London, UK – 12 July, 2024 – The International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO) UK has announced the appointment of Guy Mathias to its Advisory Board. Guy brings extensive expertise in extremism and security management, supporting IFPO’s dedication to offering high-quality education and certification for security personnel at all levels.
Guy Mathias is a subject matter expert on extremism and a former recipient of the “UK Security Manager of the Year Award for Services to Industry.” Mathias’s career includes directing counter-extremist operations in the Research & Pharmaceutical sector, addressing public order threats, violence, and intimidation. As Chair of The UK Pharmaceutical Industry Security Forum, Guy developed strategies for security, staff protection, and pre-employment screening, and built relationships with industrial, academic, police, and government sectors.
Throughout his career, Guy has lectured on extremism’s threat to industrial, academic, and government sectors, including International Security, Police, and UK Government bodies. His work in the field includes his role as a corporate security advisor to GSK, where he audited global manufacturing facilities and wrote “Extremism: Past, Present, Future.”
Guy, a Fellow of the Security Institute, served as Validation Board Chair and Strategy Director for six years. His leadership roles include Chair of the Food & Drink Security Association in 2017, Chair of the Eastern Region Cross Sector Safety & Security Cascade in 2018, and Chair of The Security Commonwealth from 2019 to 2021, continuing as Immediate Past Chair on the SyCom Board.
In recognition of his thought leadership, Guy 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.
Guy has conducted numerous risk and security reviews for organizations in the research, academic, and pharmaceutical sectors. His previous role as Risk, Insurance & Operations Director at Suntory further underscores his experience and dedication to the field.
Guy’s addition to the IFPO UK Advisory Board enhances our capabilities and vision for the future of security education. They look forward to leveraging his expertise to advance their mission of empowering security personnel through comprehensive education and certification programs.