Our Values
We pride ourselves on our adaptability and breadth of experience. Our close protection clients have included business executives, foreign government officials, royalty, TV celebrities, sports personalities, and members of the public. We also work with institutions, with a client base ranging from infant schools to government departments.
Our security services have a truly global reach. With an international network of close protection officers, our personnel can be deployed at a moments notice to any part of the world.
As security consultants, our portfolio includes clients in the logistics, aviation, energy, retail and care industries, as well as in Health & Safety. We have extensive expertise as consultants in Security Education.
As security trainers, you might say that ‘We wrote the book’! Our staff were involved in developing the licensing system for close protection – if you hold any sort of SIA licence in this field, then our consultants had a hand in designing the qualifications you have undergone! And we make this expertise available to you in our training sessions.
Our Team
Duncan White – Managing Director
With over 30 years experience in the security industry, Duncan brings an unrivalled breadth of knowledge to his role as IBA-UK director. He is a highly respected close protection officer and instructor who has worked in many countries and with many dignitaries.
As a security consultant, Duncan has met the needs of organisations and individuals around the world. He continues to receive frequent international requests for his security expertise and is able to respond to these through his network of professional contacts in the International Bodyguard Association.
Duncan acts as a consultant to the SIA and is a member of the sector skills consultancy group for close protection, in conjunction with Skills for Security. He has also been in the unique position of consultant to the awarding bodies Edexcel and City & Guilds for Close Protection.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Duncan is a firm believer in continual personal development (CPD). He is always seeking to further expand his considerable skills base, logging hours of CPD every year.
Sandra Williams – Business Development Director
Sandra was awarded a Bronze Medal by the International Bodyguard Association in 2005 for her services to the worldwide bodyguard industry for contributing to the design and development of the new SIA licencing qualification courses being introduced in the UK. She set up a Security Academy at a Further Education College, which was the first College in the UK to deliver this level of specialist security qualifications, and where bodyguards from across the UK were trained.
Previously she worked for Reader’s Digest, a worldwide global name, where she initially honed her teaching and management skills before working with several small security training providers to develop their businesses in the UK.
More recently she spent four very successful years as a Business Manager for learndirect, the UK’s largest provider of Apprenticeships and employment related training who have a major employer base ranging from thousands of SMEs to blue-chip corporates and major government departments.
As an SIA licence holder herself she actively works in the security sector and has over the years worked at many varied and prestigious sports and music events, including the famous Glastonbury music festival, private wedding security, VIP and Hospitality at events and other sporting venues such as Ladies Day at Bath Races, and Religious Events, weddings and funerals.
Owen Smorthit BEM B.Ed. – Head of Quality and Audit
Owen has over 30 years experience as a security consultant. He draws on knowledge and expertise gained in a diverse career, including many years spent with the police force and armed services.
A professionally-qualified educator, Owen delivers effective, high quality training in Security and Health & Safety to institutions throughout the UK. He has been involved in the delivery of the training to the Oil and Gas Industry.
During his 11 years with Wiltshire Constabulary, Owen was tasked with analysing the training needs of the force. Setting up the Self-Defence Training Department was one of the notable successes of his time there.
Owen also served in the Royal Engineers. His services to sports, charities, local community and the Armed Forces during that time was recognised in the award of the British Empire Medal (BEM).
Patrick Ross Plumber – Consultant
Patrick is a true motivator, which is born of a sincere wish to see others succeed. Therefore able to create and sustain a positive working environment, who understands and demonstrates a strong sense of leadership and direction, whilst allowing initiative to thrive within a supportive and democratic working culture. Patrick is an extremely dedicated, self-motivated and ambitious individual, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
A strong role model, mentor and leader, whose greatest attribute is his integrity, has the skill set to launch new projects from conception and guide them through each level of development via a logical progression process during a projects lifecycle, so therefore promoting sustainable growth and expansion. Due to the ability to quickly identify those personality traits in others which are indicative of an individual’s working styles, Patrick has the ability to both lead and work effectively within a team, whether well established or newly formed.
A forward thinking innovator with a comprehensive working knowledge of industry quality assurance & standard setting, business development concepts & the implementation of lean practice and the effects at all levels of good/poor models.
A significant professional history which has developed specific skills to ensure team members are not given tasks beyond their abilities or professional boundaries, whilst allowing a safe degree of challenge to exist in day to day operations, thereby empowering workers at all levels to push themselves forward. He is a diligent operator with an acute sense of self and surroundings.
Current CPD project is working towards PRINCE2, PMP, AGILE, and ITIL.
The Security Consultants at International Bodyguard Associates ltd introduces its latest consultant, a great addition to the team.