Updated August 5, 2025
In the months since the assassination of UnitedHealth Group CEO Brian Thompson, Fortune 500 companies are spending record amounts to protect executives, as reported by Reuters.
What was once considered a specialized perk for a few high-profile leaders has now become a strategic imperative across sectors. The threat landscape has evolved, and so too have the expectations of corporate boards, investors and executive families. And at the center of that conversation is Ben Joelson, principal and head of Security Risk & Resilience at The Chertoff Group.
In a recent piece in Security Management Magazine, Joelson and Managing Director Scott Gibson describe how executive protection programs are no longer reactive or static. They must be tailored, risk-based and designed to balance both security and accessibility. “Protection teams need to get it right every time,” Joelson notes, “while an adversary only needs to get it right once.”
The Shift in Corporate Posture
Thompson’s murder was a wake-up call – not just for the healthcare and insurance industries, but for every publicly visible organization. In a Bloomberg Law report, Joelson shared that demand for Chertoff’s executive risk management services has more than doubled, driven by mounting political polarization, social unrest and an uptick in violent rhetoric online.
Coded threats, like social media calls to “Luigi” a CEO (a reference to the alleged shooter of Thompson), have become alarmingly common. Joelson, quoted again in the Wall Street Journal Leadership Institute CEO newsletter, says threats from younger and less predictable actors are rising. And companies are responding by investing in security assessments, travel protocols, intelligence tools and protection details.
Not One-Size-Fits-All
Each executive’s risk profile is unique, and the most effective protection programs reflect that. Executive protection today means more than just hiring bodyguards. It includes:
- Structuring the right team mix (armed vs. unarmed, visible vs. low-profile)
- Integrating threat intelligence platforms
- Establishing flexible, privacy-conscious protocols for daily life and travel
It also means helping leadership understand that security risk is managed, not eliminated. “This can be difficult for data-driven executives used to modeling financial risk,” Joelson explains. “But adversaries are creative, and attack scenarios are infinite. Data helps, but judgment, intuition and trust between protectors and principals are indispensable.”
Building Defensible, Optimized Programs
One critical tool for modern executive protection programs is the third-party security study. Under IRS Code §132, certain security expenses may be excluded from executive compensation reporting if a qualified assessment identifies a legitimate threat. Joelson’s team at The Chertoff Group frequently supports tax, legal and HR functions with expert validation that helps justify certain expenses. The result is a stronger, more defensible and financially optimized protection program.
Security as a Business Enabler
At its best, executive protection is not a cost center, it’s a business enabler. Strong programs evolve with enterprise priorities and grow in maturity over time. Holistic reviews should assess how well security supports the business, and where improvements can be made. Benchmarking against peers and independent validation from trusted advisors are invaluable tools to drive that alignment.
Ultimately, the most resilient programs are those that blend strategic oversight with operational precision and elevate security from an overhead line item to a boardroom imperative.
Ben recently appeared on webinars about this topic.
Equilar: Enhancing Organizational Preparedness for Evolving Security Threats
Security Info Watch: Executive Protection in Crisis: Safeguarding Our Most Valuable Leaders
Our work was also mentioned in the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance
Ben Joelson leads the Security Risk & Resilience practice at The Chertoff Group, where he advises global companies, family offices and boards on complex security risks, executive protection programs and enterprise resilience.
