Philip Grindell

Spear’s Review

When Philip Grindell retired from the police in 2019, having led the effort to protect MPs after the death of Jo Cox, he set up Defuse to safeguard high-profile individuals and corporations from physical, reputational and psychological harm.

Grindell combines protective intelligence, behavioural science and rigorous data analysis in order to keep his clients safe and eliminate the anxiety caused by intimidation and threats, carefully building bespoke packages for each client based on their individual circumstances.

Defuse recruits from GCHQ and police protection units. Grindell has been described by Baroness Sharmishta Chakrabarti as an ‘expert in respect of threats to public and high-profile figures and managing risk through practical solutions’.

Adviser Profile

Philip is the CEO and founder of Defuse, a global consultancy specialising in threat investigation and crisis management.

With almost 30 years of experience as a Scotland Yard Detective, including a three-year secondment to British Intelligence, Philip has honed his expertise in threat intelligence, risk management and protective security. 

He served as the Counter-Terrorism Security Coordinator tasked with developing the security plans to keep high-profile events attended by members of the Royal Family, Government ministers and the military safe from terrorist and other attacks. 

Philip’s expertise in identifying physical, reputational and psychological threats was put to the test during his time as the team leader responsible for the protection of MPs following the fatal attack on Jo Cox MP. 

This assisted Philip in identifying the threat that prevented the next attack on a Member of Parliament and a serving police officer in 2017. 

Why choose Defuse? We are problem solvers. We have decades of proven operational expertise in identifying, assessing and managing threats, including stalking, harassment and other unwanted attention. 

When you are engaged in a dispute, being harassed, threatened or stalked, it can cause anxiety, paranoia and even hypervigilance. Clients tell us that these issues become the sole focus of their attention, disrupting their sleep, and impacting their personal and professional lives. 

You want the reassurance that any specialist you employ really understands the issue and can differentiate a real threat from those who seek to intimidate and threaten you. 

We specialise in preventing, investigating and helping to resolve such issues, whilst mitigating the risks. Our purpose is to help you feel safer. That means helping you to solve whatever problem is causing you concern. 

Philip has a MSc in Security Management and is a Chartered Security Professional.