SIA New Member Profile: Guidepost Solutions LLC

Guidepost Solutions LLC, headquartered in New York City, is a global team of investigators, security and technology consultants, and compliance and monitoring experts who provide security, investigative, compliance and monitoring leadership for clients. The company is also a new member of the Security Industry Association (SIA)! SIA caught up with Christopher Grniet, Regional Vice President, Guidepost Solutions, to discuss the company’s plans for the future and its support of the SIA New Product Showcase at ISC West. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.guidepostsolutions.com.

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

Guidepost Solutions LLC is a global investigations and security company with expertise in assessing security operations, as well as designing and managing the installation of physical security and life safety systems for both new and existing sophisticated facilities and operations. The company also provides monitoring and compliance, and expert investigative and security consulting services and advice to companies, government agencies, individuals and their counsel to solve problems, advance business opportunities, mitigate risks and resolve disputes.

Guidepost is headquartered in New York, with offices in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Palm Beach, San Francisco and London. With a solid track record of successful engagements, a growing list of high profile, satisfied clients and solid financial backing, the firm is positioned to continue organic and acquisition growth to emerge as the recognized leader in the security consulting and investigation fields.

Our security consulting practice is successfully supported by experienced security professionals from the public and private sectors, providing risk mitigation services to our clients globally. In our desire to continuously serve the needs of those clients, we further strengthened our position in this field through the acquisition of the Security and Technology Consulting (STC) division, formally SafirRosetti, which was founded in December 2001. Through its organic success and its acquisition of the security, fire alarm and communications consulting firm known as On Line Consulting, the STC group brings a rich 30-year history of experience and knowledge to the Guidepost Solutions security and technology consulting practice.

2. 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?

COO: John Torres
President: Matthew V. Wharton, Sr.
Regional VP (East): Christopher P. Grniet, CPP
Regional VP (Midwest): Patrick Markham, CPP
Regional VP (West): Nick Miller, LEED AP

They could meet just about any one of us at ISC or ASIS events.

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

Our biggest challenge is identifying qualified and skilled personnel to support our expanding business.

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

We feel that the transition to Security-as-a-Service on a per device licensing model will be one of the harder transitions for the traditional security departments to adopt. The cost models can be daunting, and there is a lack of absolution in the final budget required.

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

Many of our personnel have already been regular participants in SIA events like ISC West, where they have spoken at seminars, participated with strategic partner companies as exhibitors and participated in the SIA New Product Showcase (NPS). In fact, Chris Grniet is now the chairperson for the NPS Committee. In addition, we also hope to support the Certified Security Project Manager (CSPM) program, and we will have some of our personnel obtain the certification. We also hope to use our membership to participate on boards and committees that help shape standards and regulatory changes in the industry.

6. 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?

Our firm will continue to participate in the ISC East and ISC West programs in varying roles. We will have at least two people participating in the NPS at ISC West. We will also send a few people to participate in the SIA GovSummit. We see these events as opportunities to educate, be educated and establish relationships with all sectors of the industry to build our business and to advance the security industry.

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).