At the guarding company First Response Group (FRG), Barry Dawson has joined group managing director, taking up the position today. He’s described by the group’s CEO Simon Alderson as ‘the final piece of the jigsaw’ needed for FRG to achieve the company’s growth targets of £150m over the next five years.
Dawson’s industry experience includes heading the guarding firms Advance, Vision Security Group (VSG) and most recently Wilson James, where as its managing director he built up the business through organic growth in strategic sectors and merger and acquisition. Dawson, pictured, has led teams across business disciplines, including crisis management, operations management, private investigations, systems, and emergency risk management, with c-suite experience in some UK blue-chip companies.
CEO Simon Alderson, said: “This is a significant move for us here at FRG, and no doubt the ripples will be felt across the UK security sector. Barry is an industry heavyweight, and with more than three decades of knowledge, experience, and insight I have absolutely no doubt he is the perfect fit to help drive our business forward, continuing the momentum over these past few years. We are adding weight and intelligence in the key areas of our business, which is what we need to be doing if we are to continue to challenge accepted orthodoxy in this highly competitive sector.
“I look forward to working with Barry, and helping him to build teams, empower people, and deliver success.”
Dawson said: “For me, everything evolves around people, they really are a company’s greatest asset. From the top down at FRG it is highly evident that this is where success is built, and it was instantly appealing to me. This is a great company that is fast building an enviable reputation in delivering security solutions that fit the needs of clients, and I’m looking forward to doing what I can to make that vital difference, and helping us to continue the current trajectory and beyond.”
Mark Mansfield joined FRG last year as chief operating officer, followed by Derek Nielson as group operations director; and Colette Bloom as group finance director.
About FRG
Based in Leeds, the firm employs 2,000 and recently won the Outstanding Contract Security Company (Guarding) award at the industry’s Outstanding Security Performance Awards (UK OSPAs) in London in February. It gained two awards for its work with Wembley Stadium, at the Security & Fire Excellence Awards in December. It’s a member of the ACS Pacesetters group of highest-ranking Security Industry Authority (SIA) approved contractors. Visit www.firstresponsegroup.com.
