You might think arranging secure corporate travel is similar to booking social travel – but not when you’re responsible for the safety of UHNWIs.
There are various risks associated with corporate travel for UHNWIs. Some destinations are politically unstable, with war and conflict leading to airport closures, blockaded roads, and getting caught up in violent protests and demonstrations.
In fact, any civil unrest can affect journey times and put corporate travellers in jeopardy. Meanwhile, some locations have a particularly high crime risk, including pickpocketing, robbery, kidnapping and even murder.
UHNWIs are especially vulnerable, and some individuals are affected more than others. For example, women who travel for work may face harassment, assault or theft of their personal belongings, while people from the LGBTQ+ community have specific challenges in countries where same-sex relationships are criminalised.
All business travellers may also need to beware of cultural misunderstandings, adverse weather conditions, local cuisine, and medical accessibility.
Here are five of the key things to think about when making secure corporate travel arrangements…
One of the riskiest moments for a business traveller is when in transit between air and ground transportation.
It’s unwise to book a taxi or standard chauffeur through a premium ride-hailing app, luxury chauffeur pool or any unvetted third party. You should use professional security drivers you can depend on.
A true security driver will be professionally trained, and probably from a law enforcement or military background. That’s the case with the private security drivers here at Secure Ground Transportation, and we have tried-and-trusted associates of equivalent skill all around the world.
A private security driver has skills that go beyond those of a standard chauffeur. For example, they hold qualifications in defensive driving, meaning that they are trained to avoid ambushes and can conduct evasive manoeuvres safely and speedily. They may also be certified to respond in case of medical emergency.
To assess the security drivers at Secure Ground Transportation, you can see details of our training on Our People page. Also be aware that many of our security vehicles are equipped with first aid kits, AEDs and a full trauma pack.
For more on this subject, please see our article What makes a security driver different from a chauffeur?
A safe journey starts with thorough planning and reconnaissance.
First, we work with the wider security team to conduct a threat assessment. Even if you’ve done this before, it’s wise to repeat it every time as the political landscape is constantly changing. It also allows us to prepare contingency plans for areas prone to natural disasters, and work out how provide immediate assistance.
We then make recommendations accordingly. In some countries (where it’s permitted), that might mean armoured cars and armed drivers or a Police escort. In other countries, we might suggest a low-profile local vehicle rather than a luxury limousine that stands out as a target. It all depends on the risk.
As for the route, our security trained drivers don’t rely on familiar journey planning apps to warn of potential traffic congestion. Apart from anything else, such apps don’t work in mobile phone dead zones, nor show areas prone to civil unrest, nor highlight any safe havens along the way.
For optimal security, we physically drive primary and secondary routes in advance to check for hazards and map safe havens such as embassies, secure offices and trauma hospitals. We’ll know the exact pickup doorway and dropoff point so there won’t be any risky delays.
We think of things like this so you don’t have to.
Public airport terminals are a prime area of risk to UHNW business travellers, as they can be exposed to crowds, hostile individuals and paparazzi while picking up their baggage and looking for their driver.
The ideal is for corporate travellers to fly via private operator, then step safely off the plane or helicopter and straight into a security vehicle ready and waiting for them on the tarmac.
Our security car service includes airport transfers with a premium meet-and-greet service.
We arrange private aviation and liaise with Fixed-Base Operators so we can manage the entire trip from pickup to dropoff. This ensures corporate travellers don’t have a ‘gap’ in their security while in transit.
No matter how good they are, an isolated private security driver can’t protect the principal if the vehicle is intercepted, suffers a mechanical failure or encounters an emergency.
We don’t leave our security trained drivers out there on their own. We do active threat monitoring, real-time satellite vehicle tracking, and have instant communication with them all the time, to help resolve any unexpected issues.
In addition, our sister company SGT Risk Management provides dedicated Executive Protection (EP) / Close Protection (CP) officers who work in conjunction with our security car service and the broader security team to ensure the principal and their entourage come to no harm.
We’ll provide a translator if required, and advise on local cultures and customs. We can also suggest great places to stay, recommend fantastic restaurants to try, and arrange leisure activities to enjoy.
Travellers can then concentrate on their important business, and let us focus on keeping them secure.
If you found this information useful, you might also like to read our related articles about security trained drivers. These include:
Safeguarding corporate travellers is a priority, and proactive travel risk management is the answer.
For a security car service you can trust, please contact Neil or Gary on +44 (0)20 7871 3117, email hello@securegroundtransportation.com or contact us via our website.
Around the world, there seems to be a heightened environment of grievance and declining institutional trust.
It’s a sad fact that travelling businesswomen suffer gender-specific safety risks, especially in unfamiliar environments.
Stand out differences between a security driver and a chauffeur
