2005: lessons to be learned by us all

As was the case in 2004, 100% bonus payments have been achieved against a background of organisational cost reduction. The business manager who has delivered improvements on risk reduction outside of the ‘nuts and bolts' of their remit will also have enjoyed an increase in both responsibility and job satisfaction.

In our survey, chief security officers/security managers/security directors typically commanded annual salaries in the ranges £90,000-£120,000, £125,000-£150,000, £150,000-£175,000 and £180,000-£200,000. The greater percentage of those surveyed appeared in one of the first two categories. Bonuses (as a percentage of salary) paid for each group were between 25%-45%, 45%-65%, 75%-100% and over 100%. Most managers received between 25% and 45%.

For the lay observer, the bombs in Europe during the past 12 months might have had them thinking that the security professional was going to be rewarded for their expertise and capability in the aftermath of a given event. Yet the reality for most professionals is that terrorism has been factored-in, with robust and tested procedures now in place.

Without doubt, the 7/7 attacks on London's Underground and bus networks underlined to the corporate sector the necessity for having a proven business back-up capability in place, with many executives seeking reassurances from their ‘chief security officer' - to coin an American phrase - as to the messages that ought to be meted out to staff such that panic and fear is averted. A sizeable number of organisations will most likely have found that their communications with staff and customers/members of the public alike need improvement. Many of the issues unearthed have related to company personnel records not being kept up-to-date.

The London suicide bombings have certainly provided a ‘reality edge' to the City-wide civil contingency exercises, with corporate executives needing to understand how well their companies are positioned to protect and/or disperse staff.

On that note, being able to position your function as a business enabler delivers for any security or risk management practitioner great advantages in terms of influence, salary and Board-level support. The buzz word in business today is most definitely ‘security'. It has to be ‘sponsored' from the top of the organisation, and then delivered in such a way that the entire business can understand it (and place great value upon it).

There's little doubt that business regulation is one of the biggest risk factors in terms of capital and reputation. If you are dominant in a given commercial sector and are then fined, say, £300 million because of an alleged uncompetitive practice, that will happen because the regulating authorities believe your company can afford to pay the price. It's not designed to drive the organisation out of business. Going forward, corporations will increasingly rely on security to audit and provide sound advice on internal practices and transparency, as fines can be destructive to shareholder value and corporate careers.

The successful managers of security have strategically positioned themselves to deliver a competency framework and ‘return on investment' reporting that defines a security return in such areas as brand reputation, fraud defence and people protection. They also have to hand an impromptu security solution for an entire range of business problems.

What we are really talking about is developing a legacy for future individuals entering the security profession, wherein they are encouraged to engage with (and influence) business leaders on the practical impact those emanating from the security function might deliver, and their value to business. One might even humbly suggest that this will then have a significant impact on security management remuneration across all business sectors.

Peter French, Managing Director, SSR Personnel Services