Tag: Brian Thompson
An extra shot of security
February 3, 2026Cory Harris, Editor
Corporate executive protection is being rewritten in real time. When Starbucks disclosed in late January that it is now requiring CEO Brian Niccol to use company aircraft for all travel following a security review that identified “credible” risks, the decision underscored how boards are responding to a more volatile threat landscape.
What might once have been dismissed as an executive perk is now increasingly framed as a duty‑of‑care decision, rooted in threat assessments, exposure...
Executives in the crosshairs: World Security Report reveals alarming rise in targeted threats
October 1, 2025Cory Harris, Editor
NEW YORK—Threats against high-profile executives - especially in the tech sector - are surging, driven by a volatile mix of social unrest, misinformation and digital radicalization, according to Allied Universal’s 2025 World Security Report.
Nearly half (46%) of U.S. chief security officers (CSOs) report increased threats toward executives. That number rises to 49% for publicly traded firms and 66% for tech companies.
Glen Kucera, president of Allied Universal’s...
NYC mass shooting calls for 'smarter, more responsive' approach to security
July 30, 2025Cory Harris, Editor
NEW YORK—The mass shooting in New York City on July 28 that involved a gunman walking into a Park Avenue commercial building with an assault rifle, killing four people and critically wounding another, serves as a stark reminder of the escalating threat posed by armed individuals in public spaces, says Actuate CEO Ken Francis.
Nearly eight months after United HealthCare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed walking into a NYC building for an investor conference, Francis points...
Four dead in NYC
July 30, 2025Cory Harris, Editor
For the second time in nearly eight months, a senseless, tragic shooting in NYC has brought the issue of protecting our most important assets – people – into the national spotlight.
Less than 48 hours ago, a gunman casually strolled into a Park Avenue commercial building with an assault rifle, killing four people and critically wounding another.
While the shooter’s motive was apparently outlined in his suicide note, the real question coming out of this mass shooting is how...
Hanging by a thread
December 11, 2024SSN Staff
To paraphrase a popular children’s cartoon of the past few decades, “If I had a nickel for every time I discussed an assassination on this blog, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice.”
Last week, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, was gunned down by an assassin on his way to an investor meeting. I could lay out the moral implications at great length in this blog, but that’s not terribly important...
Execs scramble for protection following fatal CEO shooting
December 11, 2024Cory Harris, Editor
NEW YORK—The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York City hotel on Dec. 4 has led to a surge of requests for executive protection, says Glen Kucera of Allied Universal.
Kucera, president of the Enhanced Protection Services business unit at Allied, noted that the phones started ringing at the company about 15 minutes after the story broke of the shooting. Since then, Allied has received hundreds of inquiries from existing and new customers.
“This...