Brown & Brown Unifies Global Security and Traveler Protection
With AlertMedia

Managing Global Risk From a Single Pane of Glass

Founded in 1939 as a small, two-person firm, Brown & Brown has grown into one of the world’s largest insurance brokerages, with more than 23,000 teammates across 19 countries. The company uses the word “teammates” rather than “employees,” reflecting the belief that caring for its people should shape how the organization operates.

When Michael Skoglund joined Brown & Brown as VP of Global Physical Security and Incident Response, he was charged with building the company’s first global physical security program. With hundreds of independently run offices and teammates frequently on the move, there was no consistent framework for monitoring threats, protecting travelers, or managing crises. His team needed real-time insight into emerging risks and a faster, more reliable way to communicate when events such as hurricanes, acts of violence, or civil unrest threatened safety or business continuity.

Bringing Threat Intelligence, Travel Risk Management, and Emergency Communication together in one platform, AlertMedia gives Brown & Brown the visibility and speed needed to protect its people and operations. Skoglund’s team can monitor global risks and reach teammates quickly, whether they’re in an office or out in the field supporting customers. With AlertMedia, they can identify credible threats in real time, target alerts to the people affected, and support travelers—all from a single pane of glass. Now the foundation of Brown & Brown’s physical security program, AlertMedia enhances the company’s ability to keep its people, assets, and operations safe.

Building a Consistent, Scalable Security Framework Across 700+ Offices

Building Brown & Brown’s global physical security program from the ground up meant bringing structure to more than 700 independently run offices, each with its own systems and protocols. The company had grown steadily through mergers and acquisitions, which added even more variation in how offices handled safety and security. “We’re a decentralized sales and service organization,” says Skoglund. “It’s a key differentiator for us in many ways and part of what makes Brown & Brown successful, but it can add complexity when you are working to manage risk consistently.”

Brown & Brown’s decentralized model drives agility and innovation, but it also presents challenges when implementing safety and security practices across hundreds of unique environments. Before Skoglund’s role was created, there was no formalized process for monitoring and communicating about potentially disruptive events. “Traditionally, communication would happen through email,” says Skoglund. “Local offices would manually track threats and use email to try to reach everyone, but it wasn’t fast or reliable. It really depended on who was available to send the message and how quickly they could get it out.”

Skoglund was responsible for developing a comprehensive program that encompassed every aspect of physical security, including executive protection, workplace violence prevention, crisis management, and travel risk oversight. But a global footprint and a constantly moving workforce created significant challenges. “We have teammates all over the world, and at any moment, a large number of them are traveling,” he says. “But whether they’re in an office or on the road, we have a duty of care to know where our people are and keep them safe.”

Without real-time visibility into emerging threats or a dependable way to notify teammates in harm’s way, that wasn’t possible. “It was difficult to confirm who was affected, where teammates were traveling, or how far a threat had spread,” says Skoglund. “We didn’t have one system that could give us a real-time view of the situation.”

Unifying Threat Monitoring, Traveler Safety, and Emergency Communication in One Platform

When Skoglund began evaluating technology options, he sought a system that could integrate threat intelligence, travel risk management, and emergency communication. “It’s not operationally effective to manage multiple platforms,” he says. “You lose time, and with that, you lose your ability to respond when seconds count.” His goal was to find a partner that could provide his team with a single view of global risk and the tools to act fast.

“AlertMedia checked all the boxes,” says Skoglund. “It gave us the convergence we were looking for—the ability to manage everything through a single pane of glass. We now use AlertMedia for threat intelligence, traveler safety, and mass emergency communication, all in one system.”

Before AlertMedia, Skoglund’s team relied on what he calls “dated methods” of monitoring threats, such as watching the news and manually compiling information from various sources. “Now we can see what’s going on anywhere in the world in real time,” he says. “That situational awareness helps us get ahead of an issue before it turns into a problem. And because the threat intel is human-verified, we are confident that what we’re seeing is credible.”

That same visibility extends to Brown & Brown’s travel security efforts. “At any given time, we have around 1,300 active travel itineraries in AlertMedia,” says Skoglund. His team uses that data to run pre-trip security assessments, monitor itineraries for emerging threats, and send automatic alerts if a traveler’s route overlaps with an affected area. They also rely on AlertMedia’s analyst-curated Travel Briefs, which are location-specific guides that outline current travel risks and safety concerns. Travelers receive real-time notifications and updates through the AlertMedia mobile app, helping them stay informed throughout their trips. “AlertMedia gives us a clear view of where our people are and the risks they may face,” he adds.

And when a threat develops, AlertMedia enables the team to reach the right people quickly. Supporting multiple communication channels—including text, email, WhatsApp, Slack, Teams, voice, mobile app, and desktop takeover—teammates receive alerts in the format that’s most effective for them. “It doesn’t matter what country they’re in or how they prefer to communicate,” says Skoglund. “We can reach them instantly and make sure they know what’s happening.” Two-way communication and wellness check surveys also allow Brown & Brown to confirm teammate safety and get immediate responses during critical events.

AlertMedia supports Brown & Brown’s operations at every level. “With more than 250 local administrators, offices can manage local events independently—while staying aligned with global standards and shared intelligence,” says Skoglund. Brown & Brown is now equipped to oversee global threats, teammate communication, and traveler security from one platform, with immediate visibility and response capabilities.

Turning Real-Time Visibility Into Faster, Safer Communication

AlertMedia has already proven itself through a range of real-world events. When Hurricane Milton hit Florida, Skoglund’s team used the platform to reach roughly 4,800 teammates in the storm’s path. A mass communication went out asking if teammates and their families were safe, with a simple “yes” or “no” response option. “Within just five minutes, nearly 4,000 teammates had confirmed their safety—an impossible outcome under the old email-based process,” says Skoglund. “After 30 minutes, we could focus on the 100 or so people who hadn’t replied or needed help instead of trying to track down 4,800 manually.”

Another incident involved an active shooter near the home of a remote teammate. An AlertMedia alert flagged the teammate’s location inside the affected area, so Skoglund reached out right away. “I was able to contact her immediately to make sure she was safe,” he explains. “She later told me that my message came five or six minutes before local shelter-in-place alerts. That really showed us how much faster AlertMedia can reach someone than traditional channels, and how big a difference those extra minutes can make.”

Regular testing has reinforced teammates’ engagement and trust in AlertMedia. During a recent companywide test, 80% of teammates responded within the first hour and 98% overall. “When you get that kind of response, it tells you people are confident in AlertMedia and understand its value,” says Skoglund.

That trust has strengthened the teammate experience across the organization. “When people know we’re watching out for them, it builds trust,” says Skoglund. “That trust carries through the culture and helps people feel connected.”

After seeing AlertMedia’s impact, other teams began adopting the system for their own needs. The IT team uses the tool to keep teammates informed during widespread, critical outages. The Meetings & Events team creates event-specific groups to deliver instant updates to attendees during large company gatherings. The Real Estate team also uses the platform’s historical Threat Intelligence data to help assess potential risks in new markets as the company expands.

Following a successful rollout across the U.S., Brown & Brown is now deploying AlertMedia in the United Kingdom and other international offices. “As we continue to expand, both organically and through acquisitions, AlertMedia has made it simple to bring new offices and teammates into the system,” he says. “It scales right alongside our program, no matter how fast we grow or where that growth happens.”

Advancing Global Security Through Scalable Technology and Trusted Partnership

Looking ahead, Skoglund’s next priority is to build a global fusion center that combines physical and cybersecurity. “As we continue to mature our program, we’re focusing on the convergence of physical and cybersecurity,” he says. “That means expanding how we track digital risks and using social media intelligence to detect potential threats.”

And as the program evolves, the partnership behind it has become just as important. “AlertMedia isn’t just a platform to us. They’re a partner,” adds Skoglund. “Their analysts, technology, and customer success team have all strengthened how we manage risk and keep our people safe.” As Brown & Brown builds a global fusion center and deepens its focus on converged security, AlertMedia remains a strategic partner, scaling alongside the program and adapting to its evolving needs.