Security Matters Podcast – Episode 15 now live to view

Episode 15 of the Security Matters Podcast includes exclusive interviews with Sandi Davies (executive director of the International Foundation for Protection Officers) and Ashley Wyton, sales director for the Comelit Group here in the UK. The Comelit Group specialises in the design and manufacture of video entry, video surveillance, anti-intrusion, access control, home automation and fire protection systems.

The International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO) provides professional learning opportunities for security practitioners to impart the knowledge, skills and competencies required to maximise job performance and enhance career potential.

The organisation’s overriding purpose is to make a positive difference in the quality of the participant’s job performance and elevate the professional status of those individuals who engage with the learning opportunities on offer.

Further, the IFPO’s remit is all about supplying wholly committed security practitioners with a quality education in order to help them achieve their highest potential and provide recognised accreditation for the successful completion of educational goals.

The values that underpin the organisation are commitment, integrity, responsibility and the maintaining of standards of excellence at all times.

Recently, the IFPO (which is an American organisation) has formed a dedicated UK branch and appointed an Advisory Board to ‘spread the word’ among security professionals on home shores. Advisory Board meetings are chaired by Mike Hurst CPP FREC MSyI (director of HJA Consult). UK Advisory Board members are Yolanda Hamblen, Nic Reed FSyI TechIOSH, Rollo Davies MSyI, Dr Peter Stiernstedt CPP, Jacqueline Walker CPP MSyI, Jayne King FSyI, Chris Middleton Dip ML, Darren Chalmers-Stevens, Garry Bergin FSyI, Les Allan and Security Matters’ Editor Brian Sims Hon FSyI.

Concentration on training and learning

Sandi Davies (who also attends the UK Advisory Board meetings, which are conducted on Zoom) has served as the executive director of the IFPO for more than 25 years now and is a former chair of the Security Services Council run by ASIS International. Further to this, Sandi’s also a previously active member of the latter’s Women in Security Council.

Sandi has edited all nine editions of The Professional Protection Officer published to date, as well as four editions of Security Supervision and Management: The Theory and Practice of Asset Protection.

Beginning her career in the contract security world back in 1980 with a primary focus on personnel administration, Sandi became deeply involved in training and was instrumental in developing security officer instruction and learning programmes for a major national guarding company based in the States.

In 2015, Sandi received the Karen Marquez Honours Award for consistently working for the betterment of the security industry to “support, inspire and promote” the role of females working in the sector.

During Episode 15 of the Security Matters Podcast, Sandi explains the origins of the IFPO and also outlines in great detail the organisation’s key aims and objectives in the short term. The organisation is involved in some focused research at present, working in tandem with Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International. Sandi expands on the detail here for the benefit of Security Matters’ readers and, indeed, the security business sector in general.

When it comes to the delivery of educational programmes for the security professionals of tomorrow, what does Sandi believe to be the major challenges involved, particularly in view of the enforced transition towards online learning during the pandemic? Listen to Episode 15 of the Security Matters Podcast if you want to know the answer.

System solutions in view

Our second featured guest interviewee on Episode 15 is, as stated, Ashley Wyton (sales director for the UK at the Comelit Group).

An Italian company founded back in 1956, the Comelit Group’s UK operation is headquartered in Luton. Comelit Group focuses on the design and manufacture of video entry and surveillance, anti-intrusion, home automation, access control and fire protection systems.

Video entry technology solutions include both indoor and outdoor door entry monitors. Comelit ViP is a remote app for smart phones and tablets that allows users to answer door entry monitor calls. Analogue, digital and IP technology solutions are offered for applications in today’s educational facilities, hotels, offices, airports, hospitals, car parks and Shopping Centres.

For his part, Ashley began his career by joining ADT as a trainee sales consultant before moving into the company’s integrated solutions group as a design consultant working on major projects.
He was then presented with an opportunity to join Cooper Security in the role of area sales manager covering the South West, South Wales and Ireland. A spell with FLIR Systems as security and surveillance distribution manager followed before Ashley was approached to join 360 Vision Technology as international sales and marketing manager.

He joined the Comelit Group from Honeywell Security where he enjoyed roles as systems sales lead and then strategic sales lead for the UK and Ireland.

2020 has, of course, been dominated by COVID-19. Given the hugely challenging times in which we all find ourselves, how well does Ashley feel that the Comelit Group has actively faced up to the pandemic? In parallel, in what ways has the pandemic fundamentally changed the way in which Comelit has operated and functioned as a business? Listen to Episode 15 of the Security Matters Podcast for Ashley’s considered responses.

Ashley also goes on to explain how the dedicated fire safety solutions-focused element of the Comelit Group differs from that of the security-centric side of the business. Looking at the security business sector in general, and based on his own experiences in recent times, Ashley relates what he believes to be the big trends in play.

Interestingly, he closes the interview with a snapshot of the new product innovations we can expect to see emerging from Comelit in the New Year.

Listen to the Security Matters Podcast

You can listen to the Security Matters Podcast – kindly sponsored by The Security Event, which runs at the NEC in Birmingham from 27-29 April 2021 – for free on iTunes or Spotify. To download the Security Matters Podcast on iTunes or Spotify, all you need to do is enter the term ‘Security Matters’ into your chosen platform’s search box.

Alternatively, you can listen to the Security Matters Podcast online at https://securitymatters.podbean.com/ or via the dedicated Security Matters YouTube channel by clicking here.

*If there are any particular topics or themes you would like us to cover on future editions of the Security Matters Podcast (which are live to view every fortnight on Wednesdays) please do contact us. You can do so on Twitter by using the hashtag #SecurityPod or simply send an e-mail direct to bsims@westernbusiness.media

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