Executive Protection Institute

What Executive Protection Institute does

Executive Protection Institute (EPI), founded in 1978 by Dr. Richard W. Kobetz in New York, is a privately-held training institution that pioneered the professional executive protection (EP) training category. EPI created the Personal Protection Specialist (PPS) credential that the Commonwealth of Virginia formally adopted for armed close-protection registration, and its Providing Executive Protection 7-Day Program has run continuously twice yearly since inception, serving as the basis for Virginia DCJS training standards (DCJS#88-1843). The institute operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Protection Group LLC (IPG), which acquired it in 2009 and is led by Executive Director Jerry Heying.

EPI's product portfolio centers on the 7-Day flagship (100+ hours of instruction at $4,699), supplemented by firearms (Protectors Pistol/Shotgun, $1,450), Protection Driving ($1,350) with online prerequisites, the proprietary Protection Response Tactics (PRT) modular system co-developed with Alan Baker, celebrity and corporate aircraft security courses, behavioral analysis and active-shooter programs, an Instructor Development course, and the Executive Protection Risk Management (EPRM) framework authored by Kevin Palacios. Delivery mixes in-person training in Winchester/Martinsburg, Virginia (and worldwide on custom request) with online courses priced from free (PCT:101) to $375. Supporting the curriculum is the Nine Lives Associates (NLA), an invitation-only graduate network using a distinctive Black Cat lapel pin and providing priority service-request notifications.

EPI generates revenue almost entirely through per-course tuition at price points from $125 to $4,699, augmented by NLA membership, branded apparel/accessories through store.personalprotection.com, financing options, and discounted corporate/military/law-enforcement pricing. Sales channels include direct self-serve enrollment on personalprotection.com, custom corporate training, in-person cohorts in Virginia, and the EPI Latam channel serving Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking Latin America in partnership with HELPS Latam and Arona Executive Services. EPI holds an ASIS Preferred CPE Provider designation and faculty members hold leadership roles in ASIS, ASET, and IPSB, embedding the institute in the global EP professional association ecosystem.

Name

Executive Protection Institute

Legal name

Executive Protection Institute

Website

https://personalprotection.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Executive Protection Institute (EPI) is a New York-based, IPG-owned training school founded in 1978 that delivers credentialed executive protection and Personal Protection Specialist (PPS) courses to individual security professionals, military veterans, corporate security teams, and government clients in the U.S. and 60+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Training Programs: EPI generates revenue through professional training programs including the flagship 7-Day Providing Executive Protection Program, firearms courses, protection driving programs, defensive tactics modules, and specialized courses. Tuition ranges from $125 to $4,699 depending on course duration and content.
2. Executive Protection Services: IPG provides Personal Protection Specialists for dignitaries, corporations, celebrities and private families on continuous or emergency basis. Services include protective agents, consulting services, threat assessments, and crisis management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Executive Protection Institute (EPI) provides professional executive protection training programs, with the flagship 7-Day Providing Executive Protection Program established in 1978. EPI delivers firearms courses, defensive tactics (Protection Response Tactics), protection driving programs, celebrity protection training, and other specialty courses that meet Virginia DCJS standards for Personal Protection Specialist (PPS) credentialing. The institute also operates the Nine Lives Associates (NLA) graduate membership network and offers custom corporate training programs worldwide.

Product overview

The Executive Protection Institute (EPI) offers a comprehensive portfolio of professional protection training programs, centered around its flagship Providing Executive Protection 7-Day Program established in 1978. The institute provides firearms training (Protectors Pistol/Shotgun Course), defensive tactics (Protection Response Tactics modules), protection driving programs, and specialty courses covering celebrity protection, corporate aircraft security, active shooter survival, and situational awareness. EPI also offers online courses, an instructor development program, and operates the Nine Lives Associates membership network for graduates. The programs exceed Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services standards and prepare individuals for Personal Protection Specialist (PPS) credentials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Providing Executive Protection 7-Day Program The flagship training program offering over 100 hours of instruction since 1978, covering protective skills, counter-terrorism training, medical response, and soft skills for executive protection professionals.
• Protectors Pistol/Shotgun Course

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates are sought after by employers worldwide for high-level security roles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Protection Group (IPG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPG purchased EPI in 2009. IPG is the parent company of EPI and International Protective Service Agency (IPSA). IPG CEO Jerry Heying leads EPI efforts. IPG was established in 1989 and is multiple state-licensed security and investigation company.
• Nine Lives Associates (NLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated and provided by EPI, NLA is a private network of inducted graduates of the Providing Executive Protection Program. The association advances the art and science of personal protection with worldwide recognition through Black Cat lapel pin.
• ASIS InternationalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEPI is an ASIS Preferred CPE Provider. Jerry Heying serves on the ASIS Executive Protection Council and has held numerous positions with ASIS International. EPI training qualifies for CPE credits.
• Academy of Security Educators and Trainers (ASET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASET awards Certified Security Trainer (CST) credential. EPI partners with ASET for instructor development courses. Jerry Heying is President of ASET. Multiple EPI faculty serve on ASET board.
• International Protective Services Board (IPSB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJerry Heying is a Founding Board Member of IPSB. The board establishes standards for protective services industry.
• Professional Bodyguard Association (PBA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based organization founded in 1985, accredited by Pearson Education. EPI graduates qualify for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program toward PBA's BTEC Level 3 Certificate for Close Protection Operatives.
• International Foundation of Protection Officers (IFPO)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIFPO is listed as an EPI associate organization for protection officer professional development.
• International Protection Service Agency (IPSA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIPSA is a subsidiary of IPG (EPI's parent company). Provides executive protection services and security operations. Regional offices in Georgia, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia.
• Professional Bodyguard AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as EPI associate organization for professional bodyguard certification and training.
• Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPI's Providing Executive Protection Program meets and exceeds Virginia DCJS standards. In 1994, Virginia developed training standards based on EPI's program. EPI holds DCJS#88-1843 credential.
• HELPS LatamminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKevin Palacios is Latin America Director of EPI and Executive Director of HELPS Latam, providing protective services in 18 countries across Latin America.
• Arona Executive Services, LLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAntonio Alfonso is EPI instructor and owner of Arona Executive Services, providing executive protection services. Involved in program development for Latin America.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO): Non-profit offering the Certified Protection Officer (CPO) and other security credentials to a similar practitioner audience. Already listed as an EPI associate organization and competes for budget share of in-service training hours.
• Professional Bodyguard Association (PBA): UK-founded bodyguard training and certification body (Pearson-accredited BTEC) with cross-recognition of EPI's flagship program via the Recognition of Prior Learning program. A comparable credentialing competitor with strong UK/EMEA footprint.
• Executive Security International (ESI): Long-standing rival executive-protection training school offering multi-day immersive protective-services programs at comparable tuition points. Closest head-to-head competitor to EPI's flagship 7-Day Program in the US EP-training niche.

Broad incumbents

• Constellis (formerly Academi / Blackwater): Large security services and training provider with both protective-services contracts and training operations across government and corporate buyers. Operates at far greater scale, providing both training and protective-services delivery similar to IPG/EPI's combined offering.
• Gavin de Becker and Associates: Established protective-services firm that also runs internal training academies for its agents and is dominant in celebrity/principal protection. Comparable in protective-services DNA but operates at much larger scale than EPI's training arm.
• Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC): US government centralized training facility for federal law enforcement. Represents the public-sector incumbent that EP professionals frequently cite as a benchmark and that has historically shaped curriculum standards EPI aligns with.
• ASIS International: Global professional association for security management with the CPP/PSP/PCI credentials. EPI is an ASIS Preferred CPE Provider and Jerry Heying sits on the ASIS Executive Protection Council — making ASIS both a partner and the broader channel that owns adjacent credentials.
• Crestwood Protective Services / Pinkerton (Securitas): Established global protective-services and investigations brand (Pinkerton, now part of Securitas) that operates internal EP training pipelines for corporate and executive clients. Comparable at the corporate-buyer level though not a direct niche-training rival.

Emerging players

• Academy of Security Educators and Trainers (ASET): Industry association certifying security trainers (CST credential). EPI faculty partner with ASET and Jerry Heying is ASET President — adjacent credentialing competitor in the instructor-certification segment.
• International Protective Services Board (IPSB): Industry board co-founded by Jerry Heying that establishes standards for protective services. Functions as a quasi-regulatory industry body and an indirect channel/policy partner for EPI's credentialing positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/embed/FLJ0TiDj5Pg?rel=0
• Xx.com/EpiHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/ExecutiveProtectionInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/executive-protection-institute

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Executive Protection Institute