Why Executive Leaders Need Protective Services

The world we live in today is vastly different from when I served in the Secret Service. After a 21-year career, I retired two years after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, to help stand up the Department of Homeland Security. The positive strides at protecting corporate executives were astounding to me. Executive protection was being taken seriously, and the quality of the protective services provided was exceptional.

However, as the memories of 9/11 have faded for many Americans, so has the commitment to providing adequate protection for corporate leaders. By the very nature of their roles, executive leaders — often the face of major decisions — are inherently at risk. High-stakes actions like mergers and acquisitions, terminations and social issues can quickly increase an executive’s risk level. Executive compensation, like great wealth, often attracts unwelcome attention and increases risk. The insider and external threats are real and complex.

A proper executive protection program revolves around helping executives understand their risks and devise policies, procedures and methods to mitigate those risks.

Executive protection hinges on two key factors: (1) the executive’s willingness to accept protection, and (2) how it is implemented. While many points can be made addressing these two factors, I believe the argument can be boiled down to four reasons why protective services should be a part of a security risk management strategy.

1. Protection from targeted violence. In their role as the executive leader, all business decisions rest on their shoulders. Whether it’s an employee termination, denial of benefits, financial loss or layoffs related to a merger or acquisition, the CEO is the person held accountable for decisions made by the company. The buck stops with the CEO. Insiders and those people watching from outside the business will put the blame for business decisions squarely on the shoulders of the CEO. Having a protection specialist providing close quarters protection is the last line of defense. The specialist’s role is to intercept any physical threats and provide the executive with peace of mind, allowing them to concentrate fully on the business at hand.
   
2. Protection on the road. Protection specialists don’t rely on Siri, Alexa or other GPS-enabled devices to tell them where they are going. Knowing the most efficient and safest route to travel and ensuring an on-time arrival at an event is essential. Professional protection specialists are trained in emergency medical care and will carry a first-aid trauma kit in the vehicle. From CPR to operating a defibrillator or dressing a wound, protection specialists are prepared with the skills needed when a medical issue arises. They will ensure that the appropriate medical supplies are on hand and in the vehicle and have been properly stored and maintained. They also know where the hospitals are located along the route and the best way to get there if a medical issue arises. These factors, combined with defensive driving skills and advanced route planning, enhance an executive’s security during transit.
3. Avoiding the wrong time, wrong place syndrome. It could be a spontaneous protest or a criminal act, but it’s always best to have that professional protection specialist present with a primary, alternate, contingency and emergency plan for every potential scenario. The protection specialist is situationally aware of the surroundings, affording the executive the ability to focus on running the business and not having to deal with peripheral distractions.
   
4. It makes good financial sense. Many CEOs are deal closers. They jump on the phone and, in two minutes, close a multimillion-dollar deal. Better to do that in the backseat of a vehicle with a professional protection specialist trained driver focusing on the road. Not having to drive gives that executive more time to do business and make money.

Adopting a prevention-oriented methodology to protective services improves the safety and security of executives and high-net-worth individuals. It also provides corporate boards and family members with greater confidence that the appropriate countermeasures are in place to safeguard the executive.