In today's column we will talk about the Corporate Security Manager of the 21st Century, and thus seek to answer what corporations want for this position.
by Héctor R. Torres, PhD, MBA, CPP, CFE, CHS*
A fraternal greeting from Puerto Rico to all colleagues and readers of this column. It is a pleasure to share again with you. I just returned from the annual convention of the American Industrial Safety Society (ASIS) held in Orlando, Florida. I was very impressed with the number of Latino security professionals who attended the event and I see how every year this number continues to increase.
During a meeting with my colleagues from Latin America, concerns arose about the 21st Century corporate security manager. In today's column we will talk about this topic to answer what corporations are looking for in terms of a security manager for this century.
Problematic background
The corporate security programs of many corporations are going through big changes. The current corporate security managers who belong to the famous baby boomer generation are about to retire from the profession. Never in the history of business will we see the retirement of so many practitioners.
Many of them came from the military or police ranks and developed their security programs based on their previous experiences without any or little preparation to work in the business world. Although they are recognized for their great contributions and expertise in the field of security, many have found it difficult to gain acceptance as business professionals and leaders of a managerial role within the corporation.
In previous writings I have highlighted the fact that corporate security has already developed into a managerial function in many corporations. In these, corporate security is still performed based on functions of only protecting and physically monitoring their assets. This role limits corporate security considerably and does not allow you to contribute more to the corporation.
Therefore, those who practice corporate security are not considered as professionals in a managerial or business function. The challenge for new corporate security managers or directors is to develop their programs in a managerial function that facilitates other functions in the corporation. Nowadays what many corporations are looking for in terms of security managers is that they not only possess the security expertise, but also have expertise in business.
The business world has changed
The business world has changed dramatically and corporate security requires a different approach. Many corporations are changing the way they do business due to volatility and continuous changes in markets. Let's examine some of these factors that contribute to changes in the market.
An important factor is that of technological advances. These advances, especially when it comes to communications, have changed the way we do business. Today we can communicate with any country in different ways to promote and encourage business. Another factor is the growing regulatory environment that dictates to corporations the legal guidelines to follow to do business globally. Another important factor is international criminality that includes global terrorism.
Finally, security managers in some global corporations have been promoted to senior executive positions. Many of them use the title of Chief Corporate Security Officer (CSO). These managers occupy the highest position of security, work on the senior staff of the president of the corporation and only answer to him. To hold this position an individual must possess the experience and skills of a business executive to develop security objectives that support the strategic goals of the corporation.
Profile of a security manager
Based on what has been exposed we must ask what is the profile that a corporate security manager of the 21st Century should have? What are corporations looking for? According to surveys of corporate recruiters in the United States and Europe, these indicate that just having expertise in security matters does not necessarily qualify a person as a suitable candidate to be a corporate security manager.
Here are some of the most important traits that are considered for recruiting a corporate security manager:
*Business knowledge and skills.
* Exceptional skills for the development of interpersonal relationships and teamwork.
* Expertise and mastery of multiple matters of security, regulatory compliance and risk management in the tactical and strategic field.
In recruiting a corporate security manager, the emphasis is on the candidate's business skills and interpersonal relationships. Without these skills, which include management, communication, strategy, collaboration, the ability to solve complex problems, and negotiation skills, a security manager will not be able to be successful.
Today we are looking for candidates who can align the corporate security program with the needs of the corporation. We are looking for candidates who can contribute to the corporation from a business standpoint rather than recruit security experts.
Conclusion
Many recruiters have concluded that the next security managers for their corporations must possess the experience and skill to be able to align security and risk management programs with the needs of the business. In addition, they must possess the interpersonal relationship skills to disrupt all levels of the corporation in order to create an environment of collaboration and teamwork.
These candidates must be studious throughout their careers as security threats change and new threats always arise. A security manager who only focuses on security rather than facilitating other business processes will not be the ideal candidate nor will he be able to meet the needs of the corporation.
What you are looking for is a manager who is a business leader first and then a security professional. I invite you to continue to share your ideas and concerns of the world and security management.
A hug and see you next time!
* If you wish you can write to the author of this article by email: [email protected]
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