United Healthcare CEO fired: Executives worry about safety

CEO of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thomson he was fatally shot Wednesday doing something countless other American executives do regularly: Walk unaccompanied to an investment event his company hosts.

But Thompson's death this week in the heart of America's corporate capital has sent shock waves throughout the business world, forcing companies to rethink the dangers of even the most mundane of executive duties. .

“Everyone is scrambling to say, 'Are we safe?'” he said Chuck Randolphchief security officer for Ontic, a threat management software provider based in Austin, Texas. “This is a turning point where the idea of ​​operator protection has now been elevated to the board level. Everyone I know in the industry feels this.”

Threats against corporations have been on the rise for years, fueled in part by the echo chamber of social media and a more polarized political environment, according to security professionals. But the Manhattan sidewalk killing of Thompson, the head of the largest private health insurer in the US, is the most high-profile incident in decades.

Companies are now concerned that their directors are at increased risk of becoming targets of violence, especially as they hold more public investment events in New York in the coming weeks.

The gunman remains at large, and his motive is unknown. Words written on the shell casings found at the site it can provide clues about what motivated the shooter.

One question from security experts not involved in the case was whether the shooter had aired complaints against UnitedHealthcare in online forums and found information about the investment incident. Several health care companies have responded by pulling photos of executives from websites, and health insurer Centene held an investor meeting virtual after killing.

Thompson did not have a security clearance with him Wednesday morning, despite known threats against him, according to NYPD officials. None of the UnitedHealth executives received personal security benefits, according to the company poets.

If Thompson had, several key factors would have been different. Staff would have gone to the hotel before his arrival to find threats; he would also have been accompanied by armed security who could have used another hotel entrance, he said Scott Stewartis vice president of TorchStone Global.

“This was possible,” said Stewart, who said he had nearly four decades in the business. “I've never seen a senior executive with a comprehensive security program ever suffer like that.”

However, before this week's shocking events, it was not unusual for security operatives to be turned down because of the disruption in their lives, or the image it might give, several security veterans said.

“Not every CEO needs heavy-duty protection,” said a technology company security chief who was not authorized to speak to the media. “Senior executives are exposed to threats all day, you need a platform to” investigate do them and find out if they are credible and timely, he said.

Since Thompson was killed, a wide range of companies have been calling additional protection for executives, Matthew Dumpert, managing director at Kroll Enterprise Security Risk Management, told CNBC.

In the coming weeks, there are several financial conferences in New York with CEOs to attend in person. Until now, the main concern about these events was rioting with environmental activists or other activists, said a manager at a large bank.

“Everyone is looking and thinking through security for their seniors,” said a senior executive at a major Wall Street firm who declined to be identified for fear of attracting attention.

Some corporate security veterans said they are seen as a cost center whose leaders are “buried too deep in an organization to listen to them.”

“The tendency is that security is a pain in people's bums, and that's not that important,” said the person, who requested anonymity to speak openly.

“I hope this opens their eyes,” he said. “Risk understanding and assessment is important, and security is about much more than just guns, guards and gates.”

— CNBC's Jordan Novet, Bertha Coombs and Dan Mangan contributed to this report