For the first issue in our Executive Protection Organizations Worldwide series, we talked with James Cameron, Chairman and President of the Board of Executive Protection Professionals (BEPP).

Executive Protection Organizations Worldwide — BEPP

Here is a closer look into the organization, benefits for its members, and industry standards.

1. Can you tell us a bit more about BEPP?

Our organization was formed in March 2021 and was publicly announced in September 2021.  The formation of the Board of Executive Protection Professionals (BEPP) centered on elevating the training, quality, and professionalism of the Executive Protection industry.  While other security-focused organizations exist, we believed, and continue to believe, that none were truly dedicated to actively improving and advancing the Executive Protection Industry.

Executive Protection Professionals, stakeholders, the public, and, most importantly, those we are entrusted to protect, all require and deserve the highest caliber of service from our industry. That is why our vision is to “Make the Executive Protection industry professionalized and accountable by upholding unwavering ethics, standards, and competencies for the benefit of practitioners and all stakeholders served by the industry.”

A crucial point is that when the BEPP was founded, profit was not the motivation of the Board. As idealistic as it may sound, the BEPP operates on the principle of doing what is right, rather than focusing on financial gain.

2. What kind of professional development opportunities do your members experience?

As previously stated, the BEPP isn’t driven by profit, and thus we have no paid memberships. In fact, we don’t have any form of membership at all – the BEPP is open for anyone to follow and learn from. We’re a collective of seasoned professionals with diverse backgrounds and experiences, and we regularly publish articles aimed at providing free educational insights and perspectives on the Executive Protection Industry.

The BEPP also organizes an annual Executive Security Operations Conference (ESOC), providing a platform for Executive Protection Professionals to enhance their knowledge and network with senior leaders from a wide range of sectors within the field.  This year’s ESOC was a great success and we plan to announce next year’s venue for the event very soon.

3. What are the benefits of a membership to your organization only unique to you?

As we’ve mentioned, while we don’t have a formal “membership,” the BEPP offers unique benefits to the Executive Protection industry. Unlike other organizations, our non-profit model allows us to give back to the community without considering the financial issues or industry leveraging. Here are a few examples of how the BEPP benefits the industry:

1.      We have created a resource page that has hundreds of free helpful educational and EP resource links, documents, and references for all levels of Executive Protection Professionals.

2.      We have created and published the Executive Protection Advance and Logistics Guidebook, which has been recognized as a finalist for the 2024 Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) as a new product of the year. The book is modestly priced to cover the printing and to allow access at all levels of the industry.

3.      Through a private donor we have been able to offer three free Scholarships to attend our annual ESOC for Women in Security, Young Professionals, and LEO/Veterans.  These scholarships award the recipient ESOC conference admittance and pay for their hotel room for the duration of the conference.

4.      The BEPP stands out as the only organizations that provides professionally printed and bound copies of every presentation to all attendees at our annual conference. This invaluable resource allows participants to take detailed notes during presentations and then retain both the book and their notes as part of their professional library.

5.      The primary benefit the BEPP provides is the development of the only American National Standards Institute (ANSI) “Standard for Providing Executive Protection.” This standard will benefit the industry significantly from the moment it’s approved, and its impact will extend far into the future in the United States and abroad.

4. How would you enforce or monitor members to ensure they’re following your industry standards?

While all Standards are voluntary and cannot be enforced by any non-governmental organization, including the BEPP, there are numerous standards followed globally without the need for explicit “enforcement.” This is achieved through industry-wide adoption and recognition, where adherence to standards becomes an expectation rather than a mandate from a single entity.

As stakeholders understand and recognize the need for the published standards, subsequent certifications will be developed to ensure EP professionals are maintaining the appropriate skill sets and knowledge base to operate professionally within the guidelines. Certification leads to other benefits including possibly lower insurance premiums and a professionalized workforce with common knowledge.

5. Why should practitioners or EP companies only adopt your standards and not others? What sets you apart compared to other organizations and standards?

While other organizations may have intentions of creating a “Standard” or “Guideline” they will not be required to do so under the same development requirements as the BEPP.  The BEPP must follow ANSI’s rules and “essential requirements” in order to be approved as a national standard. ANSI requires strict inclusion of industry professionals to develop, edit, and vote in agreement on a document before submitting it to ANSI for approval.

The next question is why is ANSI so important? Per the ANSI website:

“As the mark of an equitable, open process, the ANS designation is recognized and valued by national and international stakeholders, fostering acceptance and use of a voluntary consensus standard and the overall strength of the U.S. system.”

“The ANS designation demonstrates that a standard’s development process satisfies the U.S. government’s definition of a voluntary consensus standard and compliance with U.S. policy regarding federal reliance on voluntary consensus standards: OMB Circular A-119 and the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act.”

“The ANS designation indicates compliance with the World Trade Organization (WTO) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Code of Good Practice (CGP) criteria for openness, transparency, impartiality, consensus, relevance, and effectiveness in standards development, resulting in the use of many American National Standards globally when they meet an international marketplace need.”

“American National Standards serve as the basis for many ISO, IEC, or other international standards.”

While other organizations or individuals might develop their own versions of what they deem a standard, they often do so without adhering to any third-party validation requirements and often operate in secrecy. In contrast, the BEPP maintains a dedicated website www.ep-board.org that provides transparent updates and offers opportunities for anyone interested to participate in the process.

Lastly, our standard is not written and set in stone in perpetuity. Every 5 years the standard must be reviewed and updated following the same rigorous development process to ensure the information is current and up to date.

6. What impact do you see the standards making in 5 years? Which challenges do you need to overcome to accomplish your standardization goals?

Over the next 5 years, we anticipate widespread adoption of the standard by Executive Protection teams of all sizes. A verified standard brings significant benefits to any industry, and Executive Protection is no exception. Our Standard is poised to make a substantial and positive impact by elevating professionalism, establishing standardized practices, enhancing credibility, improving training and development, reducing liability, increasing client confidence, and ultimately fostering growth within the industry.

The primary challenges ahead are raising awareness about the standard and emphasizing that the BEPP itself didn’t write it, but rather serves as the managing body overseeing the process. It’s the collective contributions from a diverse group of industry professionals participating in its development that qualify this document to become an ANSI National Standard.

7. How will your organization expand globally and bring the standards outside of the US?

Currently, the standard development process actively includes volunteers from outside the US. Their input is crucial to ensure the information we incorporate isn’t solely focused on US practices.

For example, while the standard addresses the use of firearms, it does so from an awareness perspective, avoiding tactical employment details or discussions of specific types or calibers. Instead, we focus on legal awareness and other vital considerations before integrating firearms into a protective detail.

ANSI serves as the US representative to the International Standards Organization (ISO), and numerous ANSI standards are recognized and utilized globally because of their rigorous development process.  Once our standard is ANSI-approved it will be easier to demonstrate to those outside the US that some terminology may be different the concepts are the same.

Furthermore, our ESOC attracts attendees from a multitude of countries worldwide. Our inaugural conference saw representation from six countries, while our 2024 ESOC boasted participants from 15 countries across multiple continents.

This clearly demonstrates the global interest in elevating professionalism and standards within our industry. This international participation also underscores the recognition that the BEPP is leading the charge in addressing the global issue of the lack of Executive Protection Standards.

8. Are there any technological advancements you’re currently using that you think could benefit others in the industry?

Technology is constantly changing, and it’s undeniably challenging to keep up. Rather than solely focusing on technology or becoming overly reliant on it, I suggest people concentrate on what they can do as individuals to benefit the industry.

As society becomes increasingly dependent on technology, we risk losing crucial human interaction, problem-solving, and other soft skills essential for success. AI and phone apps are great tools, but they can never replace the power of the human brain.

9. What do you think about the results of the UNI Global Union survey saying that “One in five security workers feel “very unsafe” in their jobs and that approximately 50% have experienced at least one form of harassment or discrimination on the job?” How do you believe that could be remedied?

From my perspective, this seems to refer to standard security guards. Executive Protection Professionals are typically highly trained and function well both independently and as part of a team. However, I do see a disconnect between expectation and reality. Clients often expect highly skilled professionals, but the reality is, that the rates they’re willing to pay don’t attract the level of expertise they anticipate.