Garda President and CEO Stephan Cretier announced today the launch of its new GardaWorld Risk Management and Consulting European office in Brussels Belgium. Hosted by Mr. Armand De Decker, Vice President of the Belgium Senate, the event welcomed distinguished representatives from several countries.
“With the growth we’ve experienced in our emerging markets and our recent contract wins, it became clear that we needed a solid team to cover our continental Europe plans,” said Stephan Cretier. “Our Brussels office will focus on expanding our business relationship with key clients, including the European Union where we were among five providers to be awarded a $400 million contract over four years to service various diplomatic security missions around the world,” added GardaWorld President Oliver Westmacott.
Didier Ranchon, a veteran of French diplomatic security, has been appointed Managing Director of the new office. Mr. Ranchon joins GardaWorld from a leading French consulting firm where he was General Manager for the Group’s representation to the European community and international institutions and Vice President in charge of European, Middle East and Benelux operations, institutional security, tourism security and institutional support.
Mr. Ranchon began his career as a police officer and later Police Superintendent and Head of the Training Office with the French Ministry of the Interior. He then served as Deputy Police Attaché and Head of the Unit Emergency Response and Tracking Centre for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During his career, he has served in Africa, India, Indonesia, the Middle East, South America, the United States and Haiti. A graduate of the University of Paris XII, Faculty of Law and Geography and the French National Police Academy, Mr. Ranchon holds a Master in Risk Management from Centre d’Études Diplomatiques et Stratégiques at the Political Studies Institute in Paris. He is a member of the French National Civil Protection Federation, the United Nations World Tourism Organization and a lecturer in International Law for Expatriate Protection at several universities.
