United Healthcare CEO Shooting: Executives Worry About Safety

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot Wednesday while doing something countless other American executives routinely do: He went unaccompanied to his company's investor event.

But Thompson's death this week in the guts of America's industrial capital has sent shockwaves throughout the business world and compelled firms to reconsider the risks of even probably the most routine managerial tasks.

“Everyone is trying to ask, 'Are we safe?'” he said Chuck RandolphChief Security Officer at Ontic, an Austin, Texas-based provider of threat management software. “This is a turning point where the idea of ​​protecting executives is now being extended to the board level. Everyone I know in the industry feels this.”

Security experts say threats against firms have been increasing for years, partly due to social media echo chamber and a more polarized political environment. But the killing of Thompson, the top of the biggest private health insurer within the United States, on a Manhattan sidewalk is the highest-profile incident in a long time.

Companies now fear their executives are at greater risk of becoming targets of violence, especially as they hold more public investor events in New York in the approaching weeks.

The shooter continues to be at large and his motive is unknown. Words on the bullet casings found on the crime scene could provide clues as to what instigated the shooter.

One query raised by security experts not involved within the case was whether the shooter demonstrated complaints against UnitedHealthcare in online forums and sought information in regards to the investor event. Several health care firms responded by pulling photos of executives from web sites, and health insurer Centene hosted a virtual investor meeting after the killing.

According to NYPD officials, Thompson didn’t have a security guard with him Wednesday morning, despite known threats against him. None of UnitedHealth's executives received personal security advantages, in response to the corporate Submissions.

If Thompson had done that, several key aspects would have been different. Staff would have gone to the hotel prior to arrival to discover threats; He was also accompanied by armed security guards who can have used a unique hotel entrance, he said Scott Stewarta vp of TorchStone Global.

“This was avoidable,” said Stewart, who said he has been within the industry for nearly 4 a long time. “I have never seen an executive with a comprehensive security program ever fall victim like this.”

Still, before this week's shocking events, it was not unusual for executives to show down security due to disruption to their lives or the image it might bring, several security veterans said.

“Not every CEO needs comprehensive protection,” said the safety chief of a tech company who was not granted permission to talk to the press. “Leaders face threats all day long, you need a platform to examine them and determine whether they are credible and timely,” he said.

Since Thompson's killing, quite a few firms have sought additional protection for his or her executives, Matthew Dumpert, managing director of Kroll Enterprise Security Risk Management, told CNBC.

In the approaching weeks, several financial conferences might be held in New York that CEOs will attend in person. So far, the most important concern about these events has been disruption from environmental activists or other protesters, said a manager at a significant bank.

“Everyone is looking at the security of their executives and thinking about it,” said an executive at a significant Wall Street firm who declined to be named for fear it might draw attention.

Some corporate security veterans made it clear that they were viewed as a price center whose leaders were “too deeply embedded in an organization to be listened to.”

“The bias is that security is on people’s nerves and is not that important,” said the person, who requested anonymity to talk candidly.

“I hope this opens their eyes,” he said. “Risk information and assessment is important, and security is about much more than just weapons, guards and gates.”