ASC at Security Matters Live - The Consultancy Edge: Increasing Opportunities, Driving Excellence - 5th June 2025

Daniel McKeon

Gallagher Security

Jodie Lucas

Warwick Business School

Jodie is a professional Chartered qualified accountant for nearly 30 years and a member of the ICAEW. Before joining WBS, she worked in industry for Crowe and Deloitte, amongst others and as a freelance consultant and educator in accountancy for 20 years. She is the Course Director of WBS’s 4.5 day Finance for Non-Finance Leaders programme, which takes place at The Shard in June and December.

Rick Mounfield

ASC & Optimal Risk

One of only 300 Security Specialists in the world to be awarded the highest accolade of Chartered Security Professional (CSyP). Rick was admitted to the register in recognition of his strategic and operational capability in Protective (Physical and Personnel) security risk management. He has an MSc in Security Management from Loughborough University. Awarded a Meritorious Service Medal on the Queen’s New Years honours list in 2011 for his outstanding Military career including Close Protection services to British Ambassadors and Senior Generals in Hostile countries. Rick Served an accumulated 8 years on operations over 22 years in the Army. Six month tours of duty in countries including Dem Rep of Congo, Bosnia, Algeria, Iraq (twice), Sudan, as well as 7 specialist intelligence tours of Northern Ireland in the early 1990s. Having led the Security Institute through 5 years of exponential growth, Rick chose to return to the security consultancy sector joining Optimal Risk Group as a Director. He is responsible for driving organisational resilience and professional excellence across 5 departments of the business. Operationally he builds personal and trusted relationships with clientele, providing security advice and risk management strategy across the Private client and commercial sectors. Rick is a volunteer Director at the Association of Security Consultants with responsibility for delivering quality professional development for the membership and wider Security sector.

Shivanshi Sharma

Founder & CEO, Shivanshi Sharma Consultancy Ltd (SSC)

Shivanshi is an entrepreneur and young, compassionate leader who brings significant business acumen and marketing skills to the table. Having recognised a gap in the market, she founded Shivanshi Sharma Consultancy Ltd (SSC), a hyper-focussed marketing and branding consultancy that specialises in the security industry. With a growing clientele across the UK and Europe, and a team of specialists in India, Shivanshi set herself up for the challenging task of establishing SSC in two countries at the same time. Her success in the quick and significant growth of SSC’s team and business has been recognised by the Worshipful Company of Security Professional’s Young Entrepreneur Award of the Year at the inaugural Safety and Security Entrepreneur Awards 2024. SSC leads and manages the marketing efforts of a variety of security businesses, from leading risk management consultancies and security service providers, to public awareness bodies and membership associations. Shivanshi is also a Board Member for the Women in Security Academy where she plays the role of entrepreneurship mentor. She has also served as the Director of Marketing for the International Professional Security Association (IPSA), where she worked with government bodies, associations, regulators, media, and key industry stakeholders to get front-line professionals the recognition and resolution they deserve. Shivanshi has also always been enthused by writing and public speaking. While she has won a few accolades for the latter, the former inspired her to write articles that have been published by the National Geographic Traveller India magazine, amongst other blogs and websites. As she grows with her Consultancy, she hopes to add more feathers to her hat, and help many more individuals and businesses along the way.