Lyris Graham-Williams knows what it means to lead, and to follow. At home, her husband takes the reins, and she embraces her role as wife and helper, grounded in their Christian faith and mutual respect. But for two years at Amalgamated Security Services Limited (ASSL), the roles reversed. In the office, he reported to her.
“Interestingly, we were both comfortable with that arrangement because we had clearly defined the spaces,” Lyris says. While she managed crises and oversaw the safety of thousands, she returned home to something different, a chance to unwind and simply be present.
“It was genuinely a relief to come home to an environment where I didn’t have to have all the answers. That balance was healthy for me.”
She laughs as she recalls a story her husband once shared at a seminar. His only challenge with the arrangement was that he felt she was harder on him than on any other member of the team.
“And he was probably right!” she admits. “He later chalked it up to me avoiding any appearance of favouritism, which was absolutely true. If anything, I held him to a higher standard precisely because I cared deeply about the integrity of the team. He understood, and we laughed about it. We still do.”
That chapter has passed, but the lessons she learned about leadership, fairness, and balance continue to shape her approach.
Lyris serves as the Deputy Chief Operations Officer and Chief Security Officer at ASSL. Overseeing a Guard Service Business Unit of approximately 2,800 people, her day-to-day workload isn’t for the weak. On any given day, she’s tackling issues across multiple departments.
She develops and implements strategic security programmes, leads her team in updating protocols, and ensures standards and regulations are maintained.
“I also manage budgets, conduct training sessions to drive a culture of security awareness, and spearhead onboarding initiatives that help our staff truly understand their mission,” she adds.
Nobody would believe that at 22, when she applied to the company, she had only planned to stay in the security industry for 12 months. At the time, her family was confused, and with good reason. She was tutoring Mathematics and was firmly on a path towards Law.
“So walking into a uniform was, let’s just say, unexpected, especially for the people who knew me best. I honestly can’t give you a single, neat answer as to why I stayed, but in my heart, I believe it was God-centred. I arrived at a place where I met a group of hardworking officers who showed me what family away from home truly looked like.”
That sense of family was nurtured by the company’s chairman, who mentored her. Lyris began a rise that saw her move from security officer in 1996 to supervisor, duty officer, and eventually, the executive suite.
By 26, she was appointed the youngest manager of the Port-of-Spain branch, the company’s largest division. The promotion came with a comedic sense of timing, just two days before she got married.
“When I returned from my shortened honeymoon, I was simultaneously a new wife, a Bible school student, and the manager of one of the most demanding divisions in the company. My days started at 3.30 am and didn’t end until 11 o’clock at night, until I found my rhythm. My husband was extraordinary through all of it. We did chores together, we built systems that freed up time for me, and he gave me the room to grow without guilt.”
A mum of one, her climb was fuelled by her passion for education. From El Dorado West Secondary and St Augustine Secondary, to Bethel Bible Institute, and finally Anglia Ruskin University, where she earned a Bachelor’s in Business Management and an MBA in Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation.
Her hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed, either. She has a long list of professional accolades, including the 2015 Chairman’s Golden Award, a Special Award in 2018 recognising her personal sacrifice in times of need, and back-to-back Chairman’s Platinum Awards in 2022 and 2023 for her commitment to the welfare of her officers.
Despite the “Boss Lady” status, Lyris, now 51, is candid about the realities of the job. With the rising crime rate, she admits to feeling some anxiety.
“I would not be human if I said otherwise,” she notes, adding that as a woman in the industry, she feels the weight of the risks in a way that her male counterparts may not.
She manages the pressure through international qualifications, Certified Protection Professional (CPP), Certified Protection Officer (CPO), and Certified Protection Officer Instructor (CPOI), and through faith.
“Every day, before I step into my role, I commit my path to God. That act of surrender gives me a grounded calm that nothing else can replicate.”
Looking back, she realises that her childhood dream of the courtroom wasn’t that far off from her reality.
“Security, at its heart, is about justice. It’s about protecting people, upholding standards, and ensuring that the vulnerable are safe,” she reasons. “Perhaps, the little girl who wanted to be a lawyer found her calling after all, just in a uniform rather than a courtroom.”
