From June 2002 until his retirement in 2008, Clarke was head of the Anti-Terrorist Branch at New Scotland Yard and national co-ordinator for terrorist investigations. Now, he’ll work alongside Knightsbridge Guarding founder, CEO and majority shareholder Mark Szczesnowicz, managing director Philip Anthony, operations director Julie Gordon and finance director John Davis, as well as Knightsbridge Guarding’s first non-executive director, former Commissioner of Police for the City of London Police Dr James Hart CBE (who joined the Board in 2007).
Clarke was born in 1955 and joined the Metropolitan Police in 1977 after graduating in Law from Bristol University. In the early part of his career he worked at a number of locations in London in both uniform and detective roles, including periods on murder enquiries and in international drugs intelligence.
There followed postings in strategic planning, as operations head in a central London division, and as Staff Officer to the Commissioner. In 1994 he became the Commander of Brixton Division in South London In 1997 he assumed command of the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department, with responsibility for the protection and security of the Royal Family and their residences, the diplomatic community in London and the Houses of Parliament. In June 2000, Clarke was appointed deputy director of personnel for the Metropolitan Police, and in June 2002 was appointed as head of the Anti-Terrorist Branch at New Scotland Yard and national co-ordinator of terrorist investigations.Clarke was latterly responsible for the Counter Terrorism Command, which represents the merging of Special Branch and the Anti-Terrorist Branch.
He attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in 2002, was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 2001 before being awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in 2003. Clarke was awarded the OBE in 2006.
Knowledge, contacts, experience
Philip Anthony welcomed Clarke’s appointment as an important step in strengthening the anti-crime partnerships being forged by the police service, private sector guarding companies and their clients. “Peter has unrivalled experience in identifying threats and putting in place strategies for minimising risk,” said the Knightsbridge md. “His knowledge, contacts and experience will further strengthen our clients’ confidence in the quality of our service, and reinforce our working relationship with the police.”
Knightsbridge Guarding employs around 900 trained security officers, many of them former police or military personnel. The company has long-term contracts with some of the City of London’s biggest financial institutions as well as property companies, among them Jones Lang Lasalle.
Knightsbridge Guarding was listed as one of the country’s fastest-growing companies in the Sunday Times ‘Fast-Track 100’ listing for 2007.
For more information contact Philip Anthony direct on 020 7448 1541, or send an e-mail: [email protected]
