Fortify your Future with Ken Carrasco

About Fortify your Future with Ken Carrasco

Welcome to Fortify your Future, a podcast for leaders tasked with the oversight of safety and security at your organization. Hosted by Ken Carrasco, a 20+ year Security Executive, Trusted Risk Advisor, and Industry Speaker. Tune in to strengthen your safety and security posture, learn from seasoned professionals, and keep up with technology accelerating business resilience. Each episode delivers actionable advice on risk management, crisis response, workplace safety, or performance/career management for security professionals. Subscribe now and fortify your organization's future!

Publisher

Ken Carrasco

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Jun 2025

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

37 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026

   Stop Reacting to Risk: Smarter Decisions with Edward Erickson

   How do security leaders decide which risks deserve attention and investment when threats are unlimited, but resources are not? In Season 2, Episode 17 of Fortify Your Future, Ken Carrasco sits down with Edward Erickson, a seasoned business strategist and enterprise risk leader whose career spans seven industries and senior roles at Cisco, Amazon, and Meta. At Cisco, Edward led safety, security, and business resiliency across a global enterprise operating in 91 countries. He also helped pioneer supply chain risk management and later became the first supply chain strategist at both Amazon and Meta. Drawing on decades of experience, Edward shares how organizations can move beyond reacting to the latest crisis and begin making smarter, data-driven decisions about risk, resources, and resilience. In this episode, Ken and Edward discuss: From reactive to predictive risk management: Why organizations must stop focusing exclusively on the last crisis or most visible threat. Risk-based resource allocation: How Edward used probability and impact analysis to prioritize security investments across Cisco's global operations. The business of security: Applying supply chain risk management principles to corporate security and enterprise resilience. The Jenga effect: Understanding how interconnected business functions create second- and third-order consequences. Breaking down silos: Integrating physical security, safety, crisis management, and business resiliency. Executive influence: Using data, credibility, and business acumen to challenge assumptions and improve strategic decisions. AI and human judgment: Where artificial intelligence can improve data gathering and scenario analysis—and where experienced leaders must remain in control. Career adaptability: Why professionals should embrace opportunities beyond their traditional disciplines and take ownership of their careers. Edward offers an important perspective for today's security executives: The goal isn't to eliminate every risk. It's to understand where limited resources can deliver the greatest reduction in exposure while supporting the organization's business objectives. This conversation is particularly relevant for Chief Security Officers, Security Directors, enterprise risk professionals, business continuity leaders, supply chain executives, and anyone aspiring to become a more strategic business leader. Connect with Edward Erickson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardderickson/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardderickson/) Learn more about Supply Chain Complete: https://www.sccomplete.com (https://www.sccomplete.com/) About Fortify Your Future Hosted by Ken Carrasco, Fortify Your Future features conversations with experienced leaders on corporate security, enterprise risk management, crisis management, organizational resilience, and executive leadership. Follow the podcast for practical insights designed to help security leaders become business leaders.

2. 

   28 Sept 2026

   From Expert to Strategic Leader with Hazel Annikin

   Technical expertise can establish credibility—but it doesn’t automatically make someone an effective strategic leader. In this episode of Fortify Your Future, Ken Carrasco speaks with Hazel Annikin (FRSA), founder of Pathfinder and an executive coach and mentor who helps technically accomplished professionals transition from operational expertise into senior leadership and develop the strategic voice to match their experience. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience in complex global organizations, Hazel explores what changes when leaders move from being the expert in the room to influencing people, decisions, and business outcomes. Ken and Hazel discuss: • Moving from functional expert to strategic business leader • Creating teams that tell leaders the truth—even when it's uncomfortable • Distinguishing what's genuinely urgent from what's simply loud • Protecting the cognitive bandwidth needed to lead through a real crisis • Why having a seat at the table doesn't guarantee influence • Translating risk into the language executives understand • Influencing without formal authority • Building trust and relationship capital before you need it • Understanding the unwritten rules of an organization • Systems thinking, change management, and adaptability • Developing the next generation of security and risk leaders • The role of mentorship in leadership development Hazel also introduces a particularly useful concept for security and risk professionals: attach your message to what already matters to executives—revenue, reputation, cost, customer experience, and growth—rather than relying solely on technical risk language. This conversation is for Security Directors, CSOs and aspiring CSOs, risk and resilience professionals, operational leaders, and anyone making the transition from technical expertise to strategic leadership. Follow Fortify Your Future with Ken Carrasco for conversations designed to help security leaders become business leaders. Connect with Hazel Annikin: Hazel Annikin on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hazel-annikin/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) Link to join the community and receive the monthly newsletter with leadership insights https://pathfinder-rhsolutions.com/newsletter/ Link to the new group mentoring programs https://pathfinder-rhsolutions.com/programmes/ Let's talk Supply Chain Europe https://letstalksupplychain.com/europe Episode 1 (Spotify) https://open.spotify.com/episode/7fnDeRB8JkRihuf7YLN0Sj?si=3D44912bf5c9c049=e2&nd=3D1&dlsi=3D858c8b8437ed4209 Can also be viewed on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IC6srg6SGc Let's talk supply Chain global/North America https://letstalksupplychain.com/ Let's talk Supply Chain Europe LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/lets-talk-supply-chain-europe/

3. 

   21 Sept 2026

   Security + Facilities: Better Together with Tom Wirth

   What happens when Security and Facilities operate as separate functions instead of strategic partners? In this episode of Fortify Your Future, Ken Carrasco sits down with Tom Wirth, a facilities and operations leader with more than 40 years of experience, including 15 years at Meta. Through Coastal Operations Advisors, Tom now advises organizations and mentors the next generation of facilities leaders. His background also includes urban search and rescue and business resiliency. Tom and Ken discuss why strong relationships between Security, Facilities, and executive leadership are critical to reducing risk and strengthening organizational resilience. They explore: • Why Security and Facilities can't afford to work in silos • Balancing security requirements with employee experience • Using risk data to justify investments in security and infrastructure • Understanding the business cost of not investing in preparedness • Why Security should be involved in site selection and workplace design • Lessons from urban search and rescue for corporate preparedness • Coordinating Security and Facilities during major disruptions • The importance of early and frequent crisis communication • Developing technical managers into trusted business leaders • Building influence through relationships across the organization • Using AI to improve operations without expecting technology to solve every problem Tom's message is especially relevant for leaders navigating today's pressure to do more with less: understand the business, build strong cross-functional relationships, prioritize what matters, and ensure Security and Facilities are aligned with the organization's strategy. This conversation is for Security Directors, Facilities Leaders, CSOs and aspiring CSOs, workplace and corporate real estate professionals, resilience leaders, and executives responsible for people, places, operations, and risk. Follow Fortify Your Future with Ken Carrasco for executive-level conversations on security leadership, enterprise risk, crisis management, organizational resilience, and the business of security. Connect with Tom Wirth: Tom Wirth on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-wirth-42478b1/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.