Joe Saunders has over 20 years of experience leading protective security and violence prevention initiatives across government and private sector enterprise. Joe is pathing the way to create a world-leading healthcare security system at Queensland Health as the Manager of Workforce Security. He leads a team responsible for supporting and uplifting security policy, governance and strategy across the state while building stronger partnerships across the industry.

He has a particular interest in protective security human factors including threat assessment, security culture and workplace violence prevention.

The Managing Violence Podcast with Joe Saunders is widely considered the world’s leading free resource on violence prevention education, featuring over 150 hours of interviews with world-leading experts on a large range of topics relating to interpersonal violence and personal protection.

He is a Certified Protection Professional, a Security Risk Management Certified Practitioner and a Fellow of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management.

Joe is a passionate leader in security, and champions diversity and inclusion in the industry through active mentorship. His ability to foster safe, resilient environments enables the next generation of security professionals to feel empowered for growth with confidence while increasing representation in protective security.

Awards and recognition:

• 2021 OSPA Winner – Outstanding Security Consultant
• 2022 IFSEC Global Top 25 Thought Leaders in Security
• 2023 RMIA Risk Consultant of the Year runner-up

Publications:

• Books:
  • Safe Passage: A Practical Security Guide for Government & Corporate Travellers
  • Protecting the Faith: A Handbook for Securing Australian Churches
• Articles for publications including:
  • LexisNexus Risk Management Today
  • Aviation Security International
  • Security Insider
  • The Circuit Magazine
  • ISRM Global Journal.