"I was night shift commander when I entered the private sector, and I had been a big fish in a pretty small pond. When I became a small fish in a large pond, it was a bit of a culture shock," says Parry. Adapting meant learning new skills and new ways of operating. "I learned that authority based on position wasn't the path to success. It just doesn't get you as much in the private sector. The ability to influence became much more important than the ability to control." And he's had ample opportunity to refine his ability to influence as a division security manager for Raytheon, head of safety and security for Iron Mountain and now at Novartis.

Parry has learned, too, that even influence doesn't have to be direct. Today he knows his message is getting across "when people I haven't spoken directly to are using my words, my examples, or echoing my philosophies," he says.

The two biggest changes he's seen during his career have been in technology and in the way that risk is viewed and defined.

Parry's view is that technology has given organizations more information about risk and lets them understand risk in new ways.