When Convenience Turns Dangerous: Why Executives Need Professional Security Programs
- Forrest Hise
- Aug 22
- 3 min read
In August 2025, Charleston-based biotech CEO Bryan Kobel, 45, experienced a nightmare scenario that should serve as a wake-up call for business leaders everywhere. After canceling an Uber ride because the driver refused to accommodate his service dog, Kobel was suddenly and violently attacked in a parking lot. The driver - later found to be an illegal worker operating under a fake license - head-butted him while he was holding his 17-pound golden doodle.
The impact left Kobel unconscious with a concussion, amnesia, and scarring. The assault was captured on surveillance video and has since led to a lawsuit against Uber, raising questions about accountability, risk management, and rider safety in today’s on-demand economy.
“The next thing I know, I’m waking up in a hospital bed with seven staples in my head and four stitches,” Kobel said.
The Unseen Risks of Everyday Life
For executives, public figures, and ultra-high-net-worth families, threats don’t always come from planned attacks or boardroom rivals. Sometimes they come from the most mundane aspects of daily life - like a rideshare app.
Key vulnerabilities in this case included:
Unvetted Transportation: The driver secured employment with falsified documents.
Lack of Oversight: No proactive system prevented an unqualified individual from operating.
Absence of Protective Posture: A simple dispute over a service dog escalated into a life-altering assault.
This isn’t just about one company’s hiring practices. It’s about the broader lesson: executives cannot outsource their safety to convenience services or assume public systems will protect them.
How 1st Veterans Security LLC Prevents These Scenarios
At 1st Veterans Security LLC, we design executive protection programs that eliminate these gaps and protect clients from both everyday risks and high-profile threats. Our security methodology is built around ASIS International’s standards ensuring protection that is proactive, adaptive, and discreet.
Our programs include:
Secure Travel Services: Professionally vetted security drivers and protective mobility teams - never relying on unverified rideshare services.
Protective Intelligence: Threat assessments and route planning to identify vulnerabilities before they become incidents.
Executive & Family Office Protection: Seamless integration of residence details, mobile protection agents, and covert travel security.
Global Operations: A proven record of protecting executives and UHNW families across four continents.
The Bigger Picture
Kobel’s experience demonstrates that one encounter can alter a career, a reputation, and even a life. For executives, the cost of going without professional security far outweighs the investment in a protective program.
"At 1st Veterans Security LLC, our mission is simple: to allow leaders to focus on their business while we focus on their safety." - Forrest Hise, CPP I Senior Partner
Executives should not have to wonder whether a driver, a meeting location, or even a dinner reservation introduces risk. Our teams anticipate those risks, mitigate them, and create protective strategies that allow clients to live and operate with confidence.
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