Stratos EP debuts with a smarter take on executive protection, company execs say

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—Stratoscope Holdings is formalizing what its leaders say has been missing from the executive protection (EP) market: a strategy-first, vertically integrated program that complements a client’s lifestyle, while quietly scaling to shifting risks. 

With the recent launch of Stratos Executive Protection (Stratos EP), Founder and Managing Partner Dan Donovan and Head of Business Development Joe Bongino argue that today’s lone-actor threats and increasingly visible corporate activity demand far more than traditional “guys in suits.” 

“Executive protection has moved into the top benefit packages for the C-suite,” Donovan said. “We need to educate high-net-worth individuals on covert, planning-led security. It doesn’t have to feel like security - it’s about understanding risk for the family, the individual and the company. That mindset is evolving fast.” 

A strategy-first model shaped by events 

Stratos EP builds on Stratoscope’s event security and risk advisory work, where the company designs plans, contracts vendors and executes on site. Donovan said the team has long delivered EP-adjacent services, but recent attacks at shareholder meetings and other public events underscored the need for a formal, scalable, discreet EP program with stronger proactive structure and clearer operational standards. 

“Public information lets adversaries socially engineer routines,” he said. “A strategy-first EP posture closes gaps before they’re exploited.” 

The addition of COO Mike Burnett, a former Secret Service agent, and Bongino’s decision to join the company accelerated the move.  

Bongino first encountered Stratoscope at a Pier 17 concert in New York City in 2025, where its command center and team “were unlike anything” he had seen and, he noted, “operated with a discipline that immediately stood out.” 

“With Stratoscope, we can deliver the intelligence, planning and execution I expected when I was the client,” he said. 

Why integration matters 

For Donovan, vertical integration means translating strategy into action with the right capabilities. 

“Plenty of entities throw bodies at challenges,” he said. “We start with the physical, cyber and intelligence risk profile, then build the tactics. If needed, we fold in artificial intelligence (AI) weapons detection K9, or video guidance.” 

Bongino said integrated layers solve a common ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) problem: “Most programs end up juggling a huge vendor list,” he said. “Clients want a one-stop model, so the plan works operationally and financially.” 

Scaling the model 

Stratoscope’s portfolio - Stratoscope, Ingressotek, Ford K9, Stratos K9, and now Stratos EP -positions the company to expand without dilution.  

“It’s hiring, training and coaching to a standard that improves with every engagement,” Donovan said.  

Bongino echoed the people-first approach: “Hire and train people to be as good as, or better, than you,” he said. “Threats and tech change minute to minute.” 

Looking ahead 

Donovan projects Stratos EP as a $10-$20 million annual business within two years, driven by teams in residential security, secure transport, and integrated cyber/intel. 

“The industry will be challenged because clients will expect more,” he said. “If you put a high-profile individual into a space that isn’t truly secured, that’s on the provider.” 

Bongino added, “Done right, EP creates value - safer communities, protected brands, better outcomes. Trust and discretion matter. No grandstanding, just results.”