ASIS in the UK

Leading the ASIS UK Chapter as chair throughout 2021 was a wonderful experience and one for which I want to thank our members and sponsors alike. Without our members and sponsors and their continued support and engagement, it’s fair to suggest that we would not have been as successful as we were. Collectively, I feel that we’ve driven the UK Chapter forward through uncertain times.

How have we done so? By delivering, for example, educational content through our four main member events. We’ve established the ‘Welcome’ to the UK Chapter as one of our strengths. Further, we’ve formalised and documented our UK-specific mission and purpose. Making sure the latter are clear helps us to reach decisions that are very much for the good of the Chapter.

On top of all that, we’ve also moved to establish and document a process, guidance and procedures around current context and understanding when it comes to decision-making by Chapter Boards in times hence.

Ending 2021 on a high with the largest membership numbers the UK Chapter has ever achieved since we began recording such statistics, the Winter event and Annual General Meeting saw an in-person gathering at Informa’s headquarters in central London. A great end to what was a particularly challenging 12 months.

Grow, retain, support

The three structural pillars we strive to observe and address within the ASIS UK Chapter are to grow, retain and support our constituent members. Making effective use of such a simplistic model ensures that all of our activities are focused. Also, Board directors and members alike understand the Chapter and how it fits into the overall ASIS International membership.

Looking at each pillar in turn, the aim of growing our membership in the UK is clear. The more perspectives, knowledge, business segments and ideas involved, the greater the depth and breadth of the value of the networks we can nurture. We can deliver access to bodies of knowledge and expertise.

If we have the growth then we will likely retain our membership as we can continue to be at the fulcrum of thought leadership discussions and provide access to networks, resources and other knowledge groups in order to help drive the security agenda.

We recognise that, in order to improve, grow and retain membership, we must always support our members. This could be through education, discussions, awareness and networking opportunities, but also through our End of the Month Clubs for newly certified or new members to help connect them with like-minded professionals.

Support also comes through our diversity networks for young professionals, the Women in Security initiative and our joint collaborations with other member bodies and associations designed to turn up the volume on collaborative initiatives such as those framed around the subjects of equality, diversity and inclusivity.

Sharing content, thoughts and ideas through our social media and other approved channels helps us to reach out to a new capacity, explore opportunities and seek partners whom we can then bring to the attentions of our members.

We really want to continue to focus on our main member events, establish periodic regional events and ensure that our diversity streams can facilitate round table discussions, collaborative and networking events such that we can ‘Welcome’ the existing, the new and the inquisitive as they meet.

We will look to incorporate a mixture of in-person, online and hybrid scenarios where possible. It’s important that we attempt to maintain our agility and flexibility in what’s still a complex operational environment for many.  

Focus for 2022

Back in 2011, the ASIS UK Chapter hosted the inaugural edition of the Women in Security Awards. We host this event again in 2022. It’s an honour for us to celebrate the journey of amazing women in the industry who strive to demonstrate the value, diversity and great contributions they bring to the sector. I would encourage everyone to look to nominate exceptional women across their business such that they are recognised at this event. That further empowers others to view security as a rewarding and interesting career option.

Education, learning and development are cornerstones of ASIS International and, as such, ASIS UK encourages the adoption of the ASIS certifications (ie CPP, PSP, PCI and APP) for benchmarking and demonstrating commitment to enhanced knowledge. We can also offer support for other bodies of knowledge and recognition.

Now is the time for collaboration. We are working closely with The Security Commonwealth, other security associations and member bodies as a collective. The desire is to focus on the positivity that equality, diversity and inclusivity realises for today’s business community and generations to come.

Letitia Emeana CPP PSP CISMP is Chair and Board Director of ASIS International’s UK Chapter (www.asis.org.uk)