Murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has elite executives ramping up security
SaferWatch, a security platform designed to enhance emergency response across public and private institutions, has seen a surge in inquiries from Fortune 500 companies looking to boost protection for their C-suite executives and families. The heightened interest started almost immediately after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down in New York City in December.These companies are now looking to equip their executives and families with the SaferWatch LTE Panic Button, a mobile-enabled alert system that provides immediate access to emergency assistance. “All of these companies are waking up, saying, ‘How do we protect our executives? How do we protect their families? How do we protect our key people that really run this operation?’” Geno Roefaro, CEO of SaferWatch, told Fox Business. There has also been an increase in requests from affluent customers looking to increase protection for their families.For example, they are looking to equip their children heading off to college, according to Roefaro.Roefaro coined it the “Luigi effect.” He is referring to Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate accused of shooting Thompson on Dec.
4, 2024, outside a Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan.Last month, Mangione pleaded not guilty to federal charges related to the killing of Thompson.
The trial is expected to begin in 2026.Executives can be well protected within their offices, so companies are increasingly focusing on protecting them when they travel around the globe, according to Roefaro. “One of the biggest demands that we get is when, how do we protect our executives as they leave the office?” Roefaro said, noting that assigning physical security guards to every executive and their family members is impractical and often expensive. For smaller businesses, it may not even be a feasible option, he added.Roefaro co-founded SaferWatch with the company’s current vice president of product, Shannon Donev, after the 2016 Pulse Night...