Here in Los Angeles when I have the occasion to meet up with people that I know from the UK it seems extra special, our US correspondent Una Riley writes.
Roy Cooper (MD of Professional Security) came out to visit me to further the US interests of the magazine and we had a productive time working in the sunshine on the WiS Award nominations as well as mainstream prospective editorial business. Another UK security professional that I caught up with recently was Simon Pears, Global Head of Security for Sodexo.
He is quite a difficult guy to get hold of these days as he is travelling around the world a great deal of the time. I have been trying to arrange a meeting with him over here for some time. However, it was very difficult with the time zones. At one point I called him when he was in Shanghai, which is seven hours ahead of UK time, so you can imagine what it is like trying to contact him from LA! Anyway, eventually we caught up on his most recent trip here to the United States. Before I left the UK SECURE by Sodexo had launched their own control room (featured in the June issue of Professional Security) based in Manchester which now deals with all the UK security business and security screening. I was going to report on the launch of the control room but circumstances took on a life of their own and instead of just reporting on what is happening from a UK and European perspective I found myself talking to him in the US and discussing global issues instead.
So when I eventually caught up with Simon I asked him to talk about his background leading up to the position of Global Head of Security for Sodexo … one of the largest private organisations on the planet. Pears said: “I have been responsible for the UK and Ireland security strategy since 2007, during that time I have created a team of security professionals which I trust and respect and together we have developed and implemented a successful security service. Over the last couple of years we have experienced phenomenal growth and this year I was extremely pleased to see the launch of our state of the art control room. The UK security industry is really one of the world leaders in professionalism and structure and Sodexo is keen to use this knowledge and experience as a benchmark in each of our trading countries. So with the UK security offer now firmly positioned and continuously seeing new business I was approached to use what I had learnt here and help develop a global offer.”
I asked him – since his promotion to global head of security, what has been the biggest challenge? He laughed and replied: “Diary space! Sodexo operates in 80 countries, and security is provided in over 40 of those, so there is a logistical challenge in just meeting the various country teams. Once I am there I not only meet the teams I am also looking at the existing security operations in action as well as looking at how we can use everything I am learning to create a global security strategy. This certainly has its challenges but is exciting all the same.“ I am aware that Pears is extremely busy by just trying to pin him down for an interview. I asked him what countries he has visited so far? He replied: “Initially I visited a number of EU countries – France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy and Poland. Then I started to travel further afield and have so far visited Russia, South Africa, Qatar, China and of course the United States. There are still plenty more to visit and I must make sure that I don’t rush the development of a global strategy as I need to look closely at each country, their different needs and requirements and then look at where we can support them.” I asked him what are the major differences he has identified between countries and continents in security? Pears replied: “Security is perceived very differently in each country, both from a career progression angle, but also a service delivery expectation. The most noticeable factor I have seen so far I would say is that there is much more to do in terms of professionalising the industry and making it a career decision with structured learning and development. I have seen some fantastic examples of where this is done but we need to drive the consistency and approach to enable our clients to receive the best in class service in all the countries that they operate. Another surprising revelation from my trips is the resistance to technology in many countries, but I believe that this will change rapidly over the next few years and we need to make sure our offer supports our teams in all countries when this happens.”
We talked at length about the country of origin principles and the difference in quality delivery in various nations, including the use of firearms by private security companies in some countries, compared to the UK delivery. I also wanted to know more specifically what he was doing in the US. Pears replied: “The United States is a key market for Sodexo where there is substantial security requirements. In my time over here I have been meeting some of the Sodexo operational teams, as well as their clients to understand what their future requirements are. I have also been looking at the technology solutions with some of our service partners.” I asked him how did he see the future for SECURE by Sodexo in global terms? He replied: “Secure by Sodexo is a great brand and has really developed well over the last few years. Part of our strategy will be to standardise our security service in each country so that it represents Sodexo to our clients but at the same time keeping the service aligned to the local environments, so will be a careful balance to ensure we implement the right solution. The opportunity for security is immense, and is a critical part of our service delivery and client expectations. Sodexo firmly believes that with the right investment and strategy we will be able to have a best in class. My aim is to offer a global solution to our clients that delivers a total security resolution to meet their business needs.”
We talked at length about the reward and recognition element that has been so successful in the UK by recognising the contribution to the overall business that the company officers deliver to their clients and shining a spotlight on the ‘Champion of the Year’ awarded to an officer that has been recognised via a third party for the exceptional performance that they deliver to clients. We went on to discuss some of the initiatives already bedded within the UK that he wants to implement on a global basis. These include best practice strategies and the SWiS (Sodexo Women in Security) which he wants to continue on a global scale. We also talked about some exciting new ideas that he did not want mentioned at this stage. However, one of the new intentions that I can mention will be a Global Officer Exchange programme. Having already highlighted that the US is a key market he wants to start with an Anglo-American Exchange. I said I couldn’t wait to report on that. Pears concluded: “I am in an exciting position whereby I can introduce security best practice on a global scale. This will not only include delivery but also a unique structure that will result in global summits attended by the people responsible for security delivery and where all the SECURE by Sodexo training, innovation and best in class service delivery can be shared and networked across the planet.” Now that is what I call a global vision.
