Executive protection is a working discipline, not a person standing behind a chair. For a CEO arriving at YVR for a board meeting, a founder in the middle of a public announcement, or a family office principal with a busy week across Vancouver and Whistler, the protection that works is the protection that has already been planned.
Den Protection Group provides executive protection in Vancouver and across British Columbia from our office in Surrey. We combine protective intelligence, advance work, secure transport and close protection into one programme, built around how you and your organisation actually operate.
Executive protection starts with intelligence
Before an officer is assigned, we work to understand the risk. Every executive protection engagement is grounded in protective intelligence:
- Threat assessment. A review of the principal's profile, current business and personal matters, public exposure and any known concerns.
- Advance surveys. Venues, hotels, offices and meeting locations are visited ahead of time, with entrances, holding areas, parking and medical options identified.
- Route planning. Primary and alternate routes for every movement, timed to the schedule.
- Digital monitoring. Open-source monitoring of what is being said publicly about the principal, the company and upcoming events.
- Daily briefings. A short, clear briefing so the principal and their team know the plan for the day.
Close protection for executives, founders and families
Close protection is the part of executive protection that people see: a trained protection officer near the principal who manages approaches, crowds and transitions between car, lobby and stage. Den officers are trained in advance work, protective etiquette, defensive driving, trauma first aid and secure communications, and serve clients in English, Hindi and Punjabi.
Personal Protection
Executive Guardian
A dedicated protection officer who moves with the principal through meetings, events and travel, supported by advance work at every venue, a secure executive chauffeur service, 24/7 on-call emergency coverage and a monthly lifestyle security briefing.
Comprehensive Family Coverage
Legacy Elite
For principals whose families share the same exposure, a team of two to three officers on rotating 24/7 shifts covers the principal, spouse and children, international travel and VIP events. It includes a quarterly full-family risk assessment and coordination with private aviation and concierge teams.
Residential Protection
Estate Shield
Protection for the principal's home, with an on-site officer on 12 or 24-hour coverage, weekly security audits, and a review of access control and surveillance systems.
Full details of each programme are on our How We Protect page.
Corporate executive protection and visiting executives
Companies bring us in for specific moments as well as ongoing programmes: a leadership offsite, an annual general meeting, a product launch, a period of labour or legal tension, or a senior executive visiting Vancouver for a few days. For visiting executives we can coordinate the airport arrival, hotel advance, ground transport and every meeting on the itinerary, and work alongside your corporate security, travel and communications teams.
Protecting an individual or family rather than a company? Our bodyguard and personal protection services page explains how we work with private clients.
Where we operate in British Columbia
We provide executive protection in downtown Vancouver, the wider Metro Vancouver region (including Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond and the North Shore) and Whistler, where many clients hold seasonal residences, retreats and events. We also travel with principals to other parts of BC. When an itinerary continues internationally, our international travel security service keeps one plan and one point of contact across the whole trip.
How an executive protection engagement works
- 1. Confidential consultation. We learn about the principal, the schedule and the concern, under strict confidentiality.
- 2. Threat assessment. We assess the risk and agree the level of coverage it actually calls for.
- 3. Protection plan. Officers, transport, routes, venues and communications are set out in a written plan.
- 4. Advance and deployment. Locations are surveyed ahead of the principal, and the detail runs to the plan, adjusting in real time.
- 5. Debrief and review. After each engagement we review what happened and refine the programme.
Executive protection vs. a bodyguard
A bodyguard is usually understood as one person physically near one client. Executive protection is the full system around the principal: intelligence, advance work, transport, scheduling, communications and close protection, often for a business leader whose safety affects the company. Many private clients need a lighter version, and many executives need the full programme. We help you decide which fits.
Licensed in BC
Den Protection Group holds BC Security Business Licence #B7603, issued under British Columbia's Security Services Act.
Frequently asked questions
What is executive protection?
Executive protection is the planned, intelligence-led protection of a business leader or high-profile individual. It covers threat assessment, advance work at venues, route planning, secure transport and close protection by trained officers, with the aim of preventing incidents rather than reacting to them.
How much does executive protection cost in Vancouver?
There is no standard rate, which is why we do not publish packages. Cost depends on the number of officers, hours and days of coverage, the amount of advance work and travel, transport requirements and the assessed level of risk. After a confidential consultation we provide a clear written proposal.
For a fuller breakdown of what shapes the price, from the number of officers and hours to travel and advance work, read our guide: How much does it cost to hire a bodyguard?
What is the difference between close protection and executive protection?
Close protection is the hands-on part: officers positioned near the principal. Executive protection is the wider programme around it, including intelligence, planning, logistics and transport. In practice the terms are often used interchangeably, and Den provides both as one service.
Is executive protection in BC armed?
No. British Columbia's Security Services Act prohibits licensed security workers from carrying firearms, with a narrow exception that does not apply to personal or executive protection. Executive protection in BC is unarmed. Its strength is planning, awareness, positioning and avoiding risk early.
Can you protect a visiting executive for one day or one trip?
Yes. Short-term and visiting executive coverage is one of our core services, from a single day of meetings to a multi-day visit that includes Whistler. Early notice gives us time for proper advance work.
Do you provide secure transportation, including from YVR?
Yes. Our secure executive chauffeur service can meet the principal on arrival at Vancouver International Airport and cover every movement on the itinerary, using planned primary and alternate routes.
Can protection continue when executives travel from BC to India?
Yes. Den also has an office in Ludhiana, Punjab, so we can coordinate protection for clients travelling from BC to Northern India under one plan. Our guide Is it safe to travel to Punjab? covers the practical side for NRI families and business travellers.