- Todd Fox founded Close Protection Corps and provides protection services, assessments and training.
- The Navy veteran started the business in the 1990s doing ad hoc bodyguard trips to Mexico.
- Fox shares what it takes to protect C-suite executives and reflects on the firing at UnitedHealthcare.
This essay is based on a conversation with Todd Fox, the 50-year-old CEO of Close Protection Corps about his work as a bodyguard for high-profile clients. He has no direct connection or involvement with UnitedHealthcare’s security operation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
In the late 90s, I retired from active duty in the Marine Corps to start my own private security business, Close Protection Corps, specializing in working with celebrities, dignitaries and C-suite executives.
I did most of the close “on the ground” protection of C-suite individuals from 1999 through the COVID-19 pandemic, while also managing my own company. Now, I mostly spend my time consulting and training.
I followed the news about the assassination of the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Since the event, representatives from corporations have contacted us to evaluate their security programs. It has been a wake-up call for companies.
I started my company after working as a bodyguard
I joined the Marine Corps in 1992. I was based in California and trained in combat, riflery and fitness, as well as general orders related to security, how to learn to defend a convoy or individual, and plan for operations. advanced military.
While in the Marines, I was also a professional MMA fighter in LA. I would meet actors, producers and directors at the gym or while working on sets as a consultant.
These people in the industry knew about my fighting skills, military background, and that I could speak Spanish. Sometimes they asked me to work as a bodyguard and accompany them to Mexico on their vacations or business trips.
In 1999, Guy Ritchie was working out at my gym in LA. He was dating Madonna at the time and asked me if I would join her security team so he could continue training with me while she was on tour. It was at this time that I started my company, Close Protection Corps. We offer safeguarding services, assessments and training.
Defending a C-suite executive looks different than defending a celebrity
When I start working with a close protection client, I first gather information about the principal or client: what is important to them, what drives them to make decisions, and what might make them vulnerable.
I then built a defense plan or structure. It would cover their home, office and vehicles, especially considering spaces that are exposed – such as walking from the car to the office. I would think about where their weaknesses were and try to “harden the target” by limiting exposure to risks.
At work, I would be constantly aware of what is not normal versus what is normal.
If I noticed something unusual – an abnormality – I would assess whether it was benign or critical. If it was critical, then I would make a choice. Perhaps we would change or modify our initial plan or behavior, cancel operations, or evacuate.
I would wake up before the principal and meet them at the start of their day with a driver. In most cases, it would be a second man, the first, who would go ahead of us to check the environment we were going to. I would spend the rest of the day going wherever the principal goes.
When the principal went to bed, I would plan for the next day. I usually slept only four to six hours and worked 16 to 18 hours every day. It was very busy, and you see a lot of burnout.
C-suite individuals are extremely wealthy and will ultimately do what they want to do. They might not stick to the plan I put in place, so I would put measures in place if things didn’t go according to plan.
When I protected an individual with the C suite, my life became their life. I saw what they saw and heard what they heard. That’s why NDAs and discretion are so important with bodyguards – we have access to things we shouldn’t have access to, but there’s no way around it.
C-suite individuals tend to be on the go, on private jets, in hotels and restaurants, and on speaking engagements. There are many movements and we move with them.
Defending a celebrity requires even more fluidity. They don’t have the same structured world that a business leader has and change plans at will. It can be challenging to create order. As a broad stroke, it’s easier to find groundwork and anomalies for C-suite executives than for celebrities.
The attack on UnitedHealthcare’s CEO should be a wake-up call
When Brian Thompson arrived at that building, which was an expected plan, there seemed to be no one to advance the place he was arriving at, wait for him, or take care of people acting strange or doing strange things. would have been a worrying indicator.
Since the shooting, we’ve had large corporate executive assistants and operations managers contact us to evaluate their existing security programs.
I think the shooting was a wake-up call for companies. They need to protect their key assets – their people – and if there is a known or documented threat or risk, it is extremely worthwhile to have security in place. The knowledge someone like a CEO has is worth the cost of a security defense team.
Editor’s note: In response to a request for comment from Business Insider, a spokesperson for UnitedHealth Group shared the following:
“We appreciate the media’s interest in the real security threat that sensational media coverage can pose, but publishing an interview with a security expert who has no current knowledge of the facts is just another example of this.”