News
GardaWorld Names Michael P. Jackson to Its International Advisory Board
Former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Will Advise on Public and Private Sector Engagements
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA--(Marketwire - Dec. 8, 2011) - GardaWorld, the Global Risk Consulting Group and subsidiary of Garda World Security Corporation (TSX:GW), announced today it has appointed Michael P. Jackson to its International Advisory Board.
GardaWorld's International Advisory Board consists of renowned experts from industry and government service. Its members provide GardaWorld experts with strategic counsel and industry expertise in delivering services to Fortune 500 clients, government agencies and diplomatic missions in high-growth markets in the Middle East, Asia, North Africa and Latin America across a broad range of market sectors, including: oil & gas, diplomatic, development, defense and infrastructure. The Board also assists GardaWorld in identifying emerging issues and trends, formulating strategic direction and developing key relationships among corporate executives, industry associations and appropriate government agencies.
"We are extremely pleased that Mr. Jackson has accepted to join our International Advisory Board which is a reflection of our aggressive strategic growth objectives to support more US government work and public defense sector engagements," said Garda President and CEO Stephan Cretier. "He brings a wealth of experience from both the government and private sectors to our International Advisory Board during a time of unprecedented change and opportunity in the high-threat markets we serve. His experience in homeland security is perfectly suited for GardaWorld's increasing prominence in providing security solutions to the government sector."
Other International Advisory Board members include Chairman Derek Burney, Senior Strategic Advisor at Norton Rose OR LLP, W. Adrian Loader, the Chairman of Compton Petroleum and Oracle Coalfields, and Sir Richard Mottram, former Permanent Secretary of the United Kingdom Civil Service and Intelligence, Security and Resilience Cabinet Office for the British Government.
Mr. Jackson has extensive experience in executive positions in both the private sector and the federal government. He is the founder and President of Firebreak Partners, LLC, a firm created to finance and deploy high-value security technologies to protect critical infrastructure. From early 2005 through October 2007, he was Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In this role, Mr. Jackson was the Department's chief operating officer, with responsibility for managing day-to-day operations at DHS. Formed in 2003, DHS has some 210,000 employees, with an annual budget in FY 2007 of $45 billion. Its seven operating components and over twenty supporting organizations span the range of homeland security missions, including counter-terrorism, emergency management, law enforcement, research and development and intelligence analysis.
Mr. Jackson served as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) from May 2001 to August 2003. His tenure there was particularly focused on DOT's response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, including creation of the new Transportation Security Administration and management of recovery efforts for the nation's aviation industry. He served as a member of the Board of Directors for Amtrak and was chairman of its Audit Committee.
At both departments, Mr. Jackson's duties as Deputy Secretary focused on executive recruitment, strategic planning, technology and systems acquisition, budget and program oversight, substantial policy coordination within the Administration, frequent Congressional testimony, and interface with key partners, including foreign governments, state and local officials, infrastructure operators, industry groups and the media.
Mr. Jackson also held positions working for two earlier Presidents. In the Administration of President George H. W. Bush, he served at the White House as Special Assistant to the President for Cabinet Liaison, and later as Chief of Staff for the Secretary of Transportation. From late 2003 to January 2005, Mr. Jackson served as Senior Vice President of AECOM Technology Corporation, a global family of design and engineering firms, where he was responsible for strategic government relations and served as Chief Operating Officer of AECOM's Government Services Group. In 2004, he was a member of the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy, which provided a management roadmap for undertaking NASA's future missions.
Before joining DOT in 2001, Mr. Jackson worked as Chief Operating Officer at Lockheed Martin IMS's Transportation Systems and Services. IMS's transportation group provided technology services to toll authorities, freight transportation companies and 35 state governments.
He has been a researcher at the American Enterprise Institute and taught political science at the University of Georgia and at Georgetown University. Mr. Jackson graduated from the University of Houston with a B.A. and received a Ph.D. with distinction from the Government Department at Georgetown University in 1985. He is a director at Rivada Networks, LLC and VidSys, Inc and a former director of AirTran Holdings, Inc.
ABOUT GARDAWORLD GLOBAL RISK CONSULTING GROUP
GardaWorld is a trusted security partner offering global risk consulting, market entry strategy, project risk assessment, contingency planning, close protection, crisis response, and risk analysis services to major relief agencies, corporations, and governments around the world. We focus on and assist our clients in achieving their strategic business objectives within a clearly defined operational framework and help them in delivering government sponsored aid programs, infrastructure development, governance support, economic development and national elections support. For more information on GardaWorld, visit http://www.garda-world.com
ABOUT GARDA
Garda (TSX:GW) is a global provider of security solutions, cash logistics and global risk consulting. With headquarters in Montreal, Canada, the firm's 45,000 dedicated professionals, among the most highly qualified and best-trained in the industry, serve clients in countries throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Garda works with clients in a broad range of sectors and industries including financial institutions, retailers, manufacturers, insurance companies, governments, humanitarian relief organizations and the natural resources, construction and telecommunications. The company's decentralized management philosophy and structure encourages employees to be entrepreneurial and performance-driven in their approach to client service and the pursuit of excellence in all they do. Garda's global experts take the time to fully understand their clients' business goals and objectives in order to customize solutions with strong local engagement that meet their needs. As a result, clients can improve operational performance, meet their business obligations, and achieve their corporate objectives. With proven experience and a commitment to ensuring the highest ethical standards in everything the Corporation does, Garda has earned a reputation for integrity, leadership and uncompromising safety standards. Most importantly, businesses, governments, and individual clients place their trust in Garda. For more information, visit: www.gardaglobal.com, www.gardacashlogistics.com and www.garda-world.com.
GardaWorld Contact
Nathalie de Champlain, Vice President, Communications, +1 561 939 2330, nathalie.dechamplain@garda.com; Joe Gavaghan, Director, Corporate Communications, +1 302 294 2162 x 400162, joe.gavaghan@garda.com