The UK chapter of the US-based security management body ASIS International has a new chairman.
He is Russell Penny, pictured, who was elected as Chapter chair at a board meeting in February. Darren Carter is vice chair; David Marsh is treasurer and James Morris secretary. These positions will run until November, when formal elections will be held in line with ASIS’s normal procedure.
The UK chapter points out that for the first time all four of those officers hold the CPP (certified protection professional) qualification.
About the new chair
Russell Penny has been a Committee Member / Director of the Operations Board since 2016 for which he received a Certificate of Appreciation in 2017. He represents ASIS (UK) at the UK umbrella body The Security Commonwealth. He was appointed as Company Director of the ASIS Board in November 2019.
He’s also a member of: the Security Institute; Association of Security Consultants (ASC); Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE); South African Institute of Security; the US Department of State’s Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC); Court Assistant, Liveryman and Committee Vice Chair of the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals (WCoSP); an advisory board member for the UK and US-based Global Terrorism International Network (TINYg); and a Steering Group Member for Safety, Security and Resilience for Major Events International (MEI). He has been a judge for the Security & Fire Excellence Awards for the past three years and regularly chairs and facilitates conferences.
Last autumn, ASIS reduced the spell that officers can serve to six years. Two UK vice-chairs, the recruitment consultants Graham Bassett and Mike Hurst were in their tenth year. Hence, they stepped down as officers at the spring quarterly seminar. They remain as directors of ASIS UK Chapter 208 (the limited liability company) until their offices expire at the end of 2020. About the new chair; Russell Penny was a senior Met Police detective. Since leaving the force a dozen years ago he has been chief security officer for auction house Christie’s; has worked on the 2012 Olympics and the 2015 Rugby World Cup; and is a consultant. Darren Carter, head of security for Edwardian Hotels London, is also a stalwart of the hotel sector body the IHSM (Institute of Hotel Security Management).
Visit www.asis.org.uk.
Meanwhile ASIS International has seated its first Global Board of Directors. The body describes it as a major step in the association’s transition to a new global governance structure that will allow ASIS to serve members better at local, regional, and global levels. The 2020 President, Godfried Hendriks, is Dutch; he served as president-elect in 2019. Visit https://www.asisonline.org/.
