C-Suite Perspectives Control Risk's Lessons on Keeping Your Executives Safe
Jan 22, 2026
Bill Udell, CEO of Control Risks Americas, brings a wealth of knowledge on executive security and crisis management. He discusses alarming trends in corporate risk, especially after the high-profile killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO. Companies must reassess their security preparedness, especially with new challenges like cyber threats and AI-generated disinformation. Bill emphasizes the importance of treating executive safety as a strategic governance issue and highlights common gaps in readiness, urging firms to adopt a dynamic and holistic approach to risk management.
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Executive Security Is Now Strategic
- Executive security has become a mainstream corporate concern after high-profile targeted violence.
- Threat waves and online vitriol can rapidly escalate risk for previously low-profile executives.
UHG CEO Shooting Triggered A Wake-Up Call
- The shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson shocked many executives into reassessing risk.
- That incident triggered waves of threats and unexpected sector-wide vitriol.
Multiple Forces Drive Threat Waves
- Threats arise from political polarization, personal grievance, online radicalization, and mental health issues.
- These drivers combine to create sustained, hard-to-predict threat waves against companies and executives.