UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting: Top executives worried about safety | Wilnesh News

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed Wednesday as he was doing what countless other top U.S. executives routinely do: walk unaccompanied to an investor event hosted by his company.

But Thompson’s death this week at the Center for American Enterprise Capital sent shockwaves throughout the business world, forcing companies to rethink the risks involved in even the most routine administrative duties.

“Everyone is scrambling to ask, ‘Are we safe?'” said Chuck Randolphchief security officer at Ontic, a threat management software provider based in Austin, Texas. “This is a turning point, where the idea of ​​executive protection is now being elevated to the boardroom level. Everyone I know in the industry is feeling this.”

Security professionals say threats against businesses have been on the rise for years, in part due to social media echo chambers and a polarized political environment. But the murder of Thompson, the head of the nation’s largest private health insurance company, on a Manhattan sidewalk was the most high-profile such incident in decades.

Companies are now concerned that their leaders are at greater risk of being targeted for violence, especially as they host more public investor events in New York in the coming weeks.

The gunman remains at large and his motive is unclear. Writings on shell casings found at the scene may hint at the shooter’s motive.

One question raised by security experts not involved in the case is whether the gunman expressed his dissatisfaction with UnitedHealthcare in online forums and searched for information about the investor incident. Several health care companies have pulled photos of senior executives from their websites, and health insurance company Centene held a virtual investor meeting after the killings.

According to NYPD officials, there was no security detail with Thompson on Wednesday morning, despite the known threat. None of UnitedHealth’s top executives received personal security benefits, according to the company. Filing.

If Thompson had done that, several key factors would have been different. Prior to his arrival, staff had gone to the hotel to detect threats; they said he would also be accompanied by armed security, who may have used another hotel entrance. Scott StewartGlobal Vice President of Torchstone.

“This is avoidable,” said Stewart, who said he has been in the industry for nearly four decades. “I’ve never seen an executive with a comprehensive security program fall victim to something like this.”

Still, several security veterans said before this week’s shocking events, it was not uncommon for senior executives to refuse security protection because their lives or images were disrupted.

“Not every CEO needs heavy-duty protection,” said the security director of one technology company, who was not authorized to speak to the media. “Senior executives are being threatened all day long, and you need a platform to” check them and determine whether they are trustworthy and timely, he said.

Since Thompson was killed, many companies have been looking Matthew Dumpert, managing director of Kroll Enterprise Security Risk Management, told CNBC about providing additional protection for senior executives.