Pam Petrow succeeds Murphy as Vector president/CEO

PHILADELPHIA—Vector Security, which last week lost its longtime president, John Murphy, announced Oct. 19 that its board had appointed Pam Petrow, former EVP and COO of the company as the new president and CEO.

Petrow said she and Murphy had been discussing her succession for a while. “Just as with everything at Vector, John was focused on direction,” Petrow said. “We're a very deliberate company. This was absolutely something we'd been talking about for a while.”

A release from Vector states that Murphy selected Petrow as his successor before his death and that her taking over is part of a carefully laid plan for the direction of one of the largest full-service alarm companies in the U.S. “Petrow will now be in charge of moving the company forward on the successful path which Mr. Murphy began when he became President and COO of Vector Security, Inc. in 1991,” the release reads.

Petrow said her immediate and long-term goals were to continue with Murphy's vision for the company. “There are two pieces of John's legacy. There are his industry-wide contributions, but then—as important—there's his team here that he developed and mentored. And what we do to honor his memory is to use the knowledge he imparted to grow Vector and enhance our position as a company in the industry,” Petrow said. “My focus this week has been touching base with all the offices, talking with the managers and the employees and being sure they're okay with what's happening, making sure that, internally, we're all on the right page. We have great people in all the offices and great leaders in all the districts who have made sure that we're all okay with everything during this time of loss, mourning and transition.”

During her 28 years at Vector Security, Petrow has worked extensively with the CSAA and with municipalities and other public safety organizations to improve communications and implement standards.