Chartered Security Professional Sean Purnell MBE CSyP

By Mike Bluestone MA CSYP FSYI 2nd September 2019

By Mike Bluestone MA CSYP FSYI Online 2nd September 2019 First Published Summer 2019

Spotlight on a Chartered Security Professional Sean Purnell MBE CSyP

Sean Purnell is one of several recent Registrants admitted to the Register of Chartered Security Professionals.

He is a highly qualified professional with a military background, possessing expertise in many areas. Sean has considerable experience in advising on operational risk and audits, delivering solutions in risk management and risk control frameworks, specialising in ISO 27001, GDPR and cyber security projects. Sean was awarded an MBE for services to the RAF in 2000. I recently caught up with Sean with some questions about his career and the impact of being admitted into the Register.

How did you transition into the corporate security sector from the RAF?

Looking back on my career thus far, there has been a focused development from my time in the Royal Air Force, where I had a successful career until departing as a commissioned Provost Officer. I specialised in policing, security and counter intelligence, which created the foundation for my future career in the corporate security sector. I completed an MSc in Security & Risk Management which firmly established the foundation of my security risk management skills, and facilitated my move into the financial sector.

How has professional development supported your career?

Security is ever evolving with the dynamic threat environments that we face, and there is the ever increasing and obvious convergence between physical security, information security and cyber security. Professional development is key to our success as security professionals to ensure that we are at the table for all ‘security risk’ discussions.

Completing an MSc in Security & Risk Management, along with a wide variety of other training including financial crime prevention, incident management, operational risk management and cyber security, has given me the tools to perform varying roles with UBS AG. For example, Security Risk Controller, IT Risk Controller, Director Regional Security and, more recently, as an Internal Security Auditor.

What has been the impact of Chartered Security Professional (CSyP) status?

The process of applying for CSyP is the way to have your security skills, expertise and strategic thinking independently verified by “top tier” security professionals. Lord Alex Carlile QC CBE, (the former Chair of the Chartered Security Professionals Registration Authority), has described CSyP status as the security sector’s ‘Gold Standard’. I felt so deeply privileged, and proud, when I learned that I had met the required standards in all five of the required disciplines, and had been awarded CSyP status.

Well done Sean! You have every reason to be proud. Congratulations again on being awarded CSyP!

Mike Bluestone CSyP

Ambassador for the Register of Chartered Security Professionals

https://security-institute.org/csyp/

Mike Bluestone MA CSYP FSYI

Mike is the Director of Security Consulting for Corps Security. With an MA in Security Management, he is a Chartered Security Professional; Vice President, Fellow, and a former Chairman of the Security Institute; Ambassador for the Register of Chartered Security Professionals; Member of the London Resilience Academic Partnership; and Chair of the Security Management committee of the British Standards Institution. Mike led the development of BS16000:2015 ‘Security Management and Operational Guidelines’.