Managing director of Securitas in the UK and Ireland, Geoff Zeidler is now also the new chairman of the British Security Association.
Yesterday, Zeidler addressed a packed audience at the London Hilton Hotel, Park Lane as he gave his inaugural chairman’s address to the BSIA’s members, their guests and keynote speaker Baroness Helen Newlove (the Government’s champion for active safer communities) at the Trade Association’s 2012 Annual Luncheon and Awards Ceremony.
It’s absolutely true to say that Zeidler has done a tremendous job since becoming the leader of Securitas’ business across the UK and Ireland, spending much time getting to know the industry and playing a fulsome role in the Security Regulation Alliance while also taking part in key sector debates.
In his speech, Zeidler focused on numerous key topics including his thoughts on where the BSIA will be heading in the near future, the role of the private sector in policing duties in the wake of public spending cuts, the importance of training and, of course, the hot topic of the moment – the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the security of both and their lasting legacy.
Here’s the text of the 2012 Chairman’s Address in full…
First, let me start by thanking our Guest of Honour and keynote speaker, Baroness Helen Newlove, for joining us today and, in doing so, reminding us all of the important role that our industry plays in delivering community safety and protecting the public.
Lady Newlove’s inspiring speech today reinforced the human element that lies at the heart of our work, and I’m sure you will all agree that her tireless campaign in the interest of her cause is an inspiration to us all as we strive towards the development of products, services and our people that ultimately aim to make the UK a safer place in which to live, work and do business.
In my first address to you as chairman of the British Security Industry Association, I’m pleased to have so much to reflect on as we look back over the past 12 months. From influencing the future of industry regulation to engaging with Government on the issue of police reform, we’ve certainly been busy. I’m looking forward to working with all of our members over the coming two years to maintain this momentum and drive further progress.
Of course, the many achievements of the past couple of years are the result of strong, forthright leadership from my predecessor, Julie Kenny, supported by her vice-chairman Stuart Lowden and the BSIA’s chief executive, James Kelly.
Under Stuart Lowden’s chairmanship, the BSIA changed its leadership and started a challenging programme of restructuring to improve the capability of the Association in order to serve its members under a new CEO. In the past two years, Julie Kenny has driven this even further, spearheading the Association’s Constitutional Reform Group to devise a new set of governance arrangements that wholeheartedly embrace the BSIA’s vision to become a fit for purpose, flexible and representative organisation ready for the challenges of the 21st Century.
I would like to offer my formal thanks to both Julie and Stuart for their visionary leadership, and for leaving a lasting legacy that I will work hard to continue.
Clarity on the BSIA’s direction
In that vein, I would like to take a moment to clarify my own objectives for my tenure as chairman of the BSIA. Working with the Association’s leaders, staff and members, I intend to make sure that in a changing regulatory and market environment, there is absolute clarity of the long term direction of the BSIA.
Most particularly, I want to reinforce and demonstrate to existing and potential members the tangible benefits and commercial advantage that membership of the BSIA offers to all its active participants. The aim of this is to enhance the BSIA’s reputation and voice in the market as well as to drive growth in a membership that considers their involvement in the BSIA a critical part of their success.
The results of our recent members’ survey show that membership is of greatest benefit to those who get involved, so I would urge you all to participate in the Association’s committees, campaigns and activities over the coming year.
However, we also have to understand what the BSIA needs to do to make these activities of greater relevance, value or just more accessible to those who are not currently involved.
As an organisation the BSIA is doing a tremendous amount for members: from lobbying London Boroughs on PCN notices for CViT to harmonising standards to reduce certification costs and on to the availability to all members of David Evans as possibly the most knowledgeable and connected independent expert on the Olympics.
There’s also the development of new BSIA Sections for activities such as training, and all of this is supported by an Industry-leading communications programme.
I, for one, will look forward to working alongside you all to find how to ensure that these efforts are all targeted to have the most impact and benefit to you all. I also look forward to your engagement to ensure that the BSIA understands your needs and so remains relevant, representative and effective for all members.
Regulatory change: the BSIA and the planning process
Of course, it’s not just within the Association that change has been apparent. Regulatory change continues to develop at a pace, and the BSIA has remained at the heart of the planning process, particularly through its role at the head of the Security Regulation Alliance: a single-issue body formed to unite the industry in meeting the future challenges of a new era of regulation and licensing.
The changes provide the opportunity for the impact of de-regulation to enhance competitiveness and enable the BSIA to play an even more important industry role in the future.
New challenges have also arisen as a result of economic austerity and changing legislation. In these tough economic times, I’m sure you will agree that we are all under pressure to demonstrate return on investment and achieve true value from our expenditure.
I think it’s fair to say that our counterparts in the public sector are feeling this pressure even more acutely. Police forces across the country are beginning to explore different approaches to delivering a critical public service and, in recent months, many have engaged with the private sector to investigate innovative ways of partnering to save cost and enhance service without compromise to their responsibilities for core policing.
Of course, the private security industry’s ability to provide assistance to police forces by performing back office and support functions is well known to us, and the Association’s Police and Public Services Section has established a series of roundtable meetings in the Houses of Parliament to discuss the proven benefits of such partnership working with a number of key Parliamentarians from all aspects of the political spectrum. This has helped the BSIA highlight the opportunities that lie ahead for our industry if elected Police and Crime Commissioners approach the issue with an open mind.
Long term opportunity and a reputational challenge
It’s impossible to talk about forthcoming challenges without making mention of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. While these events represent a significant long-term opportunity for our industry, they also bring with them a reputational challenge. Our industry is already firmly in the spotlight following the Diamond Jubilee celebrations which took place across the country – with a particular focus on London – earlier this month.
As a precursor to the Olympics, the Diamond Jubilee was a very real test of our industry’s capability, and one that received significant scrutiny by media and critics alike. In the months to come, the whole world’s attention will be focused on Olympic security, and we must all work hard to ensure that the reputation of our industry is upheld while taking full advantage of the opportunities this brings to showcase our wide range of talent and innovation.
Recognising and rewarding such talent is at the focus of today’s proceedings, and I’m inspired by the stories of the many winners of this year’s Security Personnel Awards, the Apprentice Installer Awards and CVIT Special Awards.
I would like to end by thanking all of you for your continued commitment to the BSIA and our industry as a whole. Only with our members’ support can we continue to make our organisation a credible, independent voice representing each member company – whether large corporate or SME – to the widest range of stakeholders as possible.
I’m sure that I will come into contact with many of you as I progress through my chairmanship, and I look forward to providing you with support, representation and guidance as we move forward into what surely will be another exciting year.
Free Download: The Video Surveillance Report 2023
Discover the latest developments in the rapidly-evolving video surveillance sector by downloading the 2023 Video Surveillance Report. Over 500 responses to our survey, which come from integrators to consultants and heads of security, inform our analysis of the latest trends including AI, the state of the video surveillance market, uptake of the cloud, and the wider economic and geopolitical events impacting the sector!
Download for FREE to discover top industry insight around the latest innovations in video surveillance systems.
