Ridge Global Launches New Maritime Consulting Team Top-tier Maritime Experts to Address Challenges in Global Maritime Risk and Sovereignty Management WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ridge Global, an international provider of security and risk management services, today announced the launch of Flag Bridge™, a new service focused on maritime risk and sovereignty management. The Flag Bridge team includes an elite cadre of former U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) admirals and distinguished maritime professionals, including: Admiral Tom Collins, 22nd Commandant of the USCG; Vice Admiral Jim Hull; former USCG Area Commander; Rear Admiral Norm Saunders, former USCG District Commander; and Dan Sheehan, former USCG Chief Information Officer. Flag Bridge is organized to provide high-level, strategic consulting services in both the public and private sectors. Clients will benefit from decades of operational experience as well as the convenience of being able to access these experts through a single source. "It is an honor to bring a team of this caliber to market," said former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, president and CEO of Ridge Global. Our experts have distinguished themselves individually as leaders in the areas of maritime safety, security and environmental management, and we are fortunate to be able to offer their collective knowledge and experience to address challenges in the global maritime domain. Admiral Collins added: "It is incredibly rewarding to be able to join forces with my former Coast Guard colleagues and other distinguished experts, and to continue contributing to global maritime prosperity." The Flag Bridge team will support maritime nations, defense contractors, ship owners and management companies, maritime industry associations, law firms, and other private sector clients with maritime interests. Strategic consulting support will focus in three primary maritime management areas: safety; security; and environmental. Luke Ritter, principal for Global Trade Security at Ridge Global, will manage the Flag Bridge service. Ritter is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate with over 20 years of maritime experience. "We have assembled some of the most exceptional maritime experts and former senior officers into one focused team," said Ritter. Their command experience and industry insights will be a force multiplier for our clients. About Ridge Global Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Ridge Global provides strategic and operational services that advance the security and economic interests of businesses and governments worldwide. Led by The Honorable Tom Ridge, the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and former governor of Pennsylvania, Ridge Global offers international expertise across a scope of risk management and core business concerns, including security and infrastructure protection, emergency preparedness and response, energy, maritime management and strategic growth. For further information, please visit www.ridgeglobal.com. SOURCE Ridge Global