PG & E hire CEO of bodyguards – with “firing” skills

From Malena CaroloCalmness

This story was originally published by CalmattersS Register about their ballots.

For the second time in three months, a little -known team at Pacific Gas & Electric has hired someone to watch the back of the CEO. Responsibilities include proactive observation of threats, assisting executives to outline business and personal trips, coordination with law enforcement and the availability of a 24 -hour clock for leaders and their families. There must be a disguised carrying permit or equivalent and combat shooting.

Work – called “Executive Protection Protection Officer” – is part of the “Executive Department for the Protection of the Company”, a subset of his internal security dedicated to the protection of PG & E executive director and other well -known heads of the company. The utility said that she had always offered such security and refused to answer questions – for example, how much she spends on bodyguards and whether the paid fees are on the hook for their price.

The next largest utility company in California, Southern California Edison, also admitted to reassure that it provides security for the executive. Experts say the use of executive bodyguards raises questions about what kinds of threats they get, how they deal with the main contradictions and how they handle costs.

The PG & E work lists come on the heels of increasing interest in the security of the executives after Insurance CEO Behemoth UNITEDHEATHALTHCARE was fatally shot in Manhattan in December. And there are signs that public sentiment to PG & E has become more negative in recent years. The customers of utility saw Several speeds are increasing Last year alone, intensifying the bills that are already among the highest in the nationS At public meetings to approve such rates, unhappy fees are regularly targeted against the company and exhorting utility regulators. And the PG & E equipment was connected to a few fires In recent years, including the campfire in which the company has pleaded guilty to accidental murder accusations For 84 victims of the fire.

It seems that PG & E works with a multinational security company Allied Universal for some of its security needs. Allied said he was defending 80% of Fortune 500 companiesS

“I know some of California have been accused of some of the fires,” Allied Universal President told improved protection services Glen Csera in an interview. “We are now working with some of these companies to identify (threats) and make a platform to protect the executive power to protect these key assets when traveling everywhere.”

UNITEDHEATHALTHCARE CEO Brian Thompson launches a wave of concern among corporate executives that they can be targeted as a result of their business. The limb said Allied has received as many investigations in the first quarter of this year as in the last five years in combination.

The common topic among companies seeking protection for their leaders, he said, is that they are doing or producing something that can be controversial. This includes large utilities across the country.

The limp said that the non -disclosure agreements prevent him from nameing specific clients. However, the Allied Universal website is currently listing a position for a Patrol Patrol Driver for PG & ES

“We have always provided security for our leaders, so it’s nothing new and it’s a common practice throughout the industry,” says Jason King, a PG & E spokesman.

The protection of executives is not just about their personal safety, the Kutzer said. It is also about protecting the value of the company. UNITEDHEALTHCARE lost about $ 63 billion value after the CEO was killed. The latest PG & E list notes that its Executive Protection Department “plays a critical role not only to ensure its leadership, but also to” maintain the continuity of business “.

Jeff Montford, a Southern California Edison International, Edison International, Edison International spokesman, has provided executive security by paying for it through “a combination of shareholders and clients.”

Who pays for it matters, said Aneil Koval, a law professor at the University of Indiana, who is studying corporate government. The shareholders who pay for the protection are less a problem, he said, as they would reduce their return to do so while the payments of fees would be invoiced for an additional element.

Why companies have this protection in the first place also matters, further complicating the policy around who pays.

“If there is no specific threat against the CEO and you just like to have people around you who make you feel important, it feels more like a bonus,” Covaly said. “If they receive specific death threats or law enforcement tells you that there is a problem that puts you in a different category.”

“Parepayers do not have to pay a penny for any of them until we can audit.”

Kelly Buster, President of Advocacy Group Stop PG & E

Five of the utility services owned by investors in California, including PG & E, refused to answer questions whether they have received threats against leadership or the specifics of their executive protection operations. They cited policies for not commenting on security. Bear Valley Electric did not respond to requests for interviews.

Kelly Buster, President of the Advocacy Group Stop PG & E, said her organization is definitely against violence. According to her, shareholders should cover any defense of the executive branch.

“The planners should not pay a penny for any of them until we can audit and see where all that money is (go),” she said.

It is also important for utility services to understand the root cause of what they are protecting, according to Timothy Poland, a business professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, whose research focuses on corporate government and reputation. Without this component, utilities may lack the forest for trees.

“If they are so angry with you, you have to look at why,” he said. If security is the main answer to the negative sentiment to the company, “I would take it as a bad sign of their reputation. This would tell me that they do not really understand what the problem is.”

This article was Originally Published on CalMatters and was reissued under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Noderivatives License.