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Bob Littlejohn: Corporate Leader

Bob Littlejohn, Vice President for Global Security, Avon Products

July 01, 2003 — CSO — Littlejohn already has a career's worth of security experience to his nameincluding years in the New York City Police Department and Office of Emergency Management, the United States Army, and the investigations and consulting services unit of Pinkerton's. His work has furthered the role of the security executive in corporate America. For example, while president of the International Security Management Association, he spearheaded the creation of the ISMA Leadership Program to help future CSOs broaden their executive skill sets.

"Sept. 11, 2001, altered the way senior management views the role of the CSO. It's becoming a much more critical part of the global business process. The bar for CSO performance has been raised, and now the CSO must perform at the executive level.

Moving forward, there are four critical areas in which the CSO must learn to excel. First, the CSO must become a master strategist. He must be able to view the world with a watchful eye and predict security issues before they become actual problems. To develop the big picture, be able to look at the world and try to figure out where the hot spots are. What's the next issue and how should you deal with it? As companies come to rely on their security organizations more and more, the CEO will expect his CSO to have his ear to the ground, to know what's going on at all times and to think ahead.

Second, the CSO must become a skilled communicator with the ability to clearly articulate his security agenda to the CEO, the board of directors and also to the lowest-level security personnel at his company's locations throughout the world.

Third, the CSO must be a global builder, capable of creating and nurturing alliances worldwide with law enforcement, the intelligence community and with his own staff.

Finally, the CSO must be a dynamic executor, prepared to implement his plans, procedures and policies rapidlywhether it be an evacuation in a U.S. metropolitan area or an evacuation in Jakarta, Indonesia. CSOs have to develop and display leadership skills so that, in the event of a security incident, they can effectively direct a plan while also giving confidence to their employees. CEOs are going to expect this kind of leadership more during the coming months.

I also see two major challenges coming within the next year: maintaining momentum in the security space and establishing effective information-sharing practices. After 9/11, a lot of momentum was built around shoring up building security methods, cyberdefense and global business security. As people see the threat decreasing, momentum naturally tends to wane. When CEOs see that the alert level is down to yellow, they feel OK about letting their guard down. But we have to be aware no matter what the threat level may be in order to be adequately prepared. Also, CSOs need to be thinking about the most effective method of sharing information with their peers and with the government, particularly as the Department of Homeland Security comes together."

Read more about security leadership in CSOonline's Security Leadership section.