EYES & EARS

The world has never been a simple place. And the past always looks rosier than it truly was. But there’s no doubt about it: previous generations couldn’t imagine the challenges we contend with today. Whether we’re talking about average citizens worried about safety in the streets or corporations concerned about cyber attacks, contemporary life demands a proactive, preemptive approach to security. When it comes to offering insightful analysis and effective strategies, the Chicago-based PAX Group LLC—a global crisis and conflict management agency—stands firmly on the front line.

“Our approach at PAX Group is to prepare for the before, during, and after of crisis and conflict with comprehensive and holistic planning that begins with listening and analysis to provide an evidence-based understanding of risk and threat,” states Principal Partner Phil Andrew. “We combine robust training in conflict management, crisis response, de-escalation, and threat assessment and management and focus heavily on effective communication and coordination, so people can have confidence when faced with a challenge and have a plan and resources to support those who have experienced the crisis. We find that when leaders are committed to prioritizing safety, they build cultures where people thrive and missions prosper.”

Life gave Andrew an early lesson in managing the unexpected. In 1988, as a college sophomore looking forward to an internship in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, he was home with his parents in Winnetka when a woman wielding a gun came through the kitchen door. The troubled woman had attacked the Hubbard Woods School, killing one boy and wounding five others. Andrew and his parents did their best to diffuse the situation. While Andrew succeeded in getting his parents safely out of the house, he was not so lucky. The assailant shot him, the bullet ripping through his lungs, esophagus, stomach, and pancreas, just missing his heart.

After recovering, Andrew completed his degree at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and earned a law degree at DePaul University. Throughout it all, he had his sights set on a career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and went on to serve more than 21 years as a Special Agent. “Some of the mystique of the FBI—crimefighting, counterterrorism, and intelligence work—bears true,” says Andrew, who, in addition to PAX, is an Adjunct Instructor of Negotiation, Business Intelligence, and Leadership at DePaul University’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business and Department of Management & Entrepreneurship and an Advisor to the Center for National Security and Human Rights Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law. “The truth is, I was pretty awkward flashing the badge at first, but you come to learn that the real work is in preparation, teamwork, and empathetically connecting with people of all kinds. I trained and worked as a hostage negotiator, undercover, and did thousands of interviews. Skills around listening and understanding are really paramount.”

PAX offers clients an extensive range of services, from facility security improvements and workplace violence prevention to threat assessment management and crisis communications planning. Its client roster spans the globe and includes Endeavor Health, the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, the City of Chicago, and the University of Arizona. “Our PAX team,” says Andrew, “helps guide leaders and organizations to evaluate risk, design and implement effective strategies from experts in intelligence, law enforcement, the military, and well-being and communications to help build cultures that prioritize safety.”

Sadly, dire scenarios most people once only experienced on the big screen are now woven more regularly into real life. The sky isn’t falling, but dark clouds can’t be ignored. “The reality of today’s global environment” observes Andrew, “is that every organization and business must support their people with strategies, systems, and training to enable a culture of safety, to build the skills and resilience to prevent and respond to community violence, workplace conflict and disruptions, threats to physical and digital infrastructure, reputations, and employee well-being. We support companies, universities, schools, municipalities, and organizations small and large with investigations, security and threat assessments, training and crisis communication, planning and response. We have learned a lot since the 1988 Winnetka attack but, as we saw with 2022’s July 4th shooting in Highland Park, we are not immune. When it comes to crisis management and safety, there is no finish line.”

For more information, visit paxgroupllc.com.