SIA New Member Profile: Lowers & Associates

Lowers & Associates, with U.S. headquarters in Purcellville, Virginia, recently joined the Security Industry Association (SIA)! We learned more about the company’s background from Cherie Kern, Lowers & Associates Marketing Associate, who told us how the company views shifting risk profiles and why everyone should think of managing risk as part of their jobs. Learn more about Lowers & Associates at http://www.lowersrisk.com

How did your company get its start? How did it get involved in the security industry?

Loss prevention management remains at the core of everything we do.

Two of our earliest clients were underwriters at Lloyd’s of London. From our early work for Lloyd’s in loss investigations and assessments of the gaming industry, fine arts, financial institutions and armored car companies, we cultivated a broad-based expertise in risk assessment for the insurance market. L&A is now equipped to handle much more than insurance-related risk assessments. During the last 30 years, we expanded our assessment services, loss prevention programs, and claims investigations into the following markets and specialty services.

• Markets Services
• Financial Institutions
• Couriers
• Manufacturing
• Mining for Precious Metals
• Healthcare
• Cash in Transit
• Attorneys
• Entertainment Venues
• Gaming & Casinos
• Hospitality
• Business Continuity
• Due Diligence
• Information Technology
• Training and Seminars
• Underwriting Guidelines
• Litigation Support
• Policy Development
• Risk Assessment
• Claims & Fraud Investigation
• Special Investigations

Who are the prominent executives at your company? If someone wanted to meet a key person at an industry networking event, who would that be?

D. Mark Lowers, CFE, President and Chief Executive Officer
Mark is an international authority on risk management and its many component disciplines. He is widely cited on risk management and security issues, and he has published numerous articles on those topics.

LaDawn Presgraves, Chief Financial Officer
LaDawn brings over 25 years of accounting and financial experience to the Lowers & Associates team. Her diverse background is a culmination of experience gained within the healthcare, manufacturing/remanufacturing, and building component/supply industries.

Vince Pascarella, Esq., SHRM-SCP, Executive Vice President & General Counsel
Vince is Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the Lowers Risk Group of companies. His diverse background includes executive leadership roles in legal, compliance, technology, sales, marketing, business development and operations.

Brad Moody, Executive Vice President, Operations
Brad supports the delivery of compliance auditing, surveys, street operations consulting, cash vault audits, BCP, IT tabletop exercises, training and other consulting services to CIT and financial institutions.

Bob Greene, Vice President, Sales for Lowers & Associates
Bob is charged with expanding L&A business into new industry verticals and growing it to the next level.

More info available at http://www.lowersrisk.com/about/management-team.php.

What’s your company’s biggest challenge right now?

With the everchanging dynamics of risk, from cybersecurity to physical workplace violence, our greatest challenge is in helping our clients understand the value of challenging complacency. Business processes and procedures for managing risk that worked for them in the past may be not sufficient to respond to today’s ever-changing threats from outside and within their organizations.

What trends does your company foresee for the security industry in the next year?

The most important trend we foresee for the security industry in 2018 is the integration of risk management processes into the overall business so that they are not silo’d from the rest of the organization’s operational structure. Everyone in the organization, not just the designated risk managers, should think of managing risk as part of their jobs — and they need to have the best tools and training to help them do so.

What does your organization receive from membership in SIA? How do you plan to be active in the association in the near future?

We gain a group of likeminded professionals sharing trends that other organizations are experiencing and applying our knowledge and resources to address proactively. This allows L&A to stay ahead of the potential risks and apply focus, garner new perspectives, and industry best practice solutions. Being part of the SIA allows an open audience to share ideas and experiences that can be translated.

Will your company participate in an upcoming event with SIA such as ISC West, New Product Showcase or Government Summit? If so, what aspect of the event appeals most to your company?

Yes. We participate every year at ISC West and plan to this year. Our subject matter experts present on active shooter and healthcare security.

The views and opinions expressed in guest posts and/or profiles are those of the authors or sources and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Security Industry Association (SIA).