A tycoon or business executive looking for protection does not necessarily need a bodyguard who resembles a muscle-bound bodybuilder, secret-service type wearing shades or a United States marine sporting a crew cut.
Manila-based Benjamin Lichtenberg, a former US Navy Seal and director of operations for the Extreme Operations Protective Detective Agency, thinks such conspicuousness is unwise.
'Personal protection is an art really. A good protection agent will remain inconspicuous and in the shadows, but close enough to respond to any event. It is truly an art,' he says.
According to Joe Wilson, managing director of ASA Group Holdings and a 12-year British Ministry of Defence veteran who has worked with the Royal Military Police and Royal Air Force on event security, a key attribute of protection agents is that they must be skilled at blending in with their surroundings. They must dress like their principal and keep a low profile, until it is essential that they be visible. 'If it's a business meeting, suits and ties are appropriate but if it's a social meeting, smart casual is the way to dress,' he says.
It's all about the situation. If you are in a hostile environment, you behave as a human shield. But always remain low key until a threat emerges, 'so that people know the client has a strong, professional expert protecting them ... you're usually low profile, unless you're with a high-profile person or there is a high threat level', Wilson says.
Sandhurst graduate and former British Army veteran Nigel Collett is managing director of Hong Kong-based Gurkha International Group, which employs Nepalese bodyguards trained by the Hong Kong Police Force's Very Important Person Protection Unit (VIPPU).
He stresses the need to be discreet, yet close to the door. 'You need to be discreetly visible for the 'deterrent effect' so attackers know you've got protection,' he says.
