With hindsight, former Australian army officer and Afghanistan veteran-turned lawyer Glenn Kolomeitz concedes it was not his best business pitch.
In the past six months, GAP – including Kolomeitz’s Veteran and Legal Services arm – has facilitated the evacuation and processing of aboutUkraine“We’re a private business, and while we’re not a registered not-for-profit, we’re best described as an ‘altruistic’ business model,” Mr Kolomeitz said. “We’re not out to make a fortune or get rich.
“You need trusted eyes on the ground, and you want a team that’s culturally aware and able to quickly adapt to a fast-changing situation.” GAP sustains its pro bono work through the income it makes from contracts with NGOs, and by handling submissions and legal cases on behalf of Australian veterans funded by the Commonwealth.Like Mr Kolomeitz, Tony Loughran, founder and director of Sydney-based consultancy ZeroRisk, has a military background, having served in the British Royal Navy Commandos from 1981 to 1992.
Zero Risk offers security and medical training seminars starting from $750 a person for a day. The company’s one-year premium package can be purchased on a sliding scale, starting from $1500 for businesses of up to five employees, and rising to $120,000 for a workforce of 200 staff. Many in his contractor network are former UK Royal Protection security officers, along with ex-army personnel from the US, Canada and Britain.