The ASIS UK Chapter AGM and winter seminar on November 20 drew some 100 security folk. The host was ASIS UK committee man Mick Edgell, of Thompson Reuters in Canary Wharf.
See also the ASIS UK blog – http://asisuk.blogspot.com/
Pictured Stuart Lowden – other photos in the January print issue of Professional Security magazine – courtesy of Mike Hurst.
Hugh Mcleod of Assynt Associates updated the attendees on the continuing threat of Al Qaeda – ‘Al Qaeda is still in business’, he said – which was complemented by Lord Toby Harris. The Labour peer spoke on terror current threats. After a coffee break, Martin Smith of The Security Company (International) spoke entertainingly on the fallibility of the ‘mark one human being’ as part of a total security solution.
Chapter chairman Barrie Millett took the opportunity to thank the membership and committee for their efforts (membership up 6 per cent to more than 700) and looked forward to double digit growth in 2009. New UK committee appointees include Dan Hooton of the Prudential (as an ex-armed forces man, to act as a link to current and former forces people looking to enter private security) and new members to lead on international standards (Roger Bird) and regional meetings (Tim Hodges). The UK body aims to run more breakfast briefings out of London, as in 2008.
Also during the seminar Nigel Flower received the Mervyn David Award for services both to ASIS and the wider security profession, from the winner last year, Peter French. Receiving the award Nigel said: "I was, as you will have noticed, very surprised but proud and privileged to join such an august group of fellow recipients of the beautiful silver salver given in memory of the late Air Commodore Mervyn David. Mervyn was an excellent chairman of the Chapter, its first President and a fine example to us all of how a member should conduct himself and I am very proud to have served under him. This award remembers his work for the Chapter, the Society and security in general (he had been of course been Head of RAF Security and at Shell) and I am deeply moved and grateful to have been recognised in this way by the members of [UK] Chapter 208. It was also a very nice touch that Peter French, last year’s recipient was on hand to present it to me.”
About Nigel Flower
He joined ASIS in 1984 after a ull career in the Army, retiring with the rank of Colonel, having served in the infantry and Intelligence Corps. He is a Russian speaker and has worked extensively in that country and eastern Europe. He joined Honeywell UK as Head of Security responsible for EMEA until leaving in 1989 to set up his own consultancy. In 1991 he helped set up the ASC (Association of Security Consultants)and was one of its first chairmen. He gained his CPP (Certified Protection Professional) qualificiation in 1985 (presented by Mervyn David) and has served on the Chapter 208 Committee or a number of years covering membership.
