Certification Profile: Bill Edwards, CPP, PCI, PSP

For Bill Edwards, CPP, PCI, PSP, lifelong learning is inextricably connected to his passion to serve. He commanded a U.S. Army battalion in Iraq and served as a theater director of intelligence before retiring in 2018 as colonel in U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) after 30 years of service. During his career, he learned about risk mitigation security leadership and management, and he wanted to continue his career of service by positively applying that knowledge and experience.

Edwards started his private sector career with engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti. The company asked him to build a security consulting business that supported its engineering efforts in protective design. In the early days of his new role, Edwards quickly realized that he needed to professionalize his journey, and ASIS International became his path of choice.

“I felt that having ASIS certification would give me credibility in a market known for its depth of experience and expertise,” Edwards says. “ASIS certification also gave me the opportunity to study my new field and become more proficient in the leadership and technical skills needed to service my client base.” Edwards initially earned the Certified Protection Professional (CPP^®) designation, followed by the Physical Security Professional (PSP^®) and Professional Certified Investigator (PCI^®) certifications.

Achieving the ASIS Certification Triple Crown was a personal and profession goal, Edwards says.

“The CPP certification is well-known and respected in the security marketplace,” he notes. “It is the ‘gold standard’ of certifications for a myriad of reasons, but most importantly for the skills it tests concerning security program development and the need to understand all aspects of security consulting from a leadership, legal, and project management perspective.”

Like many ASIS members, Edwards is constantly imparting his knowledge to other security professionals—something he considers a form of service. “I am always willing to share my lessons learned with anyone in the profession or those taking on projects I have experience with,” he says. “As a combat veteran, security, safety, and saving lives remain a top priority for me personally—and something global security professionals are involved in every day.”

Currently, Edwards serves as the president of a security software company that focuses on trusted traffic access management from vehicles, vendors, visitors, freight, and resources. Edwards has published more than 50 articles on various security and safety issues—including for Security Management—and he co-authored Inside Abu Ghraib: Memoirs of Two U.S. Military Intelligence Officers, which chronicles the mission of the 165th Tactical Exploitation Battalion at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

Profile by Andy Cutler, director of communications for ASIS International.