Happy March everyone, don’t forget it’s Mothering Sunday on March 30, for those of you that are lucky enough to still have one; and International Women’s Day falls on a Saturday, March 8. Under the Women in Security (WiS) banner we are holding another of our afternoon teas at the Hilton Metropole at the NEC outside Birmingham, on the Thursday before, fully booked I am told.
Let’s get straight into the gossip that you love so much and I have quite a lot to fit in. I’ll start with Mark Rainbow! He has joined APS (Advanced Perimeter Systems, to give their full name). You know them as the electronic fencing company that’s always at our Security TWENTY shows, trying to electrocute anyone with the offer of a (small) bottle of whiskey. Now you may not know this but Mark worked for Ogier Electronics (whom I used, back in my installation days when installing CCTV in town centres). My point is that Mark was there for 25 years before he moved onto 360 Vision Technology, where he did three years and he then did just over two years at Remark AI.
I know, he doesn’t look that old. He is also a part-time steward at Wembley stadium; and, no, don’t ring him for free tickets! Have you heard, that Steve Proctor has joined Sat Secure as the MD. Steve spent four years working with Ajax, and Sat Secure were one of his distributors that he saw come from the bottom of his customer list to the second from top, he built up such a great rapport with the owner, Jay Shah (pictured left) that he offered him the role. Steve (pictured right) is also looking to move down to a little place on the south Devon coast called Beer, which I have visited and yes it’s very nice, although not with as much of that beverage as you might be led to expect. That’s a long way to commute to Manchester but Steve said he will be there every week.
Mike White who as you know was with G4S and who was with us at the ST25 Belfast show last month, has set up his own company called Hampton Risk and Security Management Limited (HRSM) and is proud to announce that he is working with a City of London Livery Company, the Mercers’ Company, to offer the opportunity for a security solutions provider to deliver security guarding services to the Company at their City of London location, Mercers’ Hall.
Mast Digital UK Ltd the Doncaster distributor have appointed a business development manager (BDM) for the South West, Lee Smith. He has 15 years of experience as an engineer in the marine industry, specialising in building luxury yachts. He said: “I transitioned into marine electronics, supplying and fitting advanced AV [audio-visual] systems, CCTV, networking, intrusion detection, satellite TV, and communication systems. Later, I expanded my expertise by supplying to both commercial and domestic installers, building a strong relationship with Mast as a valued customer.” He’s a poacher turned game keeper, eh!
Integrated Control Technology (ICT) have appointed Andy Bane as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Andy succeeds ICT founder and former CEO Hayden Burr, who will take the role of Chief Innovation Officer. To rattle through some briefly, Daniel Cook starts a new position as Director at Smartfire Electrical Contracting Limited. Derek Todd has a new position as key account manager for PDS Primary Detection Systems; now they provide rapid response CCTV deployment systems to the construction industry as well as installers of CCTV and integrated systems. But talking Derek Todd another has joined AiPhone as a regional sales manager-BDM. What a coincidence, in fact if you search Linkedin there are 222 listed, and who knows how many have not heard of Linkedin yet!
Lucas Young starts a new position at ACRE Security as a BDM. Vicon industries have recruited John Keltner as their regional sales manager. Gary Fletcher-Moore starts a new role as Technical Sales Manager – Photonics and Imaging at Acal BFi. I remember Gary way back when he worked for Pelco, going back to 2001, and that wasn’t when Gary started in the industry as I can track him back as far as 1984 when he worked with Vidionics; yep, I also remember them too.
Steve Emmins, a former Master of the Worshipful Company of Security Professionals, has a new role with Hall & Kay, the fire and security installers with head office in Birmingham, starting there as a BDM. Stuart Hibberd has joined Castel Security and Communications. Stuart now has just left Hubbell after seven years and prior to that was at …. Castel UK! I will let him explain that to you. Talking top level jobs, Dan Hardy has become the new Chief Executive Officer at Argenbright Security Europe. Andy Jukes joins ADT Fire and Security as a regional account manager. Let’s talk about Trinity Fire and Security for a second, they have recruited Stuart Morey as their new maintenance manager. Erin Moran has joined Wright Industries as group marketing manager. Matt Coulson starts as Global Data Centre Leader at Schneider Electric. Stuart Martin has a new position as Regional Sales and operations leader at ADI Global Distribution looking after the North UK and Northern Ireland. Simon Gallacher has become the general manager at Chubb Fire and Security Group.
Johnson Controls have been recruiting and appointed Jon Wadman as a BDM and Scott Gennard as a regional sales manager. Stephen Tickle (a great name!) starts as Regional Sales Manager Midlands and the Southwest for Comelit-PAC. Chris J Gardiner has a new role as Global Chartered Marketer and Manager for Honeywell Building Automation. Steve Barnett MIET has joined AVTEL as their Data Center Operations Manager for EMEA. And my good old mate Tom Jenkins who you may know suffered a stroke over a year ago and was at the time running his own business; that has sadly gone and he has started back working in the industry and has picked up a position as a BDM for Dormakaba UK & Ireland. As you may recall Tom worked for Assa Abloy for about 13 years. I understand that Tom is moving down to Devon and is covering that area but is still living in Croydon but not for much longer hopefully for him. So he will become a neighbour of Steve Proctor?!
Promotions
Keri Feeney at Innerrange has been promoted to become the UK Sales Manager for EMEA. Claudia Copeland at Axis Communications has been promoted to the EMEA Channel Marketing Manager, and talking Axis they have given Matthew Meade a new position as Manager of Solutions Knowledge Management, no less. Darren Anderson has been appointed as Territory Sales Manager. Jemma Adams is also starting a new position, as account director at Norbain SD.
Let’s talk briefly about some end users. Lee Clark has joined the Perfume Shop as their Security manager, I bet he smells nice after a day in the office! And talking of nice smells Rituals UK and Ireland have a new loss prevention manager called Adrian Sherry. TJX Europe have appointed Asad Dogar as their AVP Head of Loss Prevention for the UK and Ireland. And a line about facilities management, at the contractor ABM, Adam Baker has been promoted to Security Director; he’ll be supported by Christos Villiotis.
Aquisitions
CDVI Group announces the acquisition of Sersys SA, a provider of locking systems, founded in 1986.
