The International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO) UK has welcomed Guy Mathias to its Advisory Board.

Mathias brings a wealth of expertise in extremism and security management, further strengthening IFPO’s commitment to providing top-tier education and certification for security personnel at all levels.

Subject-matter expert

Mathias is a renowned subject-matter expert on extremism and a former recipient of the prestigious “UK Security Manager of the Year Award for Services to Industry.”

His illustrious career includes directing counter-extremist operations in the Research & Pharmaceutical sector amidst significant public order threats, violence and intimidation.

Notably, as Chair of The UK Pharmaceutical Industry Security Forum, he led strategies for security, staff protection and pre-employment screening, fostering vital relationships with industrial, academic, police and government sectors.

Throughout his career, Mathias has lectured on extremism’s threat to industrial, academic and government sectors, including International Security, Police and UK Government bodies.

His contributions to the field extend to his role as a corporate security advisor to GSK, where he audited global manufacturing facilities and authored the treatise “Extremism: Past, Present, Future.”

A Fellow of the Security Institute, Mathias served as Validation Board Chair and Strategy Director for six years.

His leadership roles include Chair of the Food & Drink Security Association (FDSA) in 2017, Chair of Eastern Region Cross Sector Safety & Security Cascade (CSSC) in 2018 and Chair of The Security Commonwealth from 2019 to 2021, continuing as Immediate Past Chair on the SyCom Board.

Thought leadership

In recognition of his thought leadership, he was named among the top ten thought leaders at the 2019 edition of IFSEC’s Global Influencers.

Mathias joined the Security Industry Authority (SIA) Strategic Forum in 2020, contributing to public protection initiatives.

In 2024, he was appointed to the Risk & Security Management Forum (RSMF) Council.

He has conducted numerous risk and security reviews for organisations in the research, academic and pharmaceutical sectors.

His previous role as Risk, Insurance & Operations Director at Suntory further underscores his extensive experience and dedication to the field.

Mathias’ addition to the IFPO UK Advisory Board signifies a substantial enhancement of our capabilities and vision for the future of security education.

IFPO says it is excited to leverage his expertise to advance our mission of empowering security personnel through comprehensive education and certification programs.

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