Will practitioner make perfect?

George Gershwin wrote his classic Rhapsody in Blue in about five weeks. George Orwell knocked out Animal Farm in four months. It took about the same amount of time for the paint to dry on Velazquez’s masterpiece Las Meninas.

It officially took about six months for ASIS International to hire its new CEO, Bill Tenney, who stepped into the role on July 1. ASIS would be delighted with just a fraction of the success of a Gershwin, Orwell or Velasquez, though the Board certainly has more realistic expectations.

The CEO of ASIS might be the most high-profile leadership position in private security. Its global footprint, influence, certifications, standards and guidelines, events and publications have made the organization the face of security for decades. Tenney won the role among thousands of contenders, many of them highly qualified.

Tenney’s arrival corresponds to the departure of former CEO Peter O'Neil, who helmed ASIS for more than eight years. (Full disclosure: I worked with Peter from 2016 to 2019; he promoted me to Chief Global Knowledge & Learning Officer and ASIS’s first ever Chief Security Officer.) O’Neil navigated ASIS through severe financial pressures and a global pandemic, reorganized departments, made key staffing changes, introduced association best practices, implemented an ESRM mandate, and changed the culture of the almost 80-year-old organization.

To move ASIS forward, the Board decided to replace O’Neil with a highly regarded security practitioner with extensive senior-level experience.

In a future column, I will discuss what Tenney considers his major goals and challenges, as well as his plan for the first 100 days.

The CEO of ASIS might be the most high-profile leadership position in private security. Its global footprint, influence, certifications, standards and guidelines, events, and publications have made the organization the face of security for decades.

Does it align with what the membership and industry want? Shortly after the hiring announcement, I posted a LinkedIn poll that asked what Tenney’s biggest challenge will be, offering four choices: relevance/credibility; finances/revenue growth; member value/membership growth; and other.

As several commenters observed, these factors are intertwined and not easily separated. Security marketing whiz Suzanna Alsayed posted, “You have to ask yourself the questions: What value does a member get? What is the value of the overall brand? Is it recognized outside the industry? If yes, is it credible? Where are the finances being distributed? How do you become relevant to the 18-24 year-old demographic?”

Security engineer Sean Ahrens called the question “the metaphorical ‘chicken and egg.’ Their issue is finances/growth, but foundationally, they need to show member value/membership growth first. Through membership growth they will achieve relevance. This will either be a Jack Welch story or it won’t.”

Also citing the combination of factors was Intel’s Kasia Hanson, who views the challenge through a technological lens. “The technology transitions happening in the market will ultimately feed into member value, relevance, and revenue growth.”

Sixty percent of poll voters pointed to member value/growth as the biggest challenge, followed by relevance/credibility (29 percent), finances (6 percent), and other (5 percent). Smart-city expert Jon Polly pointed to loss of value as the primary cause of member attrition. Factors for the decline, he said, include dated certification content and the dwindling value of ASIS certifications. Ecuador-based Kevin Palacios wrote that the issue is “a delicate balance of revenue and member value,” complicated further because “different regions have different expectations."

Other commenters reframed the question or offered alternative challenges. Ron Worman of The Sage Group wrote that if he were at the table with Bill, he wouldn’t start the conversation with ASIS. “I would start with the Mind of the Market — risk, resilience, security. This is a great opportunity to construct a new vision based on meeting this moment with fresh eyes." GardaWorld’s Chris Anquist contended that professionalization of the industry should be considered job number one “if we want to have any chance of making lasting change towards a body of knowledge, increased standardization, and ethical and professional oversight to the level where we deserve a seat at the C suite level.”

That would be a tall order for anyone. Forget Gershwin, Melville, and Velazquez. Tenney may have to channel Einstein, da Vinci and Jack Welch.