The Institute combines the position of Chairman of the Board and the role of Chief Executive officer for the purpose of effectiveness, cost minimization and simplicity. This position is known as an Executive Chairman.
The Executive Chairman of The Security Institute of New Zealand is Christopher Lawton.
Chris is currently the only recipient of the Security Industry Leadership award by SKILLS & NZSA and issued to him in 2015.
Chris has extensive national and international experience as a licensed security Consultant, Professional Investigator and security company owner.
After leaving the New Zealand Police in 2000 he became a licenced member of the security industry, operating as a security Consultant and a Professional Investigator. He has also operated security manpower organisations and has maintained a security licenced company since the early 2000s.
Prior to his career in the security industry he served twenty years in the New Zealand Police. Policing both urban, city and rural areas has given him a wide perspective on policing and crime issues across New Zealand. During his time in the Police he worked everything from investigations, bomb squad, armed offenders squad, weapons and tactics training, special operations planning and training, frontline duties.
He has also spent time as a territorial soldier and Commissioned Officer in the New Zealand Defence Force, successfully completed the NZ Army Territorial Officer Commissioning Course in 1996, worked in the United Nations as the deputy Chief of Security East Timor. He was part of the team that effected a safe evacuation for thousands of international as well as Timorese citizens during the troublesome and threatening issues in 2000.
He has worked extensively internationally in such countries as Iraq, Jordan Kuwait, Australia, Brazil, Greece, Indonesia and Thailand. He has conducted security operations for superyachts, individuals and families of high net worth, protected Boards of Directors, vulnerable people and Heads of State. Chris also trains internationally in security aspects and has trained volunteers to work in hostile environments.
He is a member of
ASIS International and the ASIS New Zealand chapter
The New Zealand Institute of Professional Investigators (NZIPI)
World Association of Detectives (WAD)
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)
Community Patrols Of New Zealand
New Zealand Security Training Asociation
Community Patrols of New Zealand Charitable Trust (CPNZ)
Institute of Directors (New Zealand)
He has studied security and emergency management through The Scarman Institute in the United kingdom as well as Massey University (NZ).
He is the Chairman of the Trust Board of New Zealand’s premier volunteer Crime Prevention organisation (Community Patrols of New Zealand), working closely with Police around the country. He has been on the Board of Trustees for 8 years and has chaired it for five years. As the leader of the organisation he manages 3 staff based in the Crime Prevention team at National Police Headquarters in Wellingotn and also one in Auckland Central Police Station. He is responsible for overseeing over $500,000 of government money which is utilized in communities around New Zealand to prevent crime and reduce victimisation. He leads over 6000 volunteers, in over 160 communities working closely with Police
Chris is one of the country’s leading security trainers and developers of training and along with Kathy Wright, Chris is owner and director of C4 Group Limited, New Zealands leading security training provider who were recently awarded the highest grading (Category 1 – highly confident) from NZQA.
He has been outspoken in security circles and works closely with SKILLS, NZQA, NZIPI and ASIS.
He travels widely for work commitments and attends international conferences as well as international training for personal development.
