Get to Know Human Risks – Mads

Mads Pærregaard is the Founder and CEO of ESRM Platform Human Risks. Today he chats to us about his time before Human Risks, and what motivated him to start the company. Mads shares his views on the Security Risk Management sector, and offers insights into the challenges and progression of the industry.

Can you please tell us a little more about your Army background and how that has impacted on your work in Security Risk Management?
I thought I was just going to do my conscription service but ended up spending 10 years in the Army. First as a Recruit, then Sergeant. I was deployed to Bosnia in 1999, followed by Officer Academy and then deployments in Iraq and later Afghanistan, with the Royal Guards. The Army (and the experiences that came with it) has shaped my personality tremendously. Right from the most anticipated / stereotypical traits; disciplined, structured, ordered and punctual. When you have to be a leader from an early age (20-21), combined with the experiences of war and conflict, you typically also develop a softer side. You gain an understanding of what motivates, pressurises and challenges people to succeed. Understanding people is the basis of also understanding how security risks can be managed. It is not a science – it is about understanding people; both the ones that pose a potential risk but of course also the ones you are trying to protect – to help them understand what is necessary to do, or not do to manage risks – be safer.

When did you first know that you wanted to work in the Security Risk Management industry?

It actually sneaked up on me. I applied for a position as a Regional Security Advisor with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs – that was my way into the industry. I could build on my experience and training as an Army Officer. However, it was also clear that I had gaps that I needed to fill out. This is why I moved into the private sector, and set myself a goal to complete an MBA.

What was your initial vision for Human Risks? Have you had to adapt your early goals at all?

Product-wise then there are still very clear lines from the original idea to today’s platform. Functionality transpired to be different than we expected at the beginning. My initial vision is the same; helping organisations to manage security risks in a smarter and better way – to ensure maximum protection for their people, and assets!

What are the main challenges that you have faced in setting up Human Risks?

It has taken time – more time than I anticipated. Even though so many people have tried to help and support what we are doing along the way, the process of becoming a trusted provider from the first client meeting to a signed contract can be very long.

How do you hope to expand the business in the future?

I believe we are in a really good place when talking product-market fit and are covering most of the needs to ensure resilience for larger organisations. We are spending time to research how to scale-up what we have built in the past 5 years.

What are your primary objectives as a business leader?

If you set the tone of what is expected and care for your employees, then that will indirectly ensure that the customers are happy. Happy customers are crucial but that requires happy employees.

What has been the moment you are most proud of so far since the conception of Human Risks?

That we can attract such talented and lovely people to work here! Every time a client trusts us with their security management I am also very proud on behalf of our team.

Can you name your key factors for building up the team at Human Risks?

Skills are important – for sure. But it is first and foremost a feel for people, their energy, personality and motivation that will make them do great things (hire for attitude – train for skill). We have some very young associates with no official experience, or track record that handle ‘heavy’ projects, customers and tasks that are vital to us. They are able to do that because they have the right attitude and want to keep learning and thriving. Believing in your team enables them to achieve great things. When you add new members to the team it is important to me that I would enjoy hanging out with that person over a cup of coffee, beer, or whatever.

People are our most important element. I strive to be kind and understanding in my approach as a business leader. To give people the best possible framework for working and delivering (which is often very different from person-to-person). To be very clear on what you expect – giving candid but respectful feedback. It is essential to be open to learn, listen and adapt with your team. Facilitate that your team can solve problems and work efficiently. Support them by removing obstacles in their path. As a leader you are, to a big extent a service department and at the same time the one who defines what is good enough and what the boundaries are for how we work (and when). These are my goals as a leader; although I am very aware that I may not have them all down to a fine art, yet.

How has the industry changed since you started working in Security Management? What are the main industry threats that you can see lying ahead?

The industry has matured to a point where there is an increased focus on the organisations you serve as a security professional. There is a new generation of security professionals with a more academic background, which I think is very healthy. This will make security more comparable to other departments; HR, Finance, IT etc. COVID-19 has increased the understanding of, and thirst for resilience – where ‘just in time’ has to be challenged by other models and a will to prioritise having a plan, or alternative solution(s).

Why do you feel it is important to move Security Risk Management into the digital realm?

Digitisation is a necessary tool for business survival in our modern world. It helps us to work more efficiently in keeping up with a rapidly evolving threat landscape. It is not economically realistic to rely on manual processes to stay up-to date and ahead of the curve on the organisational threat landscape as things evolve faster, and faster. I guess we can all imagine what happened to the stubborn cave man that did not want to use the new stone axe as an alternative to his pointy stick?

Can you please share some exciting inside track news with us about what is coming up for clients at Human Risks?

Not many know but we recently launched our ‘Mass Communications’ tool. This smart-tech system allows organisations to send out SMS messages to track and chat with staff in increased threat and emergency situations. Next year, I believe travel will pick up so this tool, combined with our new upcoming travel risk platform feature, will become even more relevant.

Thanks for your time Mads. We wish you all the best for the future growth of Human Risks!