The Security Institute has announced that Peter Lavery FSyI will become its new Chair from January 2021, taking over from Professor Alison Wakefield PhD CSyP FSyI when her three-year term of office finishes at the end of December.
Peter brings a wealth of experience within the security sector and has dedicated many years of service to the Security Institute. Peter was voted onto the Board of Directors in April 2017 by the Security Institute membership, having previously served on the Institute’s Validation Board for several years. Peter has held the position of Deputy Chairman since 2018, playing a key role in the Institute’s senior leadership team and overseeing a period of significant and continuing growth and development for the Institute.
Peter also chairs the Board’s Audit Committee and has been leading on a number of significant external engagement initiatives to help promote the Institute and its values to government and other key stakeholders.
Outside of his role at the Security Institute, Peter has an impressive track record of further contributions to the security sector. He serves as a Trustee of the Cross-Sector Safety and Communications (CSSC) charity and is also a member of the London Resilience Forum (business sector panel), contributing to mitigating the impacts of Brexit, terrorist attacks and most recently COVID-19.
Following 22 years of experience in the Royal Military Police including 14 years undertaking close protection operations for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office/HMG, Peter has worked in corporate security across the manufacturing, finance, telecommunications and real estate sectors.
Peter shared a few words on his appointment, saying: “I am extremely honoured to be appointed by the Board of Directors to be the next Chair of the Security Institute, the UK’s largest professional membership body of security practitioners and increasingly the pre-eminent voice of the protective security profession. Today’s continuingly uncertain political and economic landscape together with the ever-present threat of terrorism present significant challenges and opportunities for our essential workers and organisations, who look to the Institute to help them manage their skills and development during a time of protracted uncertainty. We will continue to champion the professional development of our members and the wider sector and continued awareness of the important role that is played by the security sector in protecting society, whilst supporting changes like Martyn’s Law through a partnership approach with the security community, industry and government.”
The current Chair, Professor Alison Wakefield PhD CSyP FSyI, said: “I was delighted to see Peter Lavery unanimously elected as the next Institute Chair at our final Board meeting for this year. Having served as Deputy Chair for the last three years and supported the Validation Board for much longer, Peter has already made a considerable contribution to the Institute’s success. He has an intimate knowledge of the workings of the Institute and the wider security sector and is very well-respected and liked by many Institute members, fellow directors and the HQ team as well as by key external stakeholders. The Institute will appreciate and benefit from a new Chair in 2021 with new energy and ideas to maintain the momentum of our continuing growth in size and influence.”
