Here we are in March already and it’s already been a busy year. I’ve just returned from Ireland where we held our first Security TWENTY events of 2024, in Dublin and Belfast, were you there? They were both really good and thank you to all the exhibitors that supported the shows and those that came to see them. For me the highlights were a number of bits of gossip which I will share below. We raised a good bit of money for the Sands charity in Belfast at our curry feast night, as John Devine from HIKVision had asked us to raise some money for them after he had the very sad experience in May when his wife gave birth to a stillborn daughter. The charity were there to support him so he wanted to thank them this way. The photos of both events are now up on our website in the gallery section. Next location is Glasgow, on Tuesday, April 16, the regular venue in that fair city, the Hilton in William Street!
Talking of the website we have partnered with the recruitment consultancies Technical Resources, Zitko, Cento and SSR whereby their job vacancies are posted on our site, so if you are looking for a new job then I suggest you visit our jobs page as we have several hundreds to choose from, then you may find yourself in the gossip below!?
To the gossip, firstly let’s talk about promotions. Were you aware that COP have promoted Dominic Chandler-Johnson to Head of Business Development, and Siobhan Gilmore to Marketing Manager; and Justin Parry has become their Fire Manager. Congratulations to you all. Nikki Jones has joined them as business development manager. Nikki has quite a bit of experience working with distributors as she started in 2000 with Norbain, moved to Dynamic and then Fortus, I believe she lives Reading way so may well become your new account manager. Also promoted is Zack Davidson at Advanced Perimeter Systems. Zack is now the general manager, and you will have seen him at the ST shows (pictured, Belfast last month) with his electric fence encouraging people to hold it and get zapped, all to win a bottle of whiskey, and quite a small bottle at that. To be fair he tries at every show to get me to do it, but no way, I’ve seen who it hurts! By the way Zack thank you for contributing a bottle of Scotland’s finest whiskey for the charity raffle, in Belfast. Also in a new position is Sarah Adkins who is now a Sales Empowerment Agent at AMAG. Talking about the ladies getting promoted were you aware that Debbie Carter has become the Business Development Director for Concept Pro (that’s Videcon for the uneducated lol).
To new recruits. Peter Bull came along to ST Belfast and told me that after retiring for just one month he is now working with ADI to help them in Ireland as he has worked that area for many years. Mike Cole has joined Johnson Controls as a system sales consultant for M&E Contracts. Did you know Mike has his own band and is often on the road performing all over the country. He is really good, such much so he played at my wedding 28 years ago! Talking of Johnson Controls, who I might add have an office not far from Belfast-George Best Airport, so that some of you fliers into and out of Belfast may well have seen it from your windows, Sam Ward is now leading the detection team globally! Nick Riley is moving on from Oprema and joining Bosch, so I hear, not sure I can tell you that but this is a gossip page after all. Again Nick has been working in the industry for a while and I first met him in my MVD days when he was working for Gardiners.
Talking of surprises did you know Lisa Smith has joined Hanwha to look after their distributors! Lisa spent 21 years working for Axis Communications, whoever would have thought she would move? but what a great catch for Hanwha. I have to confess I did once congratulate Lisa on being pregnant as someone had said she was, but she wasn’t! Fortunately it was over the phone and not in person doh I think she may have just forgiven me but then maybe not, that just goes to show that I get given loads of gossip but sometimes …. it’s not true. Peter Lavery the past chair of The Security Institute is starting a new position as EMEA Corporate Security Manager at AJ Gallagher. They are insurance brokers incase you didn’t know.
In short as we have a lot of new joiners this month. Daniel Morrissey is joining DeepAlert. Mark Weatherley has joined Avigilon as their IT Channel Account Director! Connor Banfield has joined Optex in the south east as an area sales representative and Lawrence Peters has become Head of Sales in the UK and Ireland. Aiden Ogden has become a security consultant for Guidepost Solutions. I am not so sure this is a new position but Richard Howe has become an estate agent; no, don’t hate him for it he will be one of the nice ones surely? Think he is working with his wife at Tauk. Ashley Watson has joined Deutsche Bank as a regional Technical Security Manager. Craig Malcolm has joined IC Fire & Security as a key account manager. Thibaut Galland has been appointed Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Vitaprotech Group in the UK. Janet Shelley MBE joins Heras as a Business Development Manager. Irisity appointed Peter Greener as Sales Director, UK and Ireland. Simon Godfrey is the new Director of Sales for AtlasIED in EMEA. Amthal the installer in At Albans has appointed Deane Sales as Group Sales Director, like it says in his name lol, never heard that before have you Deane!? Adam Taylor has become the new Product Manager for Smart security at ERA.
Finally have you heard that BT has made the ‘difficult decision’ to close all BT Redcare alarm signalling operations on August 1, 2025. They say “We will, of course, continue to meet our commitments to provide services for orders already placed, but please take this as formal notice that your Agreement(s) with us (including all orders placed for provision of BT Redcare services thereunder) will terminate on 1 August 2025, or earlier if your services are contractually due to expire earlier, or if you migrate your services away from BT Redcare earlier than 1 August 2025.” They also say “You will therefore need to consider moving all your customers using BT Redcare services to an alternative service provider by no later than 1 August 2025″. To help with this, they will waive any early termination charges from March 2024 for orders that have already been placed before February 1, and where BT Redcare services are already being provided.
