Plato’s Akademia, established in the third century B.C., was an institution that produced the best thinkers and warriors alike. These were elite individuals capable of facing the challenges of the time thanks to a strong foundation in training, strategy and strength, both mental and physical.
Interesting news. I am wondering if this will help things at all for future contracts? In interviews, CEO Ted Wright said they plan on pursuing contracts in Iraq again, and that would be quite the thing. Here is a quote from CNN’s interview with him:
“The day I’m allowed to do business in Iraq will be success,” said Wright. “If the government of Iraq let’s us do business there again, you know we’ve been successful.”
As to the new business focus of ACADEMI, here was a little hint as to what they are thinking:
Wright would like to double the training side of the business. His company boasts one of the country’s largest, most well-equipped training facilities, located in Moyock, in sparsely populated northeastern North Carolina. He’s also exploring new business opportunities when it comes to certifying bodyguards for high net-worth individuals, such as celebrities or executives. He’d also like to expand the company’s number of commercial clients such as oil and gas companies, and insurers who do business in dangerous parts of the world.
“Hopefully we can reduce insurance rates for their clients so that they can bring us on as an offering to say, ‘Hey listen, go use these people, they’re gonna come and do an assessment for you and they’re gonna improve your security environment and your insurance rates will go down,” said Wright.
Now that is cool. Maybe they might get into the maritime security game again? That industry needs quality folks and those shipping companies would benefit greatly from reduced insurance rates based on using the services of a company like ACADEMI. Even if they do not get into that game, the energy sector is still a massive market. Things are also getting more dangerous and unstable, and the world is highly dependent on the free flow of oil. Security is a crucial element of the free flow. –Matt
Leading Training and Security Services Provider Xe Services Announces Name Change to ACADEMI
New name draws on company legacy while building on new leadership, governance and strategy.
Dec 12, 2011
USTC Holdings, LLC, the investor consortium that acquired Xe Services, LLC, including its main holding U.S. Training Center, Inc. in December 2010, today announced ACADEMI as the new name and brand for Xe Services. The name ACADEMI (pronounced “academy”) was selected to better communicate the new company’s focus on future growth.
“We have had a year of extraordinary changes that have resulted in a new, better company,” President and CEO Ted Wright said in a statement. The ACADEMI name communicates both our legacy and where we are going as a company in the future. This is more than a simple name change,” Wright continued. “Rather it is a reflection of the changes we have made while retaining those elements that made us who we are today — the best in our industry.”
The announcement of ACADEMI is the culmination of a year of change as part of the company’s new chapter of growth. Upon acquiring Xe Services and its core operating subsidiaries in December 2010, USTC Holdings, LLC indicated that it would form a new Board of Directors, including independent unaffiliated directors, to manage the company and enhance its governance and oversight capabilities.Now complete and led by Chairman Red McCombs, the Board is made up of an exceptional team with diverse backgrounds, including former White House Counsel Jack Quinn and former Attorney General John Ashcroft, to help guide company decisions and operations.
A new senior leadership team led by President and CEO Ted Wright was put in place, comprising experts with both government and private sector experience to develop a culture of operational excellence, governance, accountability and strategic growth.
Central to the company’s new focus, Suzanne Rich Folsom was named the company’s first chief regulatory and compliance officer with a core company mandate to create an industry-leading governance and compliance program.
In July, the company relocated its headquarters to Arlington, Va., in order to foster even stronger relationships and exchanges with customers in and around Washington.
Finally, the new ACADEMI name also represents the company’s refocused strategy on training and security services.
ACADEMI has trained more than 50,000 personnel and has conducted more than 60,000 protective security missions around the globe during the last seven years. Not a single protectee has been lost or critically injured, a record of excellence that no other company in the industry can match.
“This is a momentous day for the company,” Wright continued. “I know that everyone at ACADEMI shares in this commitment to promote the highest standards of ethical conduct, compliance and integrity in all of our activities. We are already the best operationally. We are going to become the best at governance. We still have much work to do, but the ACADEMI name represents that commitment.”
Plato’s Akademia, established in the third century B.C., was an institution that produced the best thinkers and warriors alike. These were elite individuals capable of facing the challenges of the time thanks to a strong foundation in training, strategy and strength, both mental and physical.
ACADEMI is a modern representation of that Platonic vision.
ACADEMI is a leading provider of training and security services focused on worldwide operations in support of the United States Government and other customers. The company continues to have the best performance-record and assets in the industry.
ABOUT ACADEMI
ACADEMI is the pre-eminent global provider of training and technical services focused on counterterrorism, force protection, law enforcement and security operations. Across its four vertically integrated business divisions — domestic training, international training, security services and logistics — the company serves the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Navy, numerous law enforcement and other government customers. ACADEMI’s proven ability to provide turnkey, end-to-end training and technical services, along with its unmatched track record of exceptional performance, has enabled the company to establish a competitive advantage well-recognized by its customers.Press release here.