From climate extremes to escalating geopolitical tensions, 2024 presented significant disruptions that reshaped how business leaders approach employee safety, security, and business continuity. As we enter 2025, emerging trends suggest the global threat landscape will become even more interconnected, complex, and challenging to navigate. 

In this episode, Sara Pratley, Senior Vice President of Global Intelligence at AlertMedia, breaks down the key threats likely to impact organizations in 2025 and shares her expert recommendations for navigating them. 

Sara discusses: 

• Climate Extremes 
• Rising Global Elections Tensions 
• Concurrent Wars 
• Economic Uncertainty 
• Cybercrime 
• Infrastructure Vulnerabilities 

Take a look at the full 2025 Threat Outlook Report for even more business resiliency insights and advice. 

The Employee Safety Podcast is hosted by Peter Steinfeld, SVP of Safety Solutions at AlertMedia. 

Get every episode delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing at https://www.alertmedia.com/podcast/. 

Ransomware demands and payments reached unprecedented levels this year, and the attacks themselves are more complex than ever. That’s why we decided to re-release our episode on ransomware resilience with guest Heather Engel, Managing Partner of Strategic Cyber Partners. She has extensive expertise in risk management, cyber planning, and security program development, and shares her best practices for ransomware preparedness and response. 

Listen in to learn how to: 

• Protect and recover critical systems and data 
• Train your team to stay vigilant against social engineering 
• Consider your options before paying a ransom 
• Mitigate reputational risk with effective communication 

For more information on mitigating the risk of cyberattacks, check out the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.  

The Employee Safety Podcast is hosted by Peter Steinfeld, SVP of Safety Solutions at AlertMedia. 

Get every episode delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing at https://www.alertmedia.com/podcast/. 

Winter weather can be unpredictable, and the 2024-2025 season is shaping up to be no exception. With La Niña conditions influencing weather patterns across the U.S. and beyond, organizations must stay vigilant and proactive.

Peter Steinfeld is joined by AlertMedia’s Senior Meteorologist, Jason Moreland, to discuss how global weather patterns, climate change, and historical trends shape winter weather forecasts. Jason shares insights into how organizations can prepare for unexpected cold snaps, protect outdoor workers, and educate employees on weather and safety alerts. 

Listen in to learn:

• Early season global forecast predictions
• How La Niña will impact the upcoming winter weather season
• Why understanding weather terminology is crucial for safety professionals
• The importance of flexibility as forecasts evolve

Jason encourages listeners to visit theweatherprediction.com and Comet MetEd’s site for education and training on weather forecasts. Also, visit weather.gov to better prepare yourself for this winter weather season.

The Employee Safety Podcast is hosted by Peter Steinfeld, SVP of Safety Solutions at AlertMedia.

Get every episode delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing at https://www.alertmedia.com/podcast/.

Drones are an emerging threat that can disrupt business operations and pose risks to employee safety. With the evolution of technology, there has been an uptick in bad actors using drones and other unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) with malicious intent. 

In this conversation, Ryan Wallace, Associate Professor of Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, discusses the threat implications of drones for businesses, highlighting their capabilities, the emerging threats they pose, and the challenges organizations face in addressing these risks.  

Listen in to learn:  

• Why organizations are often unprepared for drone-related threats 
• Key takeaways from real-world drone attacks 
• How laws and regulations for drones are varied and difficult to enforce 
• Why proactive measures are the key to understanding and mitigating drone risks 

The Employee Safety Podcast is hosted by Peter Steinfeld, SVP of Safety Solutions at AlertMedia. 

Get every episode delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing at https://www.alertmedia.com/podcast/. 

Scaling safety and security is a daunting task for any organization, especially if your enterprise is a global brand with many moving parts. Today’s guest, Luis Duran, brings over twenty years of experience as a naval officer, NCIS Special Agent, and corporate security leader to his current role as Director of Corporate Safety and Security at TaylorMade Golf.

Luis shares his expert insights on risk management and provides a behind-the-scenes look at TaylorMade’s global operations, including support for remote employees, security for high-profile golf events, and the development of an ideal security program.

Listen in to learn: 

• How to adapt public sector strategies for enhanced effectiveness in the private sector
• How to cultivate trust and foster strong relationships with your team
• How to equip employees with practical security skills for everyday use
• How to be aware of and mitigate challenges like insider threats 

The Employee Safety Podcast is hosted by Peter Steinfeld, SVP of Safety Solutions at AlertMedia.

Get every episode delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing at https://www.alertmedia.com/podcast/.

Automation and generative AI can streamline workflows and improve efficiency for corporate intelligence and security functions, especially when it comes to processing large data sets. But AI should be seen as a tool to enhance human capabilities, not replace them. 

Matt Kish is the Head of Situation and Intelligence Analysis – Corporate Security at Siemens, a global technology conglomerate headquartered in Munich, Germany. In this episode, Matt explains how his team built and developed an AI platform to help process large volumes of information so their analysts could focus on high-impact tasks. 

Matt and Peter discuss: 

• The benefits and challenges of building an AI platform from scratch 
• How Matt’s team got buy-in from leadership to create the platform  
• Common mistakes employees make when utilizing AI and how to avoid them 
• Best practices and advice for other organizations looking to incorporate AI into their businesses 

The Employee Safety Podcast is hosted by Peter Steinfeld, SVP of Safety Solutions at AlertMedia. 

Get every episode delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing at https://www.alertmedia.com/podcast/. 

With the 2024 U.S. election rapidly approaching, organizations should prepare their people and business for potential disruptions, from heightened security and demonstration activity to disinformation campaigns and personnel disputes. 

Sara Pratley, SVP of Global Intelligence at AlertMedia, spends countless hours briefing customers and stakeholders on what to expect before, during, and after election day. In this episode, Sara provides valuable insights on the top three election-related threats her intelligence team is monitoring and actionable tips for how to mitigate their impacts. 

Sara explains: 

• Key dates and locations of concern, from pre-election events to Inauguration Day 
• The potential risks businesses should prepare for—locally, nationally, and globally 
• The importance of monitoring election-related activities near your people and assets 

The Employee Safety Podcast is hosted by Peter Steinfeld, SVP of Safety Solutions at AlertMedia. 

Get every episode delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing at https://www.alertmedia.com/podcast/. 

Whether your Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is inherited or created from scratch, it must be practical, efficient, and up to date—not put on the shelf to be ignored.

In this episode, Barry Morgeson, Business Continuity Director at Ryan Specialty, draws on his two decades of experience to offer actionable insights and recommendations for crafting a Business Continuity Plan that achieves ROI across the business.

Listen in to learn: 

• Why you should prioritize revenue-generating business verticals when building your BCP
• Why you need internal champions to help your BCP succeed
• How to identify the “must-haves” versus “nice to haves” for your BCP
• How to develop a personalized approach to planning to maximize adoption across departments

The Employee Safety Podcast is hosted by Peter Steinfeld, SVP of Safety Solutions at AlertMedia.

Get every episode delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing at https://www.alertmedia.com/podcast/.

No organization wants to be unprepared for a crisis, but many internal and external obstacles can hinder its ability to manage and respond effectively. If these challenges are not identified and addressed in advance, companies risk damaging their brand and unintentionally conveying the wrong message in an emergency scenario.

In today's episode, we're joined by Melissa Agnes, Founder and CEO of Crisis Ready Institute, an organization dedicated to enhancing crisis resilience through training and industry standards. Melissa shares "The Five Crisis Ready Hindrances" and explains why you can't beat emotion with logic in a crisis.

Listen in to learn:

• How to get your organization "Crisis Ready"
• How to lean into vulnerability in crisis communications
• How to lead with empathy and emotional intelligence during a crisis

The Employee Safety Podcast is hosted by Peter Steinfeld, SVP of Safety Solutions at AlertMedia.

Get every episode delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing at https://www.alertmedia.com/podcast/.

Physical security teams will always be a critical component of organizational risk management, no matter how many technological advances come along.  According to today’s guest, the key to developing a successful and scalable physical security program is having the right balance of staff, technology, and external relationships. 

Chad Bosques is Head of Physical Security at Chime, the online banking and money management platform. In today’s episode, Chad shares his advice on managing physical security from his fifteen years of experience, from public law enforcement to major organizations like Bank of America, Twitter, and DocuSign.

Listen in to learn: 

• Best practices for gaining employee and executive buy-in on your program’s initiatives
• How to evaluate the program’s effectiveness and improve on it
• How to scale programs to meet the growing needs of an organization

The Employee Safety Podcast is hosted by Peter Steinfeld, SVP of Safety Solutions at AlertMedia.

Get every episode delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing at https://www.alertmedia.com/podcast/.