Ashley Cooper

Ashley Cooper is the President & CEO of Paladin Security Group Ltd; Canada’s largest privately-owned, full-service security company with over 14,000 employees in offices operating from coast to coast.

Ashley started working with Paladin as a Security Officer while he was completing his Bachelor of Commerce Degree at the University of British Columbia. It was through this experience that Ashley learned the business from the ground up, recognizing the importance of Security Officers to the success of the organization. Upon graduation, Ashley moved quickly from managing the four-person company, to acquiring the entity in what would be his first of many acquisitions within the security industry. Most recently, Ashley finalized an acquisition enabling Paladin to extend its brand into the United States with PalAmerican Security, operating now in 16 states across the country

In 2012, Ashley was recognized as the Ernst & Young Pacific Regional Entrepreneur of the Year and since 2013, Paladin Security has been listed as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies, achieving Platinum Standard recognition in 2018. Paladin has also been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 10 Most Admired Cultures and Ashley was acknowledged with the 2014 British Columbia CEO of the Year Award for medium sized private companies, as well as being named Canada’s Most Admired CEO for mid-market companies in 2014 through Waterstone Human Capital and MacKay CEO Forums.

Today, after more than 40 years, Paladin continues to deliver excellence and value-added service offerings to clients and partners within hospitals, college campuses, governments, office towers, shopping malls, oil & gas facilities, hotels, residential high-rises, and industrial/ manufacturing facilities, among others.

As the company expands further within Canada and moves deeper into the US market, Ashley’s commitment to integrity and high standards remains. What makes Paladin different is that it is the only national, full service security company that is employee owned and operated. Unlike many of its competitors who are owned by private equity groups, Paladin makes long term decisions based on what Is best for its clients and its team members, and it is this belief in constant and never ending improvement that has enabled Paladin to become the industry leader in quality throughout North America.