Certification Profile: Chris Marshall, CPP, MBCI, M.ISRM 

Chris Marshall, CPP, MBCI (Member of the Business Continuity Institute), M.ISRM’s (Member of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management) entry into the security profession began during his time with the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, where frequent involvement in incident response and planning became pivotal to his job functions. 

As his career progressed, these responsibilities expanded, first through his work on the security detail at Covance (now LabCorp) and later through roles in the life sciences sector focused on physical security and travel risk. Seeking deeper expertise and best practices to strengthen his growing security portfolio, Chris (who requested that Security Management refer to him by his first name) joined ASIS International in 2012. 

“It made great sense to join ASIS to gain further knowledge, best practice, and learn from my peers as my security responsibilities increased,” he says. 

In 2019, Chris’s company relocated him to the United States. With a global remit, Chris felt it necessary to gain professional certification and enhance his credibility as a security professional. His role required him to regularly liaise with law enforcement and government clients, while advising stakeholders on physical security standards and building threat management teams. 

“I felt that earning a ‘gold standard’ qualification from ASIS strengthened my credibility as a security subject-matter expert, both internally and as an external partner,” he says. Roughly a year later, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Chris received his Certified Protection Professional (CPP) designation. He was coached by Shawn Reilly, CPP, PSP, CHPA (Certified Healthcare Professional Administrator), CPD (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Professional Designation), via the ASIS Raleigh Chapter. 

“Shawn’s approach to learning the CPP worked so well, and I was delighted to pass (even while masked in an assessment center!). I am eternally grateful,” Chris says.

I felt that earning a ‘gold standard’ qualification from ASIS strengthened my credibility as a security subject-matter expert, both internally and as an external partner.

Today, Chris is the director of enterprise risk management at the American Cancer Society, where he oversees business continuity and advises on security and travel risk. With more than 30 years of experience managing incidents at national, regional, and global levels—and impressed by the breadth of the ASIS Subject Area Communities—he was eager to become actively involved. 

Chris serves as the secretary of the ASIS Crisis Management and Business Continuity Steering Committee and is also a member of the ASIS Travel Risk Management Community. “Through my years of ASIS membership, I’ve benefitted greatly from the voluntary contributions of other members, and this felt like an opportunity to try and give back what so many have offered to me,” he says. 

Reflecting on his time as an ASIS member, Chris believes that membership has been extremely rewarding, both for expanding his networking and deepening his skills and knowledge as a security professional. 

A strong advocate for continued education, he has actively pursued learning opportunities throughout his career and continues to do so today. He particularly values the ASIS certificate courses offered across multiple topics, several of which he has completed himself. 

“If we, as security professionals, don’t continue to evolve and expand our horizons, then I don’t think that we will ever offer our organizations true value in today’s and tomorrow’s world,” he says. Chris also emphasizes the value of ASIS global events, particularly the Global Security Exchange (GSX), which provides networking opportunities with members from across the world.  

Chris underscores how ASIS, along with other professional organizations to which he belongs (such as ATAP, BCI, and ISRM), has been integral to his professional journey.  

“Time spent investing in your professional education and learning from others is never wasted, nor is optimizing your networking opportunities,” he says. 

Lexi Tiffany is a communications manager at ASIS International. She holds a master’s degree in strategic and organizational communication from USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.