While the global business environment in 2015 is perceived to be somewhat less risky for organizations than it was in the last two years, business leaders are still more likely to invest in additional risk management resources this year, according to Protiviti and North Carolina State University’s ERM Initiative’s report Executive Perspectives on Top Risks for 2015.
Security executives in property management secure commercial buildings in a variety of ways, depending on location, risk, whether the building is public, private or semi-public, what sort of asset is being protected, hours of operation, and the like. Protecting buildings from risks such as theft, loitering, vandalism, rioting and workplace violence comes with a variety of unique challenges and can take a lot of forethought, planning and creativity.
"2013 was a gangbuster year for embezzlement in the United States, exceeding even 2012’s previous record pace,” says Christopher T. Marquet, author of The 2013 Marquet Report on Embezzlement, released in December 2014. “What is remarkable is depth, magnitude and frequency of employee theft in the U.S. economy. Vermont topped the list of highest embezzlement risk states in the nation for the third time in six years.”
We’ve gotten pretty good at collecting all sorts of data from cameras and other sensors – but in the end, it is what we do with the information that counts. Surveillance technologies provide the capability to capture the minutest details, but the real value in collecting information is in its analysis. While technology allows us to observe behaviors that predict criminal intent and can interdict before events occur, often this data is subverted by security professionals and law enforcement misinterpretation based on spurious factors.
You have been with your current organization for more than 10 years leading the corporate security function, having conceived and built the program, hired staff around the world and integrated the department to being a trusted advisor to senior management. Since this is your second career, you are now reaching a point that you would like to retire and pursue other passions and personal interests. After sitting down and discussing this with your boss, you realize that he or she and the management team are concerned about the lack of a succession plan for your replacement. Their position is: While your second level staff is very good operationally, they are not under serious consideration for your role, and HR will be looking outside the company for your replacement.
The roles of security, risk and business continuity management professionals have significantly evolved over the past 10 years, driven by major technological innovations, workforce globalization, increasing legal liability and regulatory actions.
Somewhere in the planning of the Security 500 Conference, I realized it would not be possible to turn the long list of security’s responsibilities from this year’s benchmark study into a readable slide. Nor was it prudent to punish our attendees with multiple lists of unmemorable threats and vulnerabilities. With more than 50 unique items in play; from managing investigations (97 percent) to overseeing insurance (15 percent); the business executives that manage risk and security for their enterprises all expressed this common theme:
Target Corp. appointed Jacqueline Hourigan Rice, a former General Motors executive, to be chief risk and compliance officer and a senior vice president.
