OUR PEOPLE
Advisory Group
Mr. Ibn Llama De Leon PPS, CPO
Founder and CEO of Strategic Asset Services, Mr. De Leon has significant and broad experience in security management and systems, risk/crisis mitigation and stakeholder management across the public and private sectors. Over the past 35 years, he has worked in a wide range of security environments and situations, developing a strong network and loyal partnerships across multiple industries and sectors.
During this time he observed industry-wide deficiencies and gaps in the delivery of security services that left clients badly circumstanced. To address this he developed a solution to building resilience and professionalism in T&T’s security industry, creating the first security management model that is the basis of what SAS is today. By expanding into neighbouring Guyana, Mr. De Leon has built the foundations for a powerful and cohesive alignment of resources and best practice to serve clients in two strategic Caricom markets, both with significant resources and assets. Over the years he has successfully managed executive protection for world leaders and other VIPs in both the public and private sectors.
Passionate about diversity, philanthropy and capability development he gives tirelessly and has a keen eye for emerging leadership talent. Born into a musical family he is also a talented lyricist and writer.
Commander Garvin Heerah
Commander Heerah is an Organisational Transformation strategist and provides high level consultancy to corporate and public sectors on Transformation and Corporate Governance. He is also a writer and performer of Monologues and poems. As a former state official Commander Heerah has steered and implemented numerous projects and initiatives within the National Security landscape, inter-ministerial integration and current affairs both regionally and internationally.
He was the author and strategic driver for the Safe City Concept for Trinidad and Tobago and is presently the Director for Homeland Security and Cyber Security Initiatives for the Caribbean Israeli Leadership Coalition (CILC). As an academic, Commander Heerah is a faculty member of Anglia Ruskin University, the Cambridge University Business School UK, and lectures on the MBA programme at School of Accounting and Management (SAM).
He is a senior governor on the Boards of Governors for Anglia Ruskin University UK and SAM. He has been a returning visitor to the Marshall Centre, as a PTSS graduate, COI speaker and Adjunct Lecturer.
Colonel Lyle E. Alexander CPP, FinstLM
Colonel Alexander is the founder & Principal Consultant of A.R.M Specialists Ltd, a Risk Management Consulting and Training company. He has the distinction of being the first person in Trinidad & Tobago to become a Board-Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and has been for the past 28 years. He has considerable experience in working collaboratively with executive leadership to design risk mitigation solutions and developing risk management policy and procedures for companies while delivering training programmes for security and business personnel in Security Awareness, Industrial Security and Personal Protection.
He has also been engaged by the Organisation of American States to design and deliver specialized tourism security training to law enforcement and security officers from various countries in the Caribbean.
Colonel Alexander is a graduate of the ASIS International sponsored, Executive Leadership Programme at Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania and has been recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Leadership & Management, UK.
Mr. Owen Verwey BSc, MBA
Owen Verwey is a public management career professional with 20+ years’ regional and international experience. The former CEO of Go-Invest Guyana he led the Government of Guyana’s Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency, facilitating c.$320M in potential investor interest. He also chaired the country’s steering committee to plan and manage Guyana’s first oil and gas exposition.
Prior to that he held senior leadership roles in policy, capital and development financing in public and private sectors organisations in Canada and the UK. As Director of Business Development for SAS he plays a key role in assurance and service delivery as well as securing our continued licence to operate.
Passionate about volunteering and regional development Owen was a Board member of the Caribbean Export Development Agency and the Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies. He is also a member of AOLE (the Association of Ontario Land Economists).
He holds an MBA from University of Exeter and BSc in Economics from the University of Guyana.
Mr. Mikhael S. Newman BSc, MSc
Mikhael Newman is an internationally experienced and commercially astute strategist from a marketing and corporate affairs background with proven results in startups and blue-chip multinationals like BP, Nestlé and GSK. Founder of The Genlinx Partnership he is a crisis and reputation specialist with deep experience in developing markets, particularly the EMEA and Latam-Caribbean regions.
Over the course of his career his passions and capabilities have facilitated the creation of a global centre of excellence, two start-up social enterprises and set a foundation for significant investment.
An amateur chef and philanthropist he enjoys volunteering, coaching, theatre, dancing and martial arts. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, a member of the Oxford-GlobeScan Global Corporate Affairs Council and an alumnus of the Universities of Oxford and London.
Trainers
Mr. Curtis S. Belford BSc, MCJ
A distinguished criminal justice practitioner, Mr. Curtis S. Belford has a wealth of theoretical and practical expertise and experience. He is a 25-year veteran of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) having served as a patrol officer, detective, training instructor, administrative assistant, special operations officer and court recorder.
He now serves as the Senior Superintendent Strategic Training and Development for the Trinidad and Tobago Municipal Police Service (TTMPS). He also served as the Records Manager and Chief Crime Analyst at the Special Anti-Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago from 2003 to 2008 and as the Deputy Director in the Office of Law Enforcement Policy (OLEP), Ministry of National Security from 2008 to 2020.
As the Deputy Director of OLEP, Mr. Belford successfully coordinated recruitment and training programmes for Municipal, Special Reserve and Supplemental Police Officers, Traffic Wardens, Litter Wardens, School Safety Officers and other law enforcement practitioners.
He is the holder of a Bachelor’s Degree (Hons) in Criminal Justice Administration and Planning from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York.. He is also the holder of Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University and a Diploma in National Security Studies from Galilee International Management Institute, Israel.
Mr. Oluyemi Mashama MSc
Mr. Oluyemi Mashama is employed with National Security Training Agency from October 2020 to present as an Instructor in Controlled Tactics. Previously he was the Master Instructor at The Trinidad and Tobago Police Academy . He is also the founder and owner A.S.M.A Security Academy since 2010 where he trained thousands of persons both in the law enforcement agencies and civilians nationally and international in Self defense, Baton, Use of Force, Handcuffing and Instructor Development just to name a few.
He holds the title of Professor in Martial Arts, Advance Instructor Development Instructor (FBI Academy) and is a certified Defensive Tactics Master Instructor (Penn State University and Sarfariland Training Group), Mr. Mashama is a holder of a MSc in National Security and Intelligence.
Mashama is a strong advocate for personal safety and professionalism, whose motto is ‘Learning is lifelong, Knowledge is Eternal’.
Oluyemi is currently the President of the Trinidad and Tobago Ju Jitsu Federation, Institute of Martial Arts and Sciences Americas and also serves as the Assistant Leader of the Greenvale Police Youth club.
Mr. Derryck M. Espinoza BSc, MSc
Derryk Espinoza is a Police Inspector with the Trinidad & Tobago Police Service. A Firearms Instructor certified by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and the United States Navy (NCIS), he is a Use of Force Instructor having contributed to the development of the TTPS Use of Force Policy. He is also an Advanced Instructor certified by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (Department of Justice U.S.A.) to certify other instructors.
He has developed the TTPS Tactical and Survival Training Programmes and has trained numerous officers of the TTPS, the Trinidad and Tobago Prison Service and the Trinidad and Tobago Municipal Police.
He holds a Master of Studies in Applied Criminology and Police Management from the University of Cambridge, Master of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science Degrees in both Psychology and Sports Management and a Certificate in Education in the Art and Science of Coaching from the University of the West Indies.
Mr. Jerome Jagroop BSc, MBA
​Mr. Jerome Jagroop is an inspector at the Police Academy, Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) responsible for the Field Training Programme. A 21-year veteran of the TTPS he is also a certified Master Field Training Officer. He holds an MBA from Anglia Ruskin University and a BSc (Hons) degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Greenwich. Mr. Jagroop is the current secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Associate Region of the International Police Association (IPA) and a member of the Human Resource Management Association of Trinidad and Tobago (HRMATT).
He has served on several key committees within the Police Academy and developed policies that contributed to the institution being registered with the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago. Mr. Jagroop has been instrumental in designing the current Probationers Development Policy to enhance the Field Training Programme for the TTPS in which he continues to exhibit a great passion. He developed the Field Training Officer Program and supports external law enforcement agencies with his vast knowledge and expertise by conducting lectures in various induction and developmental training at various institutions including the Trinidad and Tobago Municipal Police Service (TTMPS), Traffic Warden Division, Immigration Detention Centre and Praedial Larceny Squad.
Mr. Kenneth Green
​Kenneth Green is a security professional with over 25 years’ management experience in the security industry across Jamaica, Trinidad, St. Kitts and Nevis and Guyana. Having managed several high-profile contracts including diplomatic missions in Trinidad and Tobago, he was appointed to the Private Security Network Commission as a Commissioner in 2012, helping to drive the agenda for Private Security Agencies and Law Enforcement to coordinate crime reducing strategies and share information in the fight against crime.
One of the champions for the regulation of the Private Security Industry in Trinidad, Kenneth also formed part of a working group of security professionals and the Ministry of Legal Affairs to draft legislation to regulate the security industry on Trinidad & Tobago. Kenneth was also invited by the University of the West Indies to participate as a panellist on discussions on the regulation of the private security industry in the English-speaking Caribbean, coordinated by the University of Ontario. Kenneth is currently an independent security professional who currently sits as Secretary to the ASIS South Chapter # 257, as well as the Secretary for the Trinidad and Tobago Private Security Association. His other interests include the culinary arts, traveling, reading and target shooting.