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Julia Hollingsworth

Missing billionaire Xiao Jianhua’s decision to hire an all-female bodyguard team is very unusual, say security experts.
Xiao, who is understood to have left Hong Kong’s luxury Four Seasons hotel with mainland agents, was seen on video accompanied by two female bodyguards. Previous media reports said he would, at times, have up to eight female bodyguards on each shift.

Bruce McLaren, the chief operating officer of security company Signal 8 Security, which has been operating in Hong Kong for 25 years, said that while it was common for female VIPs, it was unusual for a male client to hire an all-female team.
“I don’t understand why you would have so many female bodyguards,” he said of reports Xiao had a team of eight. “There’s no logical reason for that.”
Tumultuous times for China’s tycoons
McLaren added there were benefits to having some female bodyguards; they could accompany female VIPs into toilets or changing areas and were often less obvious than a male.
“A lot of the time people just hire big monsters, they attract attention,” McLaren said.
 
And female bodyguards could be just as strong as their male counterparts, said McLaren, such as his business partner Kim-Maree Penn – an ex-Australian karate champion and one of the few top female bodyguards in the industry.

“My business partner can kick my ass,” he said.
Gary Bukowicki, chairman of Hong Kong Security Association and executive director at security firm G4S, said there weren’t many female bodyguards in Hong Kong, although female celebrities would hire one or two as part of their eight-strong security team – a common size for a security detail.
“It’s quite unusual to have a whole team of females looking after a male,” he said.
Why missing Chinese billionaire Xiao Jianhua and Hollywood star Robert De Niro have a stake in island paradise
Bukowicki said female bodyguards were less conspicuous and were better around children.
“A guy stands out quite a lot, especially if they go to schools or other events like that. If a female turns up it doesn’t look so profiled,” he said.
G4S employs three women out of about 150 staff, and all were paid the same regardless of gender, Bukowicki said.
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the former leader of Libya who was captured and killed in 2011 was well known for having an all-female unit of bodyguards.


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Xiao Jianhua

Chinese billionaire Xiao Jianhua’s all-female bodyguards ‘quite unusual’, say security experts

Female guards ‘more subtle, as big monsters just attract attention’

SPCL for South China Morning Post__Female bodyguard Kim Maree Penn poses for photographs in Los Angeles, Califronia, on January 08, 2008. AFP PHOTO/Jewel SAMAD

WEIBO capture of Xiao Jianhua. Photo: Weibo

Former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was known for having an all-female bodyguard team. Photo: AFP