Kate Fitzpatrick has joined World Travel Protection, a travel risk management company, owned by Zurich Insurance Group, as Regional Security Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
She will oversee a launch and running of a Command Centre in Uxbridge, west London, which joins Brisbane and Toronto centres, providing 24-hour emergency assistance to travellers. She started work in UK customs. She spent ten years as an investigator for the National Crime Agency (NCA), for instance, into human trafficking operations in Albania and Moldova, as well as Counter Terrorism (CTU), firearms importation, large scale drug importation, corruption and bribery, financial crime and money laundering and fraud. She also has knowledge of anti-kidnap and extortion, hostile environments and crisis management.
She has lived and worked in Africa and the Middle East as well as Europe. In Afghanistan, she was Security Risk Analyst for the European Union Delegation in Kabul; in Nigeria, she worked as Security Risk Manager and a Senior Intelligence Analyst for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; in Switzerland as Corporate Security Manager for the TAP Trans Adriatic Pipeline (Europe); and, most recently, in London as Director of Security and Safety for Bulgari upmarket hotels and resorts.
Kate, pictured, said: “I’m delighted to have joined World Travel Protection at this time when we’re growing rapidly in EMEA, to support and build on the organisation’s existing expertise and world-class technological solutions to keep travelling teams safe. It’s our job to prepare and support organisations in the changed travelling landscape since the pandemic, particularly as we’re seeing increased risk globally, from health concerns, to a rise in criminal activity and terrorism as well as growing incidences of climatic and natural disasters.
“During my career, I’ve been instrumental in identifying potential threats for women, who can often face different or additional risks, to men travellers. When I was in Afghanistan, I would conduct in-depth risk assessments for women in the EU delegation for travelling in and around Kabul, and in Africa, I would do the same for the Bill Gates Foundation to ensure the safety of the women members of the medical teams, particularly when travelling to remote rural locations.”
