Mike Ackerman is the founder and Chairman of the Ackerman Group LLC. After nearly half a century of success, resolving over 300 kidnappings, 800 extortions and innumerable threats, he continues to play an active role in every aspect of the company.
THE ACKERMAN PRINCIPLES
- Expect Global Jihad to confront us for decades and to target Western economic interests, especially those related to oil. Other terrorist groups and criminal cartels also will attack commercial interests. Terrorists are the skunk at the globalization lawn party.
- Do your best to acquire a solid grasp of the risks that pertain in areas in which you are doing business or intend to do business—ideally from several sources. Corporations in general undervalue risk analysis. The informed manager has a distinct advantage over competitors.
- Don’t be intimidated by those risks. In most cases, you can bolster your defenses and go about your business. Remember the dictum attributed to CIA legend Jim Flannery: “Perfect security means doing nothing in a vacuum.”
- On the other hand, always weigh the risks against the potential rewards of a given project. Devise strategies for curtailing risks. Certainly, avoid unnecessary risks.
- Investigate thoroughly key employees, distributors, vendors, joint-venture partners, and domestics. You will have your hands full with external forces and you don’t need problems inside your tent.
- Train personnel bound for high-risk areas in protective tactics. Training is the most cost-effective means of enhancing their safety. Even senior managers should develop a thorough understanding of their security arrangements.
- Don’t fall in love with security technology. It is an aide, not an answer. Armored cars, for example, though a useful part of a security program, should not be considered impenetrable cocoons.
- Well-trained bodyguards also have a role to play in protecting senior personnel, but their value lies more in deterring attacks and forestalling them by spotting early-warning signs than in responding with lethal force.
- If confronted by assailants, choose reason over heroism. If unarmed, follow the assailants’ instructions. If armed, consider that you might be outgunned.
- Prepare diligently for crises. Expect the unexpected, and when emergencies arise, respond thoughtfully, and not by rote or reflex. For example, it is often best to stay put instead of heading for the airport in the immediate aftermath of a coup or an uprising.
