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Jonathan Moore is a Director of Operations in our Security Solutions business. He shares his fascinating career journey, lessons from his international experience, and his vision for security in the post-pandemic world.

What was your path into the security industry?

I started my career in the British Army, where I served for 7 years in a variety of environments. The Army helped me develop a resilient mindset, discipline, loyalty, and a passion for problem-solving.  I learned many lessons in the Army, particularly about myself which I feel helped me mature quickly and shaped who I am today.

I joined the private Security sector over 15 years ago. I worked in the world of consultancy before moving into Security Management, in which I settled. My first role was as the Head of Security for a large steel manufacturing company.  Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work in senior leadership roles for a variety of large multinationals and take on security challenges in diverse regions such as The Americas, EMEA, and APAC. I was very fortunate to spend some time living in Singapore and India where I gained memories and experiences I will cherish for life.

What lessons did you learn from your international experience?

I have had exposure to a wide range of regional and country-specific challenges which gave me the opportunity to develop solutions to unique problems. I have also been privileged to work with extremely talented people of all cultures and backgrounds. This was invaluable, and I have made many great friends along the way. Professionally, it broadened my perspectives and deepened my expertise in the fundamentals of Security and Leadership. Most importantly, it reinforced my long-held belief that in the security industry, as in so many other areas, the ability to build strong relationships and communicate well is critical.

What attracted you to Bidvest Noonan?

Throughout most of my career, I have been an end-user of security services. I was frequently frustrated and disappointed by the quality of the product I received. I believed that a service provider that put people first, was client-centric, and delivered a quality product could be highly successful.  I identified Bidvest Noonan as a business that puts its people and client needs at the centre of its decisions and delivers great service. After meeting with members of Bidvest Noonan leadership, I was convinced that this business shared my values and ambitions, and I wanted to be a part of it.

How has the pandemic impacted your role?

I am proud to say the pandemic has not detracted from our ability to support our teams and clients. We have been able to tailor our service according to demand and helped many of our clients navigate through what has been difficult commercially. In many ways, we have become stronger as a business and forged much deeper relationships with our people and clients.

I believe this pandemic has made us more resilient as an organisation. At Bidvest Noonan, we immediately got a good handle on the developing situation and were adaptive and agile in our decision making at every point. Of course, not every decision was correct, and we learned from our mistakes as well as our successes. 

Our people who have been affected in so many ways by the pandemic. For me, personally, demonstrating visible and transparent leadership through the period has been fundamentally important. The first consideration of any decision I have made has been to our people.

How has the pandemic impacted the role of security?

It has been demonstrated that the role that our operational teams is more important now than ever before. Where many premises have been unoccupied or have had reduced members of staff on-site, our teams have remained present to ensure the buildings remain functional and people kept safe.

We have needed to be adaptive and agile to ensure the well-being of our teams and clients we look after.  We have developed and implemented new security procedures required to maintain Covid Secure environments. Our work gives people confidence that they are safe when they return to the workplace.

We accelerated our innovation programmes to respond to the pandemic. We have employed new subject matter experts, invested in technologies, improved how communicated, and reimagined our solutions. With vaccines in distribution and growing optimism, we are ready to deliver even more value to the market. I am excited about our industry’s role in the post-pandemic world and especially about the bright future of our business.

Tomas Mazrimas is a Security Supervisor at the flagship store of one of the UK & Ireland’s largest and most successful fashion retailers.

2020 was a difficult year. Positive stories were few and far between. However, in times of adversity, heroes often emerge, and our business certainly saw many. Meet Tomas Mazrimas.

Tomas is a Security Supervisor at the flagship store of one of the UK & Ireland’s leading fashion retail chains. This store attracts millions of shoppers each year. Tomas is a critical member of the store’s operations team, overseeing the day-to-day running of security on site. Tomas puts our credo into action and embodies what it means to put people first. Keeping so many people safe in a busy store amidst a global pandemic is a challenge like no other, but he met it head-on. Tomas was the driving force behind new training methods to meet Covid-19 standards.

Understanding that sharing fast and accurate information is critical in times like these, Tomas developed communications in multiple formats including email, toolbox talks and videos.

Such was his impact, the client and his colleagues on site named him Hero of the Year for 2020. He was also a champion at the Irish Security Industry Association Awards (ISIA). He was crowned Security Supervisor of the Year for 2020.

Nick O’Connor, Integrated Accounts Retail Lead at Bidvest Noonan had this to say about Tomas:

“The transformative impact made on this contract would not have been possible without Tomas. From the moment Tomas joined our business in 2009, he has embodied our credo and has been responsible for developing one of the strongest performing security teams the Island of Ireland has to offer”

Adrian Canale is Business Development Director, Security Solutions at Bidvest Noonan. In this interview, Adrian shares his story, his insights on building a successful team and his optimistic view of the future.

What has been your journey to becoming Business Director at Bidvest Noonan?

I have been in sales leadership roles for almost 15 years. I was recruited into the security industry in 2005 following several years as a branch manager with a large building supplies firm. My first role in the industry was Security Portfolio Manager. This hands-on experience made a huge difference in my career. It gave me a deep understanding of security operations and the impact a well-designed security solution can make.

I discovered that solution design was my greatest strength, and I was passionate about it. I wanted a role that would allow me to focus on that. I had the opportunity to move into Business Development, and I took it and never looked back. Over the past 15 years, I’ve designed solutions for a wide range of clients, including some of our most iconic brands, important heritage sites and global technology leaders.

I had the opportunity to join Bidvest Noonan towards the end of 2020. Joining Bidvest Noonan was one of the easiest decisions I have ever made. Their approach to problem-solving and creating very innovative solutions was totally aligned with mine. I recognised that everyone at Bidvest Noonan, from the senior leadership team to the frontline staff, were motivated to deliver exceptional service and value to clients. This really resonated with me. 

What challenges has the pandemic posed for you in your new role?

Keeping people safe was, and remains, our first priority. I’m very proud of our response to the pandemic and how we protected each other, our clients and the general public. 

In the early months of the pandemic, many traditional business development activities were abruptly and severely disrupted by travel restrictions and other necessary safety measures. Tradeshows, business lunches and in-person meetings suddenly became a health risk. I miss meeting with my clients, many of whom are now friends, but my team and I have adapted. Today we use online technologies more than ever before to form, maintain and develop relationships with clients. 

The distribution of vaccines is ramping up, and I feel confident that there are brighter days ahead. Clients are preparing to return to a new normal. Many are redesigning their operations and examining how they can utilise their workplaces. Already we have seen a number of new mobilisations confirmed that indicate that market is returning. I’m excited about the opportunity that this presents, and I’m looking forward to presenting the new ideas and solutions that my team and I have been working on.

What makes a good business development team?

While I enjoy business development, it is not an easy job. We invest a lot of time and energy to understand our clients’ needs fully. It takes a lot of hard work to design innovative new solutions and to build successful proposals. This is why its important to hire energetic and hard-working people.

It’s important to surround yourself with people you trust. I’m grateful to have a team that I trust deeply. I trust them to take ownership of their workstreams and to be as focussed and committed to our mission as I am. 

To be successful in business development, you need to understand your client and be creative. I encourage my team to challenge the status quo and see long-observed conventions as an opportunity to deliver change and more value to clients.

I am very fortunate to have such a strong team. They have already proven their flexibility, commitment and willingness to go over and above to meet deadlines. Already we’ve had a number of great projects confirmed in December and the first few weeks of January so I have every faith that we will have a very successful year with their support, drive and passion. 

What does 2021 hold for our industry?

I am very optimistic about 2021. There is light on the horizon. By September, the majority of our population will be vaccinated against the virus. I see lots of positive movement.

Together we achieved a lot during the pandemic. This crisis has caused us to accelerate innovation to an unprecedented rate. We’ve brought highly experienced technology experts into our team, took a huge leap forward in our Digital Transformation and introduced a range of new smart technologies. 

In 2021 we are going to help clients transform their security solutions. Our new technologies and the processes we are developing will provide clients with greater security, better experiences and more value. I’m very excited about it.