In his position as U.S. Security Manager for Almac, Joe Ranucci has increased security awareness throughout the enterprise. He has implemented an awareness program that includes direct and indirect messaging to communicate security-related concerns to the general employee population. He has implemented active shooter training, which all new hires are required to take. Ranucci also established a Security Council made up of key stakeholders in the organization that meets to review current and emerging security issues.

Previously, he was Compliance Specialist – Regulatory at PSEG, where he established the insider threat response team. “To be able to bring in representation from the various business units (Security, IT, Compliance, HR, Operations, Legal, etc.) and develop processes to close the gaps in interdepartmental communications was a significant achievement,” he says. “Each business unit was accustomed to operating on their own, and only bringing in resources from other areas when it became absolutely necessary, or often after the fact. Changing this mindset was challenging and took significant cultivation and guidance. The collaboration that eventually developed among the team members provided a more efficient and effective response to potential threats. Launching the program at PSEG has opened up additional opportunities for me, including the chance to be a presenter at a GSX conference.”

Ranucci is a founding member and co-chair of the Indian Valley Chamber of Commerce Security Affinity Group, whose purpose is to spread security awareness to companies and organizations throughout the region. He is also a member of the ASIS Pharmaceutical Security Council and the CERT Open Source Insider Threat Information Sharing Group. He presents at ASIS conferences on insider threat awareness and prevention.

“It is important to remember that security and law enforcement are two distinctly different professions,” he says. “Being a good security officer or manager does not mean you would automatically be a good law enforcement officer. Likewise, having a career in law enforcement, even in management roles, does not mean you can necessarily transition seamlessly into a security management position. Both professions are responsible for the protection of people and assets, but they take very different approaches to achieve their goals. Some of the differences include being proactive versus reactive, enforcing legal statutes versus company policies and working with courts and prosecutors versus working with Human Resources and company management. Transitioning from one profession to the other requires a change in mindset and a willingness to be open to learning new skills.”