Andy Louca

Working within the Global Safety and Security team I am responsible for implementing the corporate security strategy throughout Europe with specific ownership of all aspects of phyisical security operations. This requires me to identify, implement and enhance security processes, practices and policies throughout the region to reduce risk. Central to the success of this role is the establishment of positive relationships with internal partners including Real Estate & Workplace Services, Health & Safety, Resilience, Executive Leadership, and regional/site leadership.

Key responsibilities and achievements

• Executed crisis management plans and emergency response initiatives.
• Facilitated tabletop exercises, live drills, and training for security teams and stakeholders.
• Managed security operations for internal and external events.
• Provided executive protection services to EMEA leadership.
• Cultivated positive relationships with law enforcement agencies to support incident management.
• Oversaw regional security budget, managing four guardforce contracts and vendor relationships.

A member of both the Global Security and EMEA SLT, I was responsible for planning, evaluating, and managing Illumina’s global security operations, focusing on physical security assets, people and security operations programs. I collaborated with global and regional leaders to develop and implement the operational physical security strategy and systems roadmap and work with industry peers and cross sector partners to ensure security best practice remains under constant review and the expectations of our global customer base are best served as a result.

Key responsibilities and achievements

• Own and manage the Global Travel Risk program incorporating 3000 travelers conducting over 30k trips and with a high and severe risk footprint of 56 countries.
• Developed and implemented a Global Crisis Response program.
• Developed and implemented a protective security risk assessment program to evaluate the security posture of the corporate, supply chain and laboratory/clinical estate.
• Own and manage the Corporate Investigations and Intelligence function.
• Help support new business growth in emerging markets via due diligence, site selection and risk assessment.
• Manage the VIP and C-Suite protective security program, ensuring senior execs receive the appropriate level of personal protection.
• Manage manned guarding operations within the EMEA region across multiple corporate sites.

A strategic leader of a team of 21 direct reports covering 91 sites across 18 countries and with an operational security budget of £34m I am responsible for all aspects of Data Centre physical and operational security and associated security programs therein. My role was to anticipate high-impact physical security issues within the Operations and Security teams and lead the development of mitigation strategies.

Key responsibilities and achievements

• Developed and implemented a program to roll out a global access control system upgrade within the EMEA region to create a single unified user experience throughout the region, this program was completed 3 months ahead of schedule in Sept 2022.
• Identified the need for a standardized and unified approach to manned guarding training and response throughout EMEA and developed and implemented a number of short, medium and longer term solutions to improve both internal security capability and wider customer satisfaction.
• Led the security element of the corporate crisis management response to the Ukraine conflict, working with internal stakeholders throughout Eastern and Northern Europe and external security suppliers, thought leaders and cross sector/governmental bodies to ensure Equinix senior leaders were fully equipped to lead the business through the crisis.
• Worked with the Business development team to ensure all aspects of physical, operational and personnel security are considered in relation to entry into emerging markets and acquisitions in new territories to Equinix, notably Nigeria, Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire.

Leading a team of 7 direct reports and with an operational security budget of circa £14m I was responsible for driving the development and standardization of security policies and programs for safeguarding Amazon business operations across the region. This incorporated all elements of security operations, threat mitigation, incident management and emergency response requirements whilst also managing numerous manned guarding and technical security contracts across the region.

Key responsibilities and achievements

• Devise, deliver and operate the security elements of Amazons COVID secure workplace options, ensuring those employees unable to work from home throughout the pandemic have a safe and secure environment to continue business operations.
• Led on the creation and execution of security action plans including business continuity management, crisis and incident management and travel security.
• Own the investigations, audits, special event coordination and other safety, security or business continuity efforts as business conditions warrant.
• Conduct security threat/risk assessments and in consultation with wider security and business stakeholders deploy mitigating security measures to manage identified security threats/risks

Led a team of 3 direct reports and 25 indirect reports and with an operational security budget of circa £4m I was responsible for the implementation of Barclays Physical Security Strategy and Policy throughout the EMEA region.

Key responsibilities and achievements

• Deliver the physical security components of Barclays Brexit strategy by owning the security elements of twelve capital projects across Europe which will significantly increase the organisational footprint throughout the region.
• Act as principal point of contact within the EMEA region for all Physical Security services, including those associated with both Barclays’ locations and travelling population.
• Contribute to the defining and setting of physical security strategy, together with the production of processes and procedures for physical security matters across Barclays.
• Devise and conduct a rolling programme of in-depth security risk assessments throughout the region.

Working within Group Engineering Services (GES) a unit within BT Security with a remit that includes the research, development and deployment of secure applications and systems to combat cyber-crime and threats to the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure. My primary responsibility was the security leadership within a large, complex and highly classified international contract worth £270m over 3 years.

Key responsibilities and achievements:

• Delivering the security element of the initial bid phase to the satisfaction and sign-off of the customer.
• Responsible for optimising Security P&L through deep insight into customer needs and in-life contract performance.
• Removing all barriers to smooth delivery, in-life service or any aspect relating to the Security offer agreed within the customer contract.
• Accountable for the identification and implementation of on-going security contract efficiencies
• Identify, evaluate, mitigate and review security risks against known or perceived threats; applying security risk management techniques to treat, tolerate, transfer or terminate risk, whilst providing verbal or written specialist security advice.
• Provide subject matter expertise on all protective security related matters.

Working as part of a 2000 strong Security Enterprise and sitting on the senior management team of the Threat Intelligence & Investigations directorate, my primary responsibility were managing the strategic direction of the Personnel Security team which consisted of 6 direct reports. My Executive Protection remit required me to regularly interact with the Chairman, CEO and Board Members over a variety of sensitive personal security requirements. Travel security and business development services in new and growth regions required me to engage with global vendors and external national and international support bodies. My role saw me own a number of risk areas for which I reported directly into the respective BT Board sub-committees.

Key responsibilities and achievements:

• Transforming BT’s travel security operation into a multi-dimensional function which ultimately supported the business growth strategy
• Responsibility for all Senior Exec and Event security arrangements, including BTs AGM
• Developed from inception a suite of protective security services to support BTs senior executive security programme. Managing both external vendors and internal teams in order to ensure that services are deployed efficiently and sensitively.
• Conduct in-country security assessments for new business opportunities and audit existing operational and security policies and processes.
• Provide geo-political and personnel security risk assessments to internal stakeholders in support of BTs global growth programme, be it directly or via joint ventures.
• Develop and own the corporate response to a kidnap and ransom event
• Inaugural Chair of the Cross-Sector Communications Industry Personnel Security Information Exchange (CIPSIE)