For the second time in three months, a little-known team within Pacific Gas & Electric has hired someone to watch the CEO’s back. Responsibilities include proactively monitoring for threats, helping executives map out business and personal travel, coordinating with law enforcement and around-the-clock availability for executives and their families. Must have a concealed carry permit or equivalent and combat shooting expertise.
The job – called “executive protection officer” – is part of the company’s “executive protection department,” a subset of its internal security arm dedicated to protecting PG&E’s CEO and other prominent company leaders. The utility said it has always offered such security and declined to answer questions — such as how much it spends on bodyguards and whether ratepayers are on the hook for their cost.
California’s next largest utility company, Southern California Edison, also acknowledged to CalMatters that it provides executive security. Experts say their use of executive bodyguards raises questions about what sorts of threats they are receiving, how they are addressing the underlying controversies and how they are handling the expenses…