Fortify your Future with Ken Carrasco

Ken Carrasco
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Welcome to Fortify your Future, a podcast for leaders tasked with the oversight of safety and security at your organization. Hosted by Ken Carrasco, a 20+ year Security Executive, Trusted Risk Advisor, and Industry Speaker. Tune in to strengthen your safety and security posture, learn from seasoned professionals, and keep up with technology accelerating business resilience. Each episode delivers actionable advice on risk management, crisis response, workplace safety, or performance/career management for security professionals. Subscribe now and fortify your organization's future!

  1. 2h ago

    Stop Reacting to Risk: Smarter Decisions with Edward Erickson

    How do security leaders decide which risks deserve attention and investment when threats are unlimited, but resources are not? In Season 2, Episode 17 of Fortify Your Future, Ken Carrasco sits down with Edward Erickson, a seasoned business strategist and enterprise risk leader whose career spans seven industries and senior roles at Cisco, Amazon, and Meta. At Cisco, Edward led safety, security, and business resiliency across a global enterprise operating in 91 countries. He also helped pioneer supply chain risk management and later became the first supply chain strategist at both Amazon and Meta. Drawing on decades of experience, Edward shares how organizations can move beyond reacting to the latest crisis and begin making smarter, data-driven decisions about risk, resources, and resilience. In this episode, Ken and Edward discuss: From reactive to predictive risk management: Why organizations must stop focusing exclusively on the last crisis or most visible threat. Risk-based resource allocation: How Edward used probability and impact analysis to prioritize security investments across Cisco's global operations. The business of security: Applying supply chain risk management principles to corporate security and enterprise resilience. The Jenga effect: Understanding how interconnected business functions create second- and third-order consequences. Breaking down silos: Integrating physical security, safety, crisis management, and business resiliency. Executive influence: Using data, credibility, and business acumen to challenge assumptions and improve strategic decisions. AI and human judgment: Where artificial intelligence can improve data gathering and scenario analysis—and where experienced leaders must remain in control. Career adaptability: Why professionals should embrace opportunities beyond their traditional disciplines and take ownership of their careers. Edward offers an important perspective for today's security executives: The goal isn't to eliminate every risk. It's to understand where limited resources can deliver the greatest reduction in exposure while supporting the organization's business objectives. This conversation is particularly relevant for Chief Security Officers, Security Directors, enterprise risk professionals, business continuity leaders, supply chain executives, and anyone aspiring to become a more strategic business leader. Connect with Edward Erickson:https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardderickson/ Learn more about Supply Chain Complete:https://www.sccomplete.com About Fortify Your Future Hosted by Ken Carrasco, Fortify Your Future features conversations with experienced leaders on corporate security, enterprise risk management, crisis management, organizational resilience, and executive leadership. Follow the podcast for practical insights designed to help security leaders become business leaders.

  2. Sep 28

    From Expert to Strategic Leader with Hazel Annikin

    Technical expertise can establish credibility—but it doesn’t automatically make someone an effective strategic leader. In this episode of Fortify Your Future, Ken Carrasco speaks with Hazel Annikin (FRSA), founder of Pathfinder and an executive coach and mentor who helps technically accomplished professionals transition from operational expertise into senior leadership and develop the strategic voice to match their experience. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience in complex global organizations, Hazel explores what changes when leaders move from being the expert in the room to influencing people, decisions, and business outcomes. Ken and Hazel discuss: • Moving from functional expert to strategic business leader• Creating teams that tell leaders the truth—even when it's uncomfortable• Distinguishing what's genuinely urgent from what's simply loud• Protecting the cognitive bandwidth needed to lead through a real crisis• Why having a seat at the table doesn't guarantee influence• Translating risk into the language executives understand• Influencing without formal authority• Building trust and relationship capital before you need it• Understanding the unwritten rules of an organization• Systems thinking, change management, and adaptability• Developing the next generation of security and risk leaders• The role of mentorship in leadership development Hazel also introduces a particularly useful concept for security and risk professionals: attach your message to what already matters to executives—revenue, reputation, cost, customer experience, and growth—rather than relying solely on technical risk language. This conversation is for Security Directors, CSOs and aspiring CSOs, risk and resilience professionals, operational leaders, and anyone making the transition from technical expertise to strategic leadership. Follow Fortify Your Future with Ken Carrasco for conversations designed to help security leaders become business leaders. Connect with Hazel Annikin:Hazel Annikin on LinkedInLink to join the community and receive the monthly newsletter with leadership insightshttps://pathfinder-rhsolutions.com/newsletter/ Link to the new group mentoring programshttps://pathfinder-rhsolutions.com/programmes/ Let's talk Supply Chain Europehttps://letstalksupplychain.com/europe Episode 1 (Spotify)https://open.spotify.com/episode/7fnDeRB8JkRihuf7YLN0Sj?si=3D44912bf5c9c049=e2&nd=3D1&dlsi=3D858c8b8437ed4209Can also be viewed on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IC6srg6SGc Let's talk supply Chain global/North Americahttps://letstalksupplychain.com/ Let's talk Supply Chain Europe LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/lets-talk-supply-chain-europe/

  3. Sep 21

    Security + Facilities: Better Together with Tom Wirth

    What happens when Security and Facilities operate as separate functions instead of strategic partners? In this episode of Fortify Your Future, Ken Carrasco sits down with Tom Wirth, a facilities and operations leader with more than 40 years of experience, including 15 years at Meta. Through Coastal Operations Advisors, Tom now advises organizations and mentors the next generation of facilities leaders. His background also includes urban search and rescue and business resiliency. Tom and Ken discuss why strong relationships between Security, Facilities, and executive leadership are critical to reducing risk and strengthening organizational resilience. They explore: • Why Security and Facilities can't afford to work in silos• Balancing security requirements with employee experience• Using risk data to justify investments in security and infrastructure• Understanding the business cost of not investing in preparedness• Why Security should be involved in site selection and workplace design• Lessons from urban search and rescue for corporate preparedness• Coordinating Security and Facilities during major disruptions• The importance of early and frequent crisis communication• Developing technical managers into trusted business leaders• Building influence through relationships across the organization• Using AI to improve operations without expecting technology to solve every problem Tom's message is especially relevant for leaders navigating today's pressure to do more with less: understand the business, build strong cross-functional relationships, prioritize what matters, and ensure Security and Facilities are aligned with the organization's strategy. This conversation is for Security Directors, Facilities Leaders, CSOs and aspiring CSOs, workplace and corporate real estate professionals, resilience leaders, and executives responsible for people, places, operations, and risk. Follow Fortify Your Future with Ken Carrasco for executive-level conversations on security leadership, enterprise risk, crisis management, organizational resilience, and the business of security. Connect with Tom Wirth:Tom Wirth on LinkedIn

  4. Sep 7

    Proving Security’s Business Value with Janae Cubeiro, CPP

    In this episode of Fortify Your Future, Ken Carrasco speaks with Janae Cubeiro, CPP, a security leader with more than 20 years of experience in corporate security, operations, and security technology, as well as a decade of service with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team. How can security leaders demonstrate their value before an incident makes that value obvious? Janae shares practical perspectives on: • Communicating security’s value to business leaders• Moving the GSOC from event monitoring to decision support• Leadership and decision-making under pressure• Building teams that can perform without constant direction• Designing emergency exercises that reveal real weaknesses• Training for uncertainty rather than rehearsing predictable scenarios• Psychological safety, delegation, and sustainable leadership• Preparing an organization for its next difficult day The conversation is particularly relevant for Security Directors, CSOs and aspiring CSOs, GSOC leaders, corporate security professionals, emergency management leaders, and business continuity and resilience professionals. If you have executive oversight of security—or aspire to lead the function—this episode offers practical lessons for translating security expertise into business value, organizational readiness, and stronger leadership. Follow Fortify Your Future with Ken Carrasco for conversations about security leadership, corporate security, enterprise risk, crisis management, organizational resilience, and the business of security. Connect with Janae Cubeiro, CPP:Janae Cubeiro on LinkedIn

  5. Aug 17

    Influence Without Authority: Security Leadership with Christopher Stitt

    How do security leaders influence people, decisions, and organizational outcomes when they don't have direct authority? In this episode of Fortify Your Future, Ken Carrasco speaks with Christopher Stitt, a global security and leadership professional and former Supervisory Special Agent with the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience, Christopher discusses what it takes to move beyond traditional security expertise and become a trusted, business-minded leader. They explore: • Leading and influencing without formal authority• Building relationships and trust across an organization• Creating a risk-ready organizational culture• Making decisions during uncertainty and crisis• Preparedness versus simply having a plan• Why leaders should bridge—not break—organizational silos• Emotional intelligence and strategic vulnerability• Business acumen for aspiring CSOs• Becoming a trusted executive advisor Christopher's message is particularly relevant for security professionals seeking greater organizational influence: understand the business, build relationships, demonstrate value, and help others accomplish their objectives. If you're a Security Director, CSO, risk or resilience professional—or aspire to executive security leadership—this conversation is for you. Follow Fortify Your Future with Ken Carrasco for conversations on security leadership, enterprise risk, crisis management, organizational resilience, executive protection, and the business of security. Connect with Christopher Stitt:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherstittcem/Website: https://christopherstitt.com/ Other Links: https://www.crisislead.comhttps://www.scalingpyramids.comSocial Media: https://www.instagram.com/stitt.christopher/https://www.facebook.com/ChristopherStittLeadershiphttps://www.youtube.com/@ChristopherStitt-CrisisLeadLink to order Christopher's book: Scaling-Pyramids-Leadership-Lessons-from-a-Mid-Level-Bureaucrat

  6. Jun 15

    Security Leaders Must Think Like Business Leaders with Alvar Orellana McBride

    Ken Carrasco sits down with Alvar Orellana McBride, CPP, CEO of Griffin Risk and former security leader at Google, DHL, and DiDi, to discuss ESRM, Security 360, operational resilience, business continuity, executive influence, and the future of security leadership. A must-listen for security professionals seeking executive impact and aspiring CSOs. Connect with Alvar Orellana McBride:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvar-orellana-mcbride-cpp/Website: https://www.griffinrm.com/

  7. Jun 1

    Trust, Loyalty & Insider Risk with Christopher Burgess

    In this episode of Fortify Your Future, Ken Carrasco sits down with Christopher Burgess, former CIA officer, former Senior Security Advisor at Cisco, author, and insider risk expert, for a discussion on trust, loyalty, organizational culture, and the evolving nature of insider risk. Christopher challenges conventional thinking around insider threat programs and explains why insider risk is often a leadership and organizational coherence issue rather than simply a security or technology problem. Together they explore: • The difference between trust and loyalty• Insider risk and organizational culture• Leadership blind spots• Organizational coherence and workforce alignment• Behavioral indicators and trustworthiness• Hybrid work and workforce volatility• AI and insider risk• Executive responsibility for organizational resilience This conversation is designed for corporate security leaders, CISOs, executive protection professionals, HR leaders, risk managers, legal professionals, and executives responsible for building resilient organizations. About Christopher Burgess: Christopher Burgess is a former CIA officer, former Senior Security Advisor at Cisco, author, speaker, and recognized expert in insider risk, organizational trust, and security leadership. Connect with Christopher on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/burgessc/ Articles by Christopher Burgess:https://www.csoonline.com/article/4064326/coherence-insider-risk-strategys-new-core-principle.htmlhttps://www.csoonline.com/article/4127687/the-blind-spot-every-ciso-must-see-loyalty.htmlhttps://www.burgessct.com/christopher-burgess-articles/ Fortify Your Future features executive-level conversations focused on security leadership, risk management, crisis management, executive protection, workplace violence prevention, and organizational resilience. Follow Fortify Your Future on Spotify to receive new episodes every week.

  8. May 18

    Leading Global Security Operations with Robert Dodge

    In this episode of Fortify Your Future, Ken Carrasco speaks with Robert Dodge, CEO of Prosegur Global Risk Services, about corporate security leadership, crisis management, workplace violence prevention, and the future of global risk operations. Robert shares lessons from leading enterprise security operations across more than 90 countries, including leadership during critical incidents, managing global teams, and how AI is shaping the future of security operations. Topics include:• Corporate security leadership• Executive protection• Workplace violence prevention• Crisis management• Enterprise risk management• Security career development• AI in security operations Fortify Your Future is a leadership-focused podcast for professionals responsible for safety, security, organizational resilience, and executive risk oversight. Connect with Robert Dodge on LinkedIn: Robert L. Dodge | LinkedIn

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About

Welcome to Fortify your Future, a podcast for leaders tasked with the oversight of safety and security at your organization. Hosted by Ken Carrasco, a 20+ year Security Executive, Trusted Risk Advisor, and Industry Speaker. Tune in to strengthen your safety and security posture, learn from seasoned professionals, and keep up with technology accelerating business resilience. Each episode delivers actionable advice on risk management, crisis response, workplace safety, or performance/career management for security professionals. Subscribe now and fortify your organization's future!

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