The Argus Europe Team

Nick McCarthy
Head of Centre
Nick is a Director for Argus Europe and the Head of Centre. He has been involved with Argus since 2005, initially at an operational level and later helping to develop the organisation as a training centre.
 
As a former Parachute Regiment soldier with a variety of operational deployments behind him, Nick transitioned to civilian security on leaving the army. He became a Security Consultant for a major diamond mining project in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Following this, he worked as a Close Protection Officer and Professional Investigator in the United Kingdom.
Nick has helped develop numerous businesses in the security industry. This experience led him to mentor many students, helping them establish themselves within the sector and, in some cases, set up or grow their own businesses.
 
Nick has volunteered numerous times over the past decade, which included a stint on the General Council of the Association of British
Investigators—an organisation dedicated to driving standards in the investigation sector.
He maintains a wide spectrum of contacts and continues to operate actively within the industry where he trains.
Brian Tough QGM
Brian Tough
President

The founder and now President of Argus Europe, Brian has had a long and distinguished career – initially as a Special Forces soldier and then subsequently as a Bodyguard and Security Consultant.

A former bodyguard to Director Special Forces, Sheikh Yamani, Princess Caroline of Monaco, King Hussain of Jordan and other high-profile individuals. During his military service, Brian was a Special Forces Instructor in Close Quarter Battle (C.Q.B), Surveillance, Close Protection Training and Counter Terrorism. Brian also worked as the security consultant for Newcastle United FC for over 10 years.

Brian founded Argus Europe Limited in 1992 and operated in the HNW sector for many years before moving Argus into the training environment to deliver bespoke courses to the security sector.

Martin Cartwright
Martin Cartwright Profile Image
General Manager
Martin is the General Manager for Argus Europe Ltd. He is an accomplished civil and criminal law investigator with over 20 years of experience.
Martin developed his expertise while serving with both the Royal Military Police and the Metropolitan Police Service. During his service, he conducted and managed numerous complex criminal investigations, including major crimes.
 
Following his career in the police force, Martin transitioned to civil law investigations within the UK and internationally. He has successfully operated in multiple complex and hostile environments, including Afghanistan, The Democratic Republic of Congo and Mali.

In these regions, he applied his extensive evidence-gathering expertise to support high-stakes civil litigation cases.
Chris Shaw
Consultant - QHSE

Chris is a Guest Instructor at Argus, specialising in threat and risk assessment, protective intelligence, secure journey management, and hostile planning cycles. An Argus graduate, he has worked in the private security sector since 2010, developing a career that spans operational close protection, security advisory and management roles, and the design and integration of security systems for diplomatic, commercial, and corporate clients.

Today, Chris holds a global position within a major international organisation, leading programmes across travel and assignee security, global assistance, executive protection, and security risk intelligence. He brings students a practitioner’s perspective shaped by more than a decade of frontline experience and the realities of delivering security at scale in complex environments.

Joanne Baker
abi-solutions-joanne-baker
Administrator

Experienced, quality focused & resourceful, Joanne supports all of our projects handling the administration for Argus Europe Ltd.

Throughout her career, she has demonstrated the ability to manage numerous projects, understanding the importance of compliance, quality, budgeting and performance in order to achieve business objectives. An effective communicator with great people skills, Joanne develops good relationships with clients, employers and partner organisations.