Loyalty and benefits company Collinson has appointed Peter Cooper as global security director for its travel risk management (TRM) offering.
As part of his role, Cooper will be responsible for establishing and directing Collinson’s security operations, starting with its new Global Security and Operations Centre (GSOC) in Sussex.
He will lead an integrated assistance team to provide advice and support around the clock, including pre-travel briefings, destination information, risk alerts, medical and security assistance and emergency evacuations.
The GSOC team will monitor risks and offer crisis response procedures in cooperation with third-party security partners.
Collinson says the team will support its existing business travel services with reactive advice.
The company says that combining the TRM offering with its other products, such as Priority Pass and customer loyalty solutions, will help it build an integrated and differentiated TRM proposition.
Cooper previously led a similar centre at a major global security consultancy. His experience also includes roles in regional security centres for a large medical and travel services firm, delivering security solutions and evacuation plans in countries such as Ukraine and Nigeria. He has also managed security crises and operations for the military police.
Cooper said: “I am immensely excited to join Collinson. We have enormous scope to broaden our travel risk management proposition through other areas of our business – it’s a pivotal time to join the company.
“The travel risk management market is evolving rapidly. The profile of business travellers is changing and there are challenges related to cyber security and the uncertainty of terrorist attacks, along with the more everyday risks they face. This means travel risk management clients and their risk profiles are becoming increasingly diverse, so we need to be flexible and nimble to tailor bespoke solutions that are both appropriate and affordable. Collinson is uniquely placed to deliver this through the breadth and depth of the services we can deliver.”
Mark Rands, head of assistance at Collinson, added: “We are delighted to welcome Peter to Collinson. The delivery of integrated travel, medical and security assistance is an exciting phase in the evolution of assistance at Collinson. Peter has the background, commercial and operational skills to drive the development of our services to fit the changing needs of the wide spectrum of Collinson clients across travel and IPMI.”
collinsongroup.com