1st Edition
Legends of the Security Services Industry Profiles in Leadership
The global contract security market now totals over $200 billion, with the number of private security officers exceeding that of public law enforcement officers. But this wasn’t always the case.
Legends of the Security Services Industry: Profiles in Leadership presents the unique stories of fifteen industry legends, who transformed the industry from early private detective and small night watch companies, into large-scale contract security companies. The large-scale companies including, but not limited to, Pinkerton’s, Burns International, The Wackenhut Corporation, Guardsmark, Wells Fargo, and U.S. Security Associates; as well as today’s leading security companies, Allied Universal, Securitas, G4S, Prosegur, and GardaWorld.
The book begins in the 19th Century, with early U.S. legendary detectives, Allan Pinkerton and William Burns. Then, the book focuses largely from the mid-20th Century to the present, where successive generations of legends built large-scale contract security companies which competed with, and then acquired, those formed by the early legends. Part II legends George Wackenhut, Ira Lipman, and Tom Wathen; Part III legends, Charles Schneider, Kenneth Oringer, William Whitmore, Jr., and Albert Berger; and Part IV, Scandinavian legends Jørgen Philip-Sørensen, Lars Nørby Johansen, and Thomas Berglund, who all developed major security companies. Part V includes current global security leaders Helena Revoredo Gut, Stephan Crétier, and Steve Jones. Part VI reviews the timelines and successful leadership of these legendary leaders, with a look at the future of the industry.
The legends’ personal stories contain colorful insight into how they capitalized on the industry’s explosive growth. While each generation of legends faced unique social and competitive landscapes, their personal stories illustrate how they respectively succeeded. Their leadership and management prowess enabled them to achieve great success, as they displayed vision and achieved their goals through grit, determination, hard work, charisma, organizational skills, and calculated risk-taking.
Each chapter has been extensively researched, and includes firsthand accounts based on interviews with living legends, colleagues, and family of deceased legends. Personal and company photos add further color to the moving narrative. Their stories are not only highly interesting, but also provide a framework for current leaders, and the next generation of entrepreneurs, on how to build and lead large-scale security service companies.
With a Foreword from Robert D. McCrie, Ph.D., longtime John Jay Professor and editor of the renowned industry publication The Security Letter.
Introduction
Part I: The Early Legends
1. Allan Pinkerton: America’s First Great Detective
2. William J. Burns: Showman and Master Investigator
Part II: New Legends Take on the Old Guard
3. George R. Wackenhut: “Know-How and Know-Whom”
4. Ira A. Lipman: Principles and Profits
5. Thomas W. Wathen: No Fear of Flying
Part III: A New Wave of Competitors in a Golden Era
6. Charles R. Schneider: Engineering Success
7. Kenneth W. Oringer: The Artful Closer
8. William C. Whitmore Jr.: A Steady Hand
9. Albert J. Berger: The Right Formulas
Part IV: Scandinavians Build Global Companies
10. Jørgen Philip-Sørensen: Traversing the Globe
11. Lars Nørby Johansen: Gaining Trust Through Solutions
12. Thomas F. Berglund: Success by Lifting Others
Part V: Today’s Global Security Leaders
13. Helena Revoredo Gut: Resilience and Vision
14. Stephan Crétier: The Disruptor
15. Steve Jones: Up Tempo
Part VI: Conclusions: Dynamic People, Companies and Times
16. Forward Momentum
17: Opportunities for Future Leaders in the Security Services Industry
Biography
Keith Oringer has a distinguished career in the security industry, and currently serves as president of Security ProAdvisors, which he founded in 2015. The company is a leading brokerage, advisory and consulting firm to the industry, completing many significant acquisition transactions representing sellers. Keith is the publisher of The Security Advisor, and has authored articles for that magazine, Security Magazine, and several others. He is a frequent speaker at industry associations, including NASCO (National Association of Security Companies), and a member of ASIS International. Keith obtained a B.S. in Accounting from SUNY Binghamton, an MBA in Finance from Pace University, and became a CPA. His career began at KPMG in accounting, and then as a senior financial analyst at Merrill Lynch, and then W.R. Grace. In 1991, Keith began his security industry career in operational roles at Wells Fargo Guard Services (formerly a division of Borg Warner Protective Services). In 1994, Keith joined U.S. Security Associates, which was cofounded by his father Kenneth Oringer, as its third employee. In 2014, Keith left the firm as a business unit president, and shareholder, having played a key role as the company became a leading national security company with over 46,000 employees and $1.2 billion in revenue.
Michael Hymanson is a career security services industry professional, currently providing consulting, writing, and research services for select industry clients. After graduating from Cornell University with a B.S. in Industrial & Labor Relations, he began his security career in 1974, at Pan American Investigation Service, Inc. He became a licensed private investigator, president, and owner of the company until U.S. Security Associates acquired the company in 2006. From 2006 until 2018, he held regional operating and sales positions at U.S. Security Associates, including time as the company qualifying officer and licensee for New York State. Michael is a Board-Certified Protection Professional (CPP®) and has conducted security consulting services to Fortune 500 companies, and many major organizations and institutions. Michael is a long-time member of ASIS International and Associated Licensed Detectives of New York State, where he served as president, chairman, and treasurer. He has authored articles for Hotel Business Review, Security Director Magazine, and other trade publications.
