Doing business overseas is increasingly rewarding and increasingly risky. Whether you already operate abroad or want to explore international operations, Global Business Access (GBA) can help. We can advise on and explore with your team the risks and how to plan for and deal with them. We can help you build a system for dealing comprehensively with the full 21^st-Century Risk Spectrum abroad.

Such a comprehensive approach should be thought of as security-in-depth or Strategic Security. It is founded in an appreciation of the whole risk spectrum and factors far beyond solely physical and personal security. Strategic Security is longer-term in its perspective and widely based on an appreciation of the whole operating environment abroad. It assesses, prepares and trains in depth to mitigate risk and ensure (if need be) effective crisis management.

GBA Strategic Security Services

GBA’s skilled and experienced Associates, and help your team with short- or long-term counsel on all stages of risk assessment and crisis management, on existing or planned security systems:

• Strategic Risk Assessment
• Initial or periodic Security Audits
• Emergency Planning
• An Emergency Handbook
• Operations Centers
• Training for Emergency Responsibilities
• Crisis Leadership Training for Executives and Managers
• Exercises and DrillsStrategic Risk Assessment

From terrorism to natural disasters, operating abroad requires comprehensive emergency management planning. Due diligence demands that we prepare for risk. Preparation in turn both deters some risks such as kidnapping and mitigates others such as natural disaster, that may affect business continuity. The enhanced confidence of your people operating or traveling abroad pays dividends in decreased risk, enhanced morale and performance, and favorable public, stockholder and client perceptions of your operating professionalism in the foreign environment.

GBA can also enhance your Team’s preparedness through:

• Security-focused briefings on the political and business climates of countries/regions
• Background checks on potential foreign partners
• Training for personnel being sent overseas on fitting in and getting along in a cross-cultural environment
• Advice on foreign government and American Embassy security procedures and services
• Partnering with appropriate services from guard forces to travel security agents
• Advice on local legal, enforcement and intelligence systems
• Security surveys of personnel and installations in countries that pose specific risks
• Crisis management (security, political, economic, public affairs, cultural and financial, as well as attacks on your corporate reputation and brand name goodwill)
• Monitoring political and terrorism risks; independently assess insurance needs; work on your behalf with government and private insurers.
• International negotiations, international relations, public diplomacy, and mediation to ensure your local standing against situations that might engender hostility, build allies and thus early-warning, and maintain an environment in which your reputation enhances your security.

Strategic Security in Depth

We assist clients in preparing for and managing crises, large and small.

Through the use of Issues Management methodologies, we help clients to identify, prioritize and manage their concerns. We work with our clients to defuse potential crises. However, preparation and prevention is always critical. To this end, we assist in the creation of Crisis Management manuals detailing the general processes the company should follow in handling any crisis, as well as specific contingencies for foreseeable crises.

Our ability to advise clients in the handling of crisis situations is one of our greatest strengths. We work with the client to resolve the crisis in a manner that protects and enhances their reputation. Crisis management entails not only a rapid and appropriate immediate response to the situation, but also the creation and implementation of effective Public and Media Relations strategies.

We assist clients on an ongoing basis with Strategic Security matters including:

• Corporate security assessments
• Inventory of threats
• Evaluation of preparedness
• Identification of gaps
• Execution of surveys
• Recommendations for upgrading corporate security
• Due diligence on key associations
• Risk analysis for future ventures/expansion
• Reports and briefings on crime and terrorism
• Strategic Risk Assessment
• Focused news, reports and summaries
• Monthly Security Indicators (Political & Economic Briefings)

Who Should Use GBA’s Security Services?

Clients for Strategic Security Practice skillsets include multinational corporations, government agencies, international organizations, universities, and other entities with international operations or interests. GBA’s satisfied clients have included multinational organizations as well as governmental agencies.

GBA Strategic Security services meet the needs of the organization considering operating overseas and those already experienced in foreign environments. Companies, non-governmental organizations, contractors and onsulting operations will find GBA a productive and dependable partner overseas. We can partner with your security team or become your security team.

GBA Strategic Security Practice – Core Associates

The GBA website lists those associates with expertise and experience in these and complementary areas – see http://www.globalltd.com/associates.php

Global Associates in the core Strategic Security practice include backgrounds such as the following:

• Crisis Management planner and trainer. Experienced American diplomat specialized in political and politico-military affairs. Three decades abroad in six countries. Seven years recent specialized experience in crisis planning, training for crisis management, and teaching crisis leadership. Has conducted Crisis Management Exercises in some 120 countries abroad for American Embassies & Consulates General as well as for foreign governments and key institutions such as airports. Also conducts crisis training for the Marine Corps Marine Expeditionary Units (MEU) stationed off major coastlines should Americans need rescue or evacuation.


• A former CIA Senior Operations Officer, served fifteen years in Europe, Africa, the Near East, and Latin America. As representative of the Director of CIA, dealt with foreign governments at highest levels. While based in D.C. with CIA, traveled overseas formulating and implementing intelligence training programs. Expert in clandestine as well as overt intelligence collection, reporting, analysis, intelligence operations management, information management, and security. Considerable experience in counter terrorism and counter narcotics intelligence operations. Carried out numerous intelligence and security assessments and training programs in Central America, Southeast Asia, Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia for international corporate clients.


• Served as adviser to U.S. banking system, as well as foreign countries, officials and major multinational corporations in political, economic, financial and corporate security crises and risk matters.


• Co-author of books on Emergency and Crisis Management, as well as Political Hostage-taking in the Modern World that are widely regarded as among the best on their subjects. Author and producer of coursework on terrorism offered at a U.S. government agency’s training center. A certified security and safety authority on terrorism, crisis management, travel security and related international political and national security affairs. Latin American and Middle Eastern specialist to State Department Office of Counterterrorism and Emergency Planning. Assisted Canada law enforcement and 1988 Olympics Games intelligence unit , as well as security projects for corporations and international organizations.


• Responsible for crisis management and emergency evacuation planning in several embassies and missions. Program Director for The Conference Board of New York for Corporate Security and Crisis Management conferences. Director of Global Security Operations for the firm since 1996. Supervises the firm’s experts in Global Security Information/Training. Personally participated in security assessments and audits for clients in less developed areas of the world.


• Confidential investigations of kidnapping and of bona fides of joint venture partners and specific ministers.


• One of held hostages in the Iran hostage crisis November 1979-January 1981 President of American Academy of Diplomacy. Board member of National Defense University Foundation.


• Twenty-five year career in the US Foreign Service, served primarily in Latin America, including Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d’Affaires in Peru and in Ecuador. Political Advisor to the Commanding General of the Southern Command in Panama.

Overview
Global's international network can help you understand obstacles, whether local, national, regional, or international. And our specialists can help you devise ways to minimize risk and to create procedures, programs, and measures to engage actively with that environment. They can help train and prepare your personnel to minimize threats and allow them to focus on productivity. Our contingency planners and crisis managers at the core of the Strategic Security Practice have some two centuries of collective experience in dealing with the most serious situations worldwide -- experience that makes them uniquely qualified to anticipate and respond to emergencies and crises of all types. That experience can be melded with that of your team to create a formidably prepared organization, confident about operating abroad.

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