As part of our "Operating in Complex Security Environments" Networking Programme, Aprodex talks to Shaun Boulter, Director of Security at Assistance Alliance International (AA International Inc).
What is your background, and how have you developed your International Security and Risk Management career?
I am considered a specialist in all aspects of security and crisis risk management, including travel risk management. Prior to joining the AA International I was head of Crisis and Security Risk Management at RISQ Group based in Singapore, Prior to this I was also the European and Asian Security and Risk Manager for Perot Systems based in London, managing Europe and India where i also headed the Crisis Management Team. During this time i was responsible for developing and implementing the business continuity, security and risk management plans and operations in Europe and India. I have also gained extensive experience in Close Protection and Security Advisory roles. I was a security advisor and protection officer to the Qatar Foreign Minister for a period of four years, during which I travelled extensively on a global scale working and liaising with many foreign governments and security forces.
I have also performed a variety of other security related tasks such as surveillance operations, security surveys and close protection related tasks to members of foreign royalty and corporate VIPs in Europe, US and the Middle/Far East whilst being a senior consultant for Control Risks and also Red24. I was previously a member of the British Military for twelve years achieving the rank of sergeant, where I specialised in counterterrorism in Northern Ireland, the Middle East and Asia. I hold an MSc in Security & Risk Management from the University of Leicester. I am also a Singapore licensed Private Investigator and Security Officer. During my time in the military I was awarded the Queens Gallantry Medal.
What does your company do?
AA International (AAI), Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, is an assistance company and a member of the International Assistance Group (IAG). AA International operates from offices located in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta, Singapore Hong Kong, Seoul and Taipei.
The founding member company Asia Assistance Network (M) Sdn Bhd, was formed on 20th October 1998 is a 24 hours assistance company providing assistance services ranging from Medical Assistance, Security Assistance, Car Assistance, Third Party Administration Services, Home Assistance, Customer Service Assistance and other customised assistance services.
AA International, is today servicing over 5 million members, amongst our clienteles are over 30 major Insurance Companies, Airlines, as well as Corporate, Banks and Credit Cards companies throughout the region. AA International offers value added services in the form of comfort and security that help is just a phone call away. In turn, by ensuring that your Members quickly receive the best assistance available, AA International reduces the risk and cost of personal safety and operations locally and abroad.
Our 24 hours operations centre is managed by a team of dedicated staffs with multi language capabilities; our team of professionals is trained to handle security, medical, logistical and technical aspects of crises, minor and major emergencies with the efficiency and compassion that such events require providing round the clock assistance to your Members.
AAI also owns its own Air Ambulance service with two Lear Jet aircraft based in Asia (Singapore & Taipei), these aircraft operate under the brand name AeroMed Asia.
AAI provides solutions to members travelling worldwide. AAI is a Member and shareholder of the International Assistance Group with 36 offices and 46 round the clock alarm centres worldwide.
What are the biggest challenges your company faces today?
Remaining ahead of our competitors, so we always strive to provide a service that is flexible to fit with our clients requirements and allowing where possible for clients to have direct access to single points of contact and in so doing giving them a more client friendly boutique service.
How has your market changed in recent years, and how have current trends and developments affected the way your business operates?
The market has changed to our benefit as more and more companies and people are realising the need for emergency preparedness planning and travel risk management. Which is the reason our company is always looking to ‘build business for tomorrow’. We are constantly analysing what the threats are to companies and individuals at both their home location and also overseas. This then enables us to build and plan new services to meet these challenges head on and in so doing preparing and assisting our clients to be able to suffer minimal disruption to their operations.
What are your 5 year predictions for the development and innovation of your industry sector?
We foresee our company spreading further across the region as we engage more clients (such as the larger insurance companies that have regional presence). We allow our new clients to drive our growth in the region for this purpose as most of the larger insurance companies want and require a local presence to handle their policy holders. We are constantly looking at new products we can tag onto our services or clients policies that they sell to enhance our portfolio and also theirs.
What additional services do you procure to support your operations, and how do you source new suppliers?
We procure the services of our partners in the International Assistance Group (IAG) to support us with clients of ours who require assistance services in parts of the world that we do not have a presence. We also use tried, tested and vetted security consultants and consultancies to allow us to have a multiple tier of service providers we can call upon in the time of an emergency to help us support our clients on a global basis.
All our providers are normally sourced by recommendation or previous history with our company or a member of our team.
We are always looking for companies that have good synergies with us to either look at working together or to form partnerships so that we can provide more services to our existing and new clients.
What are your favoured technologies / equipment / “tools” for operating in Complex Security Environments?
Good intelligence is our primary state of the art technology service and this is done through a combination of both automated word search software and also physical analytical manpower. The combination of both automated and physical we believe allows us to be able to provide confirmed and verified proactive and reactive information to our clients. We understand there is a necessity to provide an analytical view and solution to each news alert we provide being of paramount importance so that a client can make an informed decision as to what to do with that information.
What products / services do you consider to be deficient in your area of expertise?
We can never have enough service providers on our books that can support us around the world in the time of a crisis. We are constantly looking for people and also companies that we can work with for such projects.
Technologies in the form of apps, travel tracking equipment be it travel itinerary monitoring systems and or GPS are constantly improving and developing new platforms to operate from so we are constantly monitoring technologies as they develop to see how we can integrate these technologies to improve and enhance our current range of services.
Internet business networks, such as Aprodex, enable a 24/7 capability to reach new clients and solicit new opportunities. Building a corporate presence and reputation on line is becoming ever more important - and unavoidable. What corporate communications methods do you employ to reach your target audience and what strategies do you have to increase your on line presence?
At present this is something we have only just started to look into and have considered the use of social networking such at Twitter. There are problems associated with this in that one bad comment will negate no matter how many good ones you have received. To date we have relied heavily on our marketing team and educating people as to who and what we are and allowing them to view our website and also to trial our travel risk management website.
Comment / Ask Questions about any issues related to the Interview via our . Shaun is specifically interested to hear and share information regarding evacuations in the Middle East over the last year as everybody who has been conducting evacuations from Syria, Egypt, Bahrain etc has experienced some difficulties. It would be ideal to learn from the experiences of others.
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