Executive Security Spending Shifts from Perk to Priority
The unfortunate incident involving Brian Thompson, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UnitedHealthCare, who was fatally shot in December 2024, has caused companies to reevaluate their security protocols. While it was once common for only high-profile executives to be accompanied by security detail, the tragic death of Mr. Thompson, who was without security at the time […]
Joyce Chen is an Associate Editor at Equilar, Inc. This post is based on an Equilar memorandum by Ms. Chen and Courtney Yu.
The unfortunate incident involving Brian Thompson, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UnitedHealthCare, who was fatally shot in December 2024, has caused companies to reevaluate their security protocols. While it was once common for only high-profile executives to be accompanied by security detail, the tragic death of Mr. Thompson, who was without security at the time of the incident, has highlighted the vulnerability of all executives, regardless of their public profile.
In response to heightened security concerns, companies have taken various measures to protect their executives. Companies including CVS Pharmacy and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield removed photographs and biographies of their executives from their websites or took down their leadership pages. Additionally, companies are implementing stricter travel policies for executives. For instance, Lockheed Martin Corporation’s Chief Security Officer has mandated that the CEO exclusively use corporate aircraft for both personal and business travel. Security concerns have escalated beyond executives to include their families—the family members of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also receive security protection.
