Gavin de Becker & Associates

About Gavin de Becker & Associates

Our clients have designed this firm. It is built to respond to their needs, and thus, it is always growing and changing. We have services today that none of us ever imagined 40 years ago; by the same token, we have resources today that would have seemed like science fiction back then.

Gavin de Becker & Associates is a very unusual firm. Our clients are a wide-ranging group: media figures, government agencies (including the U.S. Marshals Service and the Central Intelligence Agency), media companies, universities, giant corporations, cities, police departments, cultural figures, religious leaders, champion athletes, politicians, battered women’s shelters, and children’s schools. Clients include the world’s most famous and the world’s most anonymous.

Exceptional Training of our People

The training of our protectors includes areas you might imagine, such as emergency driving, but also areas you probably never considered, like jet evacuation techniques developed on-board aircraft simulators that actually fill with smoke. All our protectors are trained in the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AED).  They are trained in CPR and first aid, of course — though most firms can’t say that. (Actually, they can say anything.) We also train our staff in CPR for infants. How can firms whose clients have infants justify their lack of this training?

If you ever work with another firm, ask them to show you their training material, and see if they can produce any original material at all. Ask to see the actual personnel files with documentation showing what training each person received (if any) – and prepare to be disappointed.

Then there is the matter of readiness: Our people are in the best physical condition of any private security agency or law enforcement agency in the world bar none, and our regular and random Physical Fitness and Readiness Tests ensure they stay that way. 

Career - Find Your Niche

GDBA protectors are more than just bodyguards. A security career at GDBA includes proficiency in first aid, technology, and defensive tactics. And many of our associates step outside their protector roles to help with recruiting, investigations, and training. When you branch out, when you expand your abilities, you add to our mission and future.

People - Diversity of Talent

From medical proficiency to martial arts to communication skills, each associate brings his own unique skills and background to every GDBA protection team, creating an entire firm that’s stronger than the sum of its parts.

Growth - Forward We Go

Through Constant and Never-ending Improvement, GDBA associates are catapulting themselves into the most respected legion of protectors the world has ever known. Stretching from Hawaii to London, GDBA continues to grow…

Mission - Way of Life

GDBA associates have the profound responsibility of protecting America’s most at-risk public figures both at home and when they travel.

Our culture is embodied by three aspects of our work:
1) merit-based, 2) bureaucracy-free, and 3) opportunity-driven.

Confidentiality
The men and women of GDBA can be trusted with secrets, trusted with the safety of others, trusted with anything.

Mentorship
Throughout the 2-year PLT, protectors are assigned a variety of different mentors. These assigned mentors are drawn from all levels of leadership to include the Director and Executive levels. Our mentors exemplify what success looks like at GDBA and have all risen from entry-level positions. Mentors help protectors develop their tactical proficiency, leadership skills, and establish a sound plan of action for their career goals.

Commitment to our Associates
GDBA’s commitment to protecting rights and opportunities can be traced to our founder, who has been a leading and prominent activist for women and other targeted populations --- through his books, articles, speeches, and legislative work.

Throughout our history, we have made significant innovations to create an ongoing two-way dialog with every associate. Our CARE program, Continuous Asking, Responding, and Evaluation is a living conversation in which every associate is surveyed weekly in order to quickly reveal if there is ever discrimination, harassment, or unfairness. Our commitment to protect the rights and equal opportunities of every associate is not some new and trendy policy. GDBA lives these values every day, and all our associates participate -- and benefit -- every day.

GDBA offers hundreds of training courses, exercises, and certifications. Each step throughout your 2‑year Professional Leadership Track (PLT) and beyond is measured and evaluated by our Training Division to ensure every associate continually gains proficiency, experience, and confidence. It all begins with our Essential Protection Skills (EPS) academy.