across local, Arabic, and international media in search of clues about Siegel's whereabouts.

However, the rescue attempt faced significant obstacles. After approximately three months of operation, the mission was terminated without success. The situation was further complicated by a complete change in Lundbeck's senior management in Denmark, which appears to have affected the intensity of the rescue efforts.

"At a certain point, alongside the fatigue and weariness of the situation, the entire senior management of the company in Denmark was replaced, and we were left here with our harsh reality," Tzuri explained.

Despite the scaling back of the covert operation, Lundbeck's employees maintained their commitment to Siegel's cause. At company gatherings both in Israel and worldwide, staff consistently displayed his photo along with a count of the days he had been held captive. The company also maintained regular contact with Siegel's family throughout his captivity.

Siegel was ultimately freed through official diplomatic channels as part of a broader hostage deal, but the story of Lundbeck's secret mission stands as a testament to the lengths some companies will go to protect their own, even in the most challenging circumstances and even as official diplomatic channels continue their work.

Israel Hayom contributed to this article.