Gary E. Smith, CPP

Security Leadership & Organization Development

• Built team of 12 security professionals to a 65-person global security organization across nine international sites, protecting ~$2B in assets.
• Led cross-functional teams to enhance incident response and emergency preparedness strategies.
• Oversaw multimillion-dollar departmental budgets, closing six consecutive years under plan while scaling operations with growth.
• Built a leadership pipeline that filled most open roles internally from 2020-2025.
• Pioneered the first armed security program, securing the PPO license, creating policy and SOP and expanding armed staff from two officers to nine.

Security Infrastructure & GSOC

• Built and launched the company’s first GSOC, consolidating regional SOCs into a centralized 24/7 hub, reducing incident response times by 20% and enabling real-time global visibility.
• Directed security infrastructure for eight complex global real-estate projects (2016-2025) across the US, APAC, EU and Canada regions, totaling 514K sq ft and $5.4M in budgets, all delivered on time and under budget.
• Launched the Security Technology function in 2021, hiring leadership and overseeing migration from Avigilon to Milestone VMS with AWS storage and NetApp redundancy.

Risk Management, Asset Protection & ROI

• Founded the Asset Protection team, embedding AP practices into daily operations.
• Revamped the Product Recovery Program, increasing recovered items 55% YoY (93 in 2024 to 144 in 2025) and generating a two-year ROI of $383K.
• Reduced workplace incidents by 15% and achieved $200K+ cost savings through guard and vendor optimization.

Events & High-Value Asset Security

• Directed 700+ trade shows including the NSCC for 12 years, transporting & securing $500M+ in declared value during that timeframe.
• Scaled global event portfolio to 156 shows planned for 2025 while reducing overtime staffing costs by 20%.
• Founded the HVT (High-Value Transport) team, hiring management staff and responsible for secure transport of $250M+ in assets annually for three consecutive years without incident.

Compliance, Safety & Investigations

• Founding member of the Collectors Safety Council (2019), leading IIPP, evacuation planning, and cross-department safety protocols.
• Partnered with HR, ER, Facilities, and Legal to implement OSHA-compliant safety standards, including mandatory eye and ear protection for staff working with machinery and chemicals.
• Authored SOPs and policies for evacuation and emergency preparedness, coordinating drills across multiple departments and serving as point person during both exercises and real-life evacuations.
• Maintained compliance with FAA, TSA, OSHA, BSIS, and insurer standards.
• Directed investigations into product loss, fraud, and misconduct, coordinating with law enforcement and insurers.
• Developed and implemented security protocols to safeguard valuable collectibles and assets.

• Managed a 275-person security workforce across 30+ client locations, ensuring uninterrupted coverage for mission-critical facilities.
• Directed scheduling for over 10,000 weekly service hours while optimizing staffing to meet contractual requirements and reduce overtime costs.
• Conducted comprehensive site risk assessments, developing tailored mitigation plans that improved client satisfaction and retention rates.
• Partnered with the business development team to support new client acquisition through operational readiness and security capability demonstrations.
• Implemented standardized SOPs and accountability systems that enhanced service quality, incident reporting accuracy, and emergency response times.

• Led range scheduling and safety operations for multinational live-fire exercises across Okinawa training bases, ensuring zero safety incidents.
• Maintained and directed infrastructure support for 85+ training structures, sustaining operational readiness for combat engineer training missions.
• Operated RFMSS scheduling system, coordinated training calendars, and managed logistical support for U.S. and allied forces.
• Served as Range Safety NCO, overseeing all aspects of training safety, compliance, and operational coordination on the Rifle Range.
• Honorable Military Discharge in recognition of exemplary service and leadership.