Spencer Coursen, Founder, Coursen Security Group
Spencer Coursen is a nationally recognized threat management expert and best selling author of The Safety Trap (St. Martin’s Press, 2021.) He has an exceptional record of success in the assessment, management, and resolution of threats, conflict resolution, employee terminations, physical security assessments, expert witness testimony, policy authorship, protective intelligence, and vulnerability reduction.
Over the course of his diverse career, Mr. Coursen has planned, executed and led close protection details for dignitaries, heads of state, boards of directors, CEOs, celebrities, media moguls, and public figures on more than 300 international trips to 163 different countries. He has extensive international exposure, including the provision of close protection and threat assessment to clients in high-risk environments throughout Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, and the Middle East.
In addition to his experience in leading close protection details, Mr. Coursen has extensive experience in developing systems and strategies to better assess and manage risks for clients, advising clients on the assessment, management, and profiling of potentially violent persons and situations, and maintaining a wide range of intra and interagency coordination.
After earning a B.A. in both psychology and sociology, Mr. Coursen served in the US Army, where he was a graduate of the U.S. Army Airborne School and the U.S. Army Ranger School. By the end of his Army career, Mr. Coursen had helped to plan and lead more than 80 combat missions throughout the Middle East, often times working closely with the Australian Special Air Service, U.S. Special Forces, and agencies of the U.S. Government.
Upon separating from the Army with an honorable discharge, Mr. Coursen served with distinction as a State Department sponsored and sworn Special Deputy United States Marshal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF.) In this role he was directly responsible for the safety and security of two consecutive IMF Managing Directors and their executive management teams. These responsibilities included daily protective coverage, residential and headquarter security, and coordination with host government authorities for all domestic and international travel — including security site surveys, investigations into threats, and the securing of major events attended by world leaders (G7, G8, G20.)
Mr. Coursen was next Deputy Director of the Protective Services Division at Gavin de Becker & Associates, where he worked closely with clients to design and execute services best suited to their specific needs. During this time, Mr. Coursen conducted and oversaw investigations into suspected criminal activity, asset loss, property damage, personal injury, and alleged employee misconduct. He was also responsible for determining the need and managing the design, procurement, and installation, of protective systems and strategies required at the residences and offices of clients.
With this extensive knowledge in hand, Mr. Coursen founded Coursen Security Group (CSG) a premier threat management firm based in Austin, Texas. CSG provides expert security assessment, consultation, and protective strategy to help organizations, public figures, and private families succeed in staying safe.
