The Defuse Podcast: Feel Safer in Public Life

High Trust, High Stakes, Human Risk Inside Family Offices with Mark Somers In this episode, Philip speaks with Mark Somers, one of the most respected voices in the family office recruitment world. Mark has spent more than 20 years advising family offices, wealth managers and private banks on talent, structure and human capital. He's the author of two books on family offices and careers within...

In this episode of The Defuse Podcast, Philip Grindell is joined by Lucy Burnford, founder of coc00n, a specialist cyber security firm protecting high-risk individuals, families, and senior leaders from targeted digital threats. Lucy works at the sharp end of personal cyber risk, where phones, messages and trusted relationships are often the way in. coc00n focuses on people rather than systems, se...

In this compelling and straight-talking episode, Philip sits down with Neil Basu QPM , one of the UK’s most respected and outspoken former senior police leaders. Neil shares the lessons, frustrations, and hard truths from over 30 years in policing — from the Stephen Lawrence inquiry to counter-terrorism, leadership under political pressure, and the moral challenges of modern policing. They discuss...

This episode features forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes discussing her 25-year career and expertise in stalking behaviour. Kerry transitioned from advertising plans to forensic psychology after university, despite being told it was "no job for a girl." She trained through the NHS rather than the typical prison service route. Key Professional Insights: Kerry advocates for "rational...

Send us a text In this compelling two-part episode, Philip Grindell welcomes back security expert James Hamilton to explore the "attack cycle" - a proven model used by criminals, terrorists, and assassins to target victims. Following the high-profile New York CEO assassination, Hamilton breaks down the eight critical phases: target selection, surveillance, final target selection, plannin...

In this compelling two-part episode, Philip Grindell welcomes back security expert James Hamilton to explore the "attack cycle" - a proven model used by criminals, terrorists, and assassins to target victims. Following the high-profile New York CEO assassination, Hamilton breaks down the eight critical phases: target selection, surveillance, final target selection, planning, rehearsal, e...

When Crisis Hits: The Real Cost of Getting Reputation Wrong This week's Defuse Podcast featured Heather Blundell (CEO, Grayling UK) and James Clothier (Head of Crisis) discussing how reputation management has become essential protection. Key insights: Most crisis failures stem from human behaviour under pressure, not poor messaging. Female executives face different reputation attacks requirin...

OSINT Part 2 - The Digital Lens Into Personal Security with Jon Blake In the second part, Philip and Jon delve deeper into technical aspects of OSINT and digital security: - VPNs (Virtual Private Networks): They discuss how VPNs create secure, encrypted connections through virtual "tunnels" and their benefits for security, particularly when using public Wi-Fi. They also address limitatio...

OSINT Part 1 - The Digital Lens Into Personal Security with Jon Blake In the first part of this podcast, Philip Grindell interviews Jon Blake, a former Metropolitan Police Detective who has become an expert in Open Source Intelligence (OSINT).  They discuss: - Jon's background as a career detective who moved into cyber investigations, worked in covert operations, and eventually became a natio...

"Countering Extremism with Guy Mathias" – The Defuse Podcast  This two-part podcast features an in-depth conversation between Philip Grindell and Guy Mathias, a renowned security expert with extensive experience countering extremism, particularly in the pharmaceutical and research sectors. Episode Summary In this fascinating discussion, Guy Mathias shares insights from his distinguished...

"Countering Extremism with Guy Mathias" – The Defuse Podcast  This two-part podcast features an in-depth conversation between Philip Grindell and Guy Mathias, a renowned security expert with extensive experience countering extremism, particularly in the pharmaceutical and research sectors. Episode Summary In this fascinating discussion, Guy Mathias shares insights from his distinguished...

What do you do when your reputation or brand is threatened? Reputation management can mean different things depending on your status.  An organisation may have spent millions on developing and building its brand reputation, whilst private clients, UHNW individuals or influencers may rely on their good name to maintain their position and their wealth. Public inquiries are a subject of constant deba...

In this, my first video recorded podcast without a guest, I’ll share why subscribing to this podcast will deliver even more value this year, with an episode every week.   In this episode I’ll share my thought of the appalling circumstances that led to a young female British soldier taking her own life following a campaign of sexual harassment by not one, but two of her superiors.   This case illus...

What do you do when your reputation or brand is threatened? Handling a threatened reputation requires both short-term crisis management and long-term strategic efforts to rebuild trust and credibility. This month, we speak with esteemed London lawyer Andrew Sanderson. In part 1 of the podcast, Andrew shares how and why he became a lawyer and chose to focus on his niche. Andrew debunks the myths su...

Right of Bang – Preparing for the next critical incident with Gene Deisinger Ph. D. How many times have we heard organisations tell us that they will learn the lessons from an incident? If like me, you have been involved in these post incident reviews you may also have shared my frustration of how rarely the lessons are implement and therefore lack confidence in preventing the challenges being rep...

With the rise in disruptive and problematic workplace issues, this month we talk with Dr. Marc McElhaney, CEO of Critical Response Associates based out of Atlanta, Georgia. In this podcast Marc shares decades of experience of investigating and defusing problems within corporations. He discusses how the term ‘workplace violence’ is unhelpful, how identifying behaviours of concern early and dealing...

On the 22nd May 2017, Figen Murray’s life as she knew it changed forever. Her son, Martyn Hett, was one of the 22 people killed in the devastating Manchester Arena terrorist attack. The acts of kindness and support that followed the tragic loss of Martyn Hett in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing highlight the strength of community in times of grief. Figen's advocacy for peace and positive cha...

This podcast provides an insight into the causes and possible solutions of mass attacks in the US.  In this podcast Mark discusses: Importance of Talking to Attackers Key Elements of Threat Assessment Challenges in Reporting Threats The Role of Social Media in Threat Assessment The Importance of Human Connection in Threat Assessment Mark discusses his recent investigative project on Elliot Rodger,...

With the The Power of Awareness you can change your approach to personal safety from passive bystander to becoming your own personal safety expert. Your personal safety is your responsibility and no one else’s. That is a simple fact. And the two foundations your safety stands upon are possessing situational awareness and listening to your intuition.  The first can be developed and improved. The se...

The Defuse Podcast – Family Office Risk Management with Edward V Marshall From December 2023 to January 2024, Dentons, led by Edward Marshall, surveyed over 200 family office respondents from 33 countries worldwide, comparing the findings to the earlier research published in 2020. This survey went further than before by examining various types of family offices based on region, net worth, organisa...

In this episode, part 2 of the series, we expand on the discussion of the psychological terms and learn about psychopathy, how high functioning psychopaths become CEOs, politicians and leaders, the difference between psychopaths and sociopaths, the impact that social media and the internet has on mental health.   Caroline Logan is a Consultant Forensic Clinical Psychologist. For nearly 30 years, s...

In this episode, the first of a two part series, we learn about what exactly a psychologist is and the differences between a Clinical and a Forensic Psychologist. Dr. Caroline Logan, who is a Consultant Forensic Clinical Psychologist, talks to us about the meaning of psychological terms such as personality disorders such as narcissistic personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, whethe...

Bill Zimmerman has spent over 35 years analysing and managing threats. He started out in the fledgling Threat Assessment team of the US Capital Police shortly after its creation and, having spent over 20 years there, moved into the private sector on his retirement from law enforcement, where he continues to be a leader in the field of Behavioural Threat Assessment. Despite his long career, Bill is...

Giles Kenningham is an expert in crisis communication. A former journalist who honed his skills at the sharp end of politics as the strategic advisor to Prime Minister David Cameron shares his thoughts on the relevant issues. In this podcast, we look back at his time in politics, and the Covid pandemic. We then discuss how his consultancy, Trafalgar Strategy, advises their clients, understanding t...

Being wealthy, prominent, and successful doesn’t mean all your problems disappear. A study co-funded by the Gates Foundation published in the Wall Street Journal found that many of the ‘Ultra-rich’ turn out to be a generally dissatisfied lot whose money has contributed to deep anxieties involving love, work, and family. Being the subject of reputationally harmful and sometimes untrue media stories...