In a regular feature, we focus on a Chartered Security Professional to showcase the incredible range and expertise of those who are accredited and to provide inspiration and encouragement to those who are considering applying. This time, Sally Fitton CSyP writes about her career and motivations, and gives advice for those considering becoming chartered.
The world in which we operate is complicated, congested and connected, filled with constantly evolving threats. It has become what I describe as a Grey Swan world – one shaped by multiple high-consequence, low-probability yet foreseeable events jockeying for position to turn white on the horizon. Over the course of my career, I’ve been fortunate to view this landscape through a variety of security lenses.
From 2021 to 2025, I served as a Director at Secret Compass, a leading TV and film risk management company. Our focus was on safety and security for news deployments, documentaries, and large-scale productions.
My speciality was security, especially related to investigative documentaries and challenging stories.
Prior to that, I spent more than four years at the BBC as a High-Risk Specialist. My role involved developing security strategies for productions, responding to incidents and looking after staff in the field. I also designed and delivered training for senior leaders worldwide, helping them understand their responsibilities and manage deployments effectively in hostile environments. I deployed to a range of hostile environments, established incident and security risk management policy, and conducted monitoring and evaluation of the BBC High Risk team itself.
My grounding in security began in my early twenties when I commissioned into the British Army, where I have now served for more than two decades. My operational experience includes multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in roles such as Medical Support Officer, Ground Evacuation Troop Commander, Military Linguist, and Battlegroup Captain Mentor.
Between 2015 and 2024, I specialised in military security capacity building, focusing on CIMIC, outreach, and monitoring and evaluation with a specialist unit. More recently, I’ve taken on a command role within a medical regiment.
Beyond my professional roles, I have served on the Boards of Directors for the ACOS Alliance and the Rory Peck Trust – two exceptional organisations supporting freelance journalists worldwide. I continue to contribute through training, advising senior editors, and developing innovative tools, such as a journalist risk-management card game that has proved surprisingly popular.
Today, I run my own consultancy, advising senior editorial leaders globally on security policy and risk management. I have been proud to hold Chartered Security Professional (CSyP) status since 2021.
A key factor in taking the first step into the media security space was during a solo Spanish language and walking holiday in Spain, which I had arranged to decompress after a nine-month operational tour in Afghanistan. There I met Debbie Reynolds, a work psychologist who became a valued friend; she gave me plenty of free career advice and the courage to apply for roles that I might not have thought I was the ‘usual fit’ for.
Education and training wise, I have an MSc in Crisis and Disaster Management and a Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership, and did the usual year at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. I maintain my medical qualifications (FREC 3 and Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician) as I still like to go out on the ground three or four times a year. This ensures I stay current, refreshes my practical skills and gets me away from the laptop and back-to-back meetings!
The security profession can sometimes appear one-dimensional or inaccessible to those who don’t fit the traditional mould, so it’s important that potential applicants don’t discount themselves at the first hurdle. I recommend that you attend an application workshop in order to avoid common pitfalls during the application process, and thoroughly read the guidance given.
The process can be torturous but is an incredibly useful opportunity to reflect honestly on your own achievements.
Joining the Register of Chartered Security Professionals is immensely rewarding. It recognises the depth and diversity of expertise within our field at the highest level and reinforces a shared ethical code that truly resonates. CSyP is far more than a tick-box exercise – it’s a supportive community of professionals dedicated to maintaining and advancing the highest standards in security.
