In late 2023, The International Security Ligue announced the appointment of Stefan Huber as its first Director General. About the appointment, Magnus Ahlqvist, Chairman of the Ligue, said: “The board of directors decided to appoint Stefan as our first Director General to further elevate the impact of the International Security Ligue, the association of the leading private security companies around the world.” In his role, Stefan is helping to drive the organization's strategic direction and its key initiatives.

Question: It has been a little more than 100 days since your appointment as Director General of the International Security Ligue. What have you been doing?

Stefan Huber: Right from the start, I've been working on understanding the overall goals and various expectations, aligning them with necessary priorities given the available resources. I’ve reached out to key internal and external stakeholders, developed the strategy, and we are now in the midst of implementing actions based on the defined priorities.

Question: You spoke with the top executives from all the member companies and this is a pretty special opportunity—gaining insight into the perspectives of the top executives at the leading security companies. What did you learn about the issues facing the industry that you found particularly significant?

Stefan Huber: True, and this opportunity must be turned into effective actions. Serving as the voice of global security industry leaders requires direct and close contact with them. Exchanging ideas through one-on-one discussions is a highly effective method. From my discussions, two key learnings stand out.

First, it is clear that the high quality and value of services delivered are largely undervalued by society; these are the tasks executed every day by more than 30 million private security officers on the front-line.

Also, the common practices used in tendering by public organizations and private companies could improve, and we invite public and private tenderers to review their practices to ensure they address increasing threats. Many still believe they are doing a good job by prioritizing low prices. However, I caution them that the true costs, which are often hidden, are much higher if standards and professional guidelines are compromised.

Q: What can organizations or agencies looking for a security partner do to improve their tendering and selection process?

Stefan: A safe approach is to preselect only compliant companies in the initial phase and then conduct the tender process among these professional companies. This step alone will ensure a significant improvement in quality.

Q: Did you learn anything in your discussions that might come as a surprise to people?

Stefan: I’d like to turn the question to you and the readers: Did you know there are over 70 different and exciting jobs we offer in our industry to security officers? I want to reach out to them and ask: Are you considering a career in Security? Come and apply for a job with the top leaders of the industry!

Q: The top executives you spoke with were from around the world. What did you find interesting in terms of regional differences or similarities?

Stefan: Despite regional differences, there is a common emphasis on integrating technology with traditional security measures. However, our members find it particularly difficult to find suitable personnel to work with us in our fast-growing industry across most markets, which was quite surprising.

Q: What role do you see for the Ligue in building a better industry and creating a safer world?

Stefan: The Ligue can lead by setting a global professional standard, facilitating knowledge exchange, and advocating for industry advancements. This will enhance trust in a reliable, professional industry. There is a lot to do, especially in collaboration with different tenderers and lawmakers.

The industry is still very fragmented across countries and globally. You find everything from top-notch professional companies with highest  standards in place, to non-compliant companies. If the public recognizes this and large tenderers act on advice to invite only compliant companies to participate in new tenders and reinforce existing contracts, we will have made a significant step forward in serving societies at large, as well as protecting private and public assets specifically.

Q: As you look toward the next 3 years or so, what issues or opportunities do you think are most significant for the industry?

Stefan: Significant issues include geopolitical shifts, rapid technological developments, cybersecurity, and AI. Combining these elements effectively, and investing in training personnel is a primary challenge.