Novelis

Gregory McNiff

Enterprise Risk Advisor

A Mission-Driven Approach to Global Security

Although there are many methodologies for how one could build a corporate security and risk management function, my experience has taught me to approach global security through a series of projects and programs that all further a clear mission and strategy. The concept of projects and programs is one that I was exposed to while receiving a master’s degree in enterprise risk and they are central to my approach at this point in my career.

I joined Novelis in late 2025 and have been given the opportunity to re-envision how the global security team operates within the organization. We are defining our core services and responsibilities, seeking scope growth where possible, and doing it by launching projects that will ultimately transition into internal programs. My decades-long public safety career has included policing, non-profit work and global security, and I’ve found that success requires excellence in customer service, program execution and project management.

Against that backdrop, two trends are consistently reshaping the global security landscape: the artificial intelligence and robotics. Humanoid robots, robotic surveillance dogs and other machines are being introduced into real-world environments offering new ways to monitor and interact with spaces. AI continues to evolve and get introduced into traditional camera systems and other security tools, making protection devices more efficient and more valuable. Both come with a variety of procurement and deployment challenges primarily because of their general newness in the market.

Leading Security through Complexity

When considering the balance between strong security measures, operational efficiency and business continuity, organization operation is the priority. An enterprise that cannot produce efficiently and effectively cannot survive. An enterprise can survive with less-than-ideal security measures and even without any business continuity planning. I certainly would not advocate for compromising on any of the three, but they all can be balanced, prioritized and implemented to work in concert with one another. My general philosophy is to mold the security and continuity programming around the existing operation and if gaps arise, they must either be mitigated or accepted.

Holding those three priorities in balance ultimately comes down to the quality of leadership behind them. For me, leadership became a guiding characteristic early in my career while serving as a police officer. I believe that leaders can inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things and that is what I strive for while leading my team. Prior to my current Head of Global Security role, I’ve held the title of Chief Operating Officer, Patrol Sergeant and others. I’ve found that effective leadership requires that you:

• Think big picture and always beyond the present situation

• Maintain positive morale among your team

• Be capable of achieving the mission alongside capable team members

• Maintain the trust and confidence of those you lead

For professionals looking to build a career in this field, I suggest they be willing to develop the unique skills and expertise that is required to succeed in the industry. Suggesting that because I was a cop means that I’ll be a great corporate security professional simply doesn’t work anymore.

Global risk and security professionals need to develop soft skills to navigate corporate environments, interact with executives, and understand regional cultural nuances. In addition, they need to develop hard skills related to technology deployment, program development and risk mitigation. I’m an advocate of pursuing industry-specific higher education and then demonstrating proficiency via professional certifications.

Finally, I suggest working within the expectations and needs of the organization. I’ve seen peers fail when trying to grow programs beyond their organizational needs or implement elements of a program that are simply unnecessary. Those will inevitably lead to a loss of trust among the leadership team and/or draw negative scrutiny.