The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) Chairman’s Awards were presented to four industry leaders by Chairman Geoff Zeidler at the Association’s Annual Lunch at the London Hilton on Park Lane.
Each of the winners were personally selected by Zeidler in recognition of the significant impact that their career-long contributions have had on the UK’s private security industry.
The highly-regarded award for Contribution to the Industry recognises those individuals who have made a career-long commitment to the ongoing success of the private security industry. This year, the award was presented to Julie Kenny CBE DL of Pyronix Limited, the most recent Immediate Past Chair of the BSIA.
Kenny has been a formidable driving force behind the BSIA’s continued strategic development, and her vision for the Association’s future has resulted in the delivery of a more streamlined structure and brand new constitution, ensuring that the BSIA is a truly 21st century organisation that is now fit to fulfill its members’ needs well into the future. A member of the Association’s Council for 20 years, Kenny’s commitment to the BSIA – and the security sector at large – has truly changed the landscape of our industry.
She said: “Receiving this award came as a complete surprise and was totally unexpected. I am delighted to be recognised in this way from the Association that I hold in such high regard, and with whom I have worked so closely with for the past 20 years. The Association represents the very best from the security industry and I would like to thank Geoff Zeidler and all at the BSIA for this award. It truly is an honour to be recognised in this way by your peers.”
The Chairman’s Award for Contribution to Standards was presented to Stewart Taylor of Cooper Security. As the Chairman of the BSIA’s Security Equipment Manufacturers’ Section’s Technical committee for almost a decade, Taylor’s contribution has extended further afield to include lobbying and negotiation at British, European and International levels of standards committee. Ahead of his retirement at the end of this year, he was selected for this award as a token of the high regard he is held in by the industry.
The award for Contribution to Training was presented to Mike Britnell, Acting Chief Executive of Skills for Security. Reflecting on the recently forged partnership between Skills for Security and the BSIA, Britnell has played an integral role in making this move a success, using his wealth of security industry experience to facilitate an effective restructure of Skills for Security, and a smooth transition process as the BSIA welcomed the sector skills body firmly back within the remit of the industry.
The Chairman’s Award for Contribution to the Community was presented to Owen Stanley of Securitas Security Solutions Limited. Stanley’s personal experiences of family illness and the loss of loved ones have fuelled a passion for fundraising, and his tireless dedication to helping others through the organisation of charity events has led to more than £10,000 worth of contributions to various good causes, including Cancer Research, Help for Heroes, RNLI Lifeboats and Guide Dogs for the Blind.
