Information Newsletter - LTD & Associates
Brian Mulroney had just finished his speech at the 2003 Progressive Conservative
leadership convention in Toronto, and a pack of hungry reporters was lying in
wait. But the former PM's aides had determined he wouldn't be giving interviews
- a decidedly unpopular decision. As Mr. Mulroney stepped off the stage, the
media swarmed him.
His bodyguards, Lloyd
Vaughan and Ty Watts, moved in to keep the crowd away from their client. But they were
immediately surrounded by hordes of camera operators and reporters. Although
Mr. Watts and Mr. Vaughan are built like a couple of Mack trucks, they
struggled to clear the way for Mr. Mulroney, taking elbows in the gut and
getting whacked in the face with cameras and microphones. The circle got so
tight, they lost peripheral vision. Their well-pressed suits were drenched in
sweat. But they kept muscling their way forward, Mr. Mulroney sandwiched
between them. Finally they managed to get him to safety backstage.
Such is the job of an executive protection
specialist. It's not about gunslinging, says Mr. Vaughan, who started LTD &
Associates with Mr. Watts five years ago. Rather, it's about keeping the client out of
harm's way. They've got the training for it: Mr. Watts spent 32 years as a
sergeant with the RCMP; Mr. Vaughan was an officer with the Peel Regional
police force for 26 years. Between them, they've protected prime ministers,
members of the British Royal Family, Queen Noor of Jordan and a number of
celebrities in town for the Toronto International Film Festival.
It's not all glamour - LTD &
Associates
also handles security for executives who are threatened by disgruntled
employees or shareholders, or attending high-profile events. If executives are
travelling to a country known for kidnapping, they'll often take along a team
from LTD.
Because 70% of their work requires them to be
at a client's headquarters or on the road, LTD & Associates doesn't have a
permanent office. Occasionally, the team sets up a temporary shop at an
executive centre in Oakville, Ontario. That's where they are today. Sitting in
leather chairs around a maple boardroom table. Both men are wearing suits, but
when they're on the job, they wear whatever attire will help them blend in -
even if it means a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and sandals. That's what Mr. Watts wore
when protecting former PM Pierre Elliot Trudeau in the 1970s, at a Hawaiian-themed
cocktail party in Toronto.
"Protection
is about assessing an environment and taking measures to prevent an
attack," Mr. Vaughan says. At an annual general meeting, for example, Mr.
Watts will scan the audience for anyone who looks out of place. If he hones in
on a suspicious character, he'll read their body language (are they reaching
for a tissue or device?) and keep protected space between the individual and
the client. "Physical contact is the last resort," he says.
You won't find the bulge of a gun holster
beneath either man's jacket. They don't carry firearms. "You can do more
with your head and your body," Mr. Watts says. "If shots are fired,
your main goal is to get your protectee out of there. And if you're stopping to
pull a weapon and fire back, you're leaving your protectee unprotected."
If they're going into a situation where they feel weapons are required, they'll
co-ordinate with local police.
Most executives listen to the advice they get
from LTD, but when they don't, Messrs. Vaughan and Watts are forced to adjust
their plans - sometimes on the fly. That could mean walking through a protest
gathering or venturing into a dangerous area in a foreign country.
The biggest mistake most executives make in
terms of security is "being an open book," according to Mr. Watts -
blabbing about which airline you always fly, the route you take to work or your
family life. "Somebody can create a profile on you quickly when you're an
open book."
Confidentiality is key. They can't risk a
break-in, so LTD keeps all its client files at a secure facility that's been
inspected and approved by the Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General. The
files are stored for three years and then destroyed. There are no files at the
rented office, and the whiteboards are empty. The partners keep any mementos
they've received from clients - photographs, books, plaques - at home.
Depending on what they need, clients can hire
LTD & Associates for an hour or on a continuing basis.
So what's their next big job? "I wish I
knew," Mr. Watts says coyly. "It could come from anywhere, at any
time. We just have to be prepared."
LTD & Associates Inc. are proud to
provide you with our quarterly newsletter in PDF format. It is our goal to keep
you abreast of current security and investigative issues, which we believe will
be of value to both you and your business. Additionally, it will also give us
the opportunity to keep you informed about LTD & Associates Inc. and what
we are doing, what we have done and our newest initiatives.
We of course welcome feedback as to whether
you feel this newsletter is of value to you and your business and any
suggestions for information you might want to see in future editions.
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