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Rob Ratcliff was the Content and Community Manager of IFSEC Global.com. He is a self-confessed everyman in the world of security and fire, keen to learn from the global community of experts who have been a part of IFSEC for 40 years now.
January 29, 2013

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IFSEC 40: The Most Influential People in Security & Fire

IFSEC International 2013 marks the 40th birthday of the show, and to help celebrate, we have compiled a list of 40 of the most influential people in the global security and fire industries.

Read the most influential in security 2016

We asked you for your help identifying the top people in the industry, and you responded in the hundreds, so thank you for your help.

We’re sure that all of you will have your own opinions on who made the list, who we left off, and who should have topped it. But then you would, wouldn’t you?

If you want to follow these industry thinkers, we’ve compiled a Twitter list that you can follow. We’ve also included links to connect with people on Linkedin, so you can take a lead from the #ifsec40.

40 – Samir Samhouri, Xtralis

Click here to view Figure 40.


39 – Andrew Foster, C-Tec

Click here to view Figure 39.

Click here to view Figure 38.

38 – Mike Bluestone, Corps Security & The Security Institute


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37 – Patrick Allen, Abel Alarm Company Ltd

Click here to view Figure 37.


36 – Peter Finch, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust

Click here to view Figure 36.


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35 – Ben Bradford, BB7

Click here to view Figure 35.


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34 – Derek James Oatway, KK Security

Click here to view Figure 34.


33 – Peter Holland, Chief Fire Commissioner

Click here to view Figure 33.

32 – Sarb Sembhi, Incoming Thought and ISACA

Click here to view Figure 32.


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31 – Jason Brown, Thales

Click here to view Figure 31.


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30 – Emma Shaw, Esoteric

Click here to view Figure 30.


29 – Don Randall, Bank Of England

Click here to view Figure 29.

28 – Ray Hope, Advanced Electronics

Click here to view Figure 28.


27 – Martin Smith, The Security Company

Click here to view Figure 27.


26 – Stuart Lowden, Wilson James Ltd

Click here to view Figure 26.

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25 – Bill Butler, SIA

Click here to view Figure 25.

24 – Colin Todd, C S Todd and Associates

Click here to view Figure 24.

23 – Abbey Petkar, Magenta Security Services

Click here to view Figure 23.


22 – Brian Robinson, Fire Sector Federation

Click here to view Figure 22.

21 – Graham Ellicott, FIA

Click here to view Figure 21.


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20 – Andrew Amery, head of security coordination for LOCOG

Click here to view Figure 20.


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19 – Bernard Hogan-Howe, Met commissioner

Click here to view Figure 19.


18 – Bob Forsyth, MITIE Total Security Management

Click here to view Figure 18.


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17 – Art Coviello, RSA, Security Division of EMC

Click here to view Figure 17.


16 – Jay Hauhn, SIA (US) chairman

Click here to view Figure 16.


15 – Julie Kenny, BSIA/Pyronix

Click here to view Figure 15.


14 – Wilf Butcher, ASFP

Click here to view Figure 14.


13 – Professor Martin Gill,

Click here to view Figure 13.


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12 – Dr Peter Speight, Securitas

Click here to view Figure 12.

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11 – Johnny Allia, Honeywell Security Products Group

Click here to view Figure 11.


Next Page: Nos. 1 – 10

Click here to view Figure 10.

10

Nick Buckles, G4S CEO
Kicking off our top 10 is perhaps one of the most famous faces of security outside of the security world.

It’s the tabloid bogey man of the London Olympics, Nick Buckles. G4S is one of the biggest security companies in the world and that is thanks largely to Nick Buckles as CEO.

Embroiled in the biggest security story of 2012 — the company failed to deliver their security staff contract in full for the London Olympics — Buckles shot to international fame with his appearances in front of the Commons Home Office Select Committee.

However, investors were already familiar with him as his leadership since 2005 saw G4S grow to become the world’s third-largest private employer after Wal-Mart and Foxconn with revenues in excess of £7.5 billion.


Click here to view Figure 9.

9

Bruce Schneier, BT Managed Security Solutions
“Bruce Schneier instantly knows the amount of Jelly Beans in a jar” — this is one of many “facts” about the security technologist and author from the website schneierfacts.com, an Internet meme dedicated to him.

And there’s a reason his fans attach his face to the body of Chuck Norris: He is killing it in the world of online security.

He founded the company that became BT Managed Security Solutions of which he remains chief security technology officer.

He has authored a number of books, including Applied Cryptography, the 1996 bestseller that was described by Wired as, “The book the National Security Agency wanted never to be published.”

He writes a blog, Schneier on Security, with a readership of over 250,000 people, and regularly writes columns for newspapers, including The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Washington Post.


Click here to view Figure 8.

8

Eduard Emde, 2012 president of ASIS International
The first non-US president of the 38,000-member organization that enables security practitioners around the world to improve their understanding of the market.

In 2012, Emde’s presidency was marked by his past IT background and understanding, allowing him to lead ASIS along the dual paths of traditional security management and information security.

Under Emde, ASIS has become an organization that welcomes chief information officers alongside security managers. Network security is now a critical element of physical security systems and we are now possibly seeing the beginning of a change in the makeup of ASIS’s membership, albeit a gradual one.

The 2013 president is Geoffrey T. Craighead, but he hasn’t made it onto the list.


Linkedin

Click here to view Figure 7.

7

Alf Goransson, Securitas president and CEO
The CEO and president of Securitas, one of the world’s biggest security services providers with over 300,000 employees, received a significant number of nominations, so we really had to include him.

Perhaps most significantly, he has come in ahead of his equivalent at G4S, the world’s largest security company.

Goransson masterminded the 2010 takeover of Reliance Security to make them the second biggest security company in the UK and among Europe’s largest. Since then, he has worked hard to raise security guarding standards across the continent.

He is now leading an investment in technology and research in order to create a better customer experience built on a foundation of innovative new security solutions.


Click here to view Figure 6.

6

Keith Bloodworth, CNL Software CEO
Ah, PSIM — that’s an acronym that really splits the security world. Is it an integrated software system that enables better-than-ever situational awareness and a complete understanding of an incident in one place? Or is it an expensive, over-hyped buzz phrase?

Whatever your opinion, CNL Software’s Keith Bloodworth is shaping the integration technology and his vision of a connected and intelligent physical security has inspired those around him to build interest in PSIM as an innovative and useful technology idea.

He was also one of the co-founders of network camera manufacturer Axis Communications and brought the logic of the IT industry to the world of security.

One of his nominations reads: “Few others have invested as much time, energy and resources into fundamental innovation within this industry as Keith. His vision and execution of this is helping to secure the future of each and every one of us.”


Linkedin

Click here to view Figure 5.

5

Alexander Fernandes, Avigilon CEO
Co-founder and CEO of Avigilon, who make some of the security industry’s leading video surveillance products.

Fernandes’s vision has seen the Vancouver-based HD surveillance manufacturer grow from a startup in 2004 to one of Canada’s fastest-growing technology businesses with a realistic aim of becoming the world’s leading surveillance manufacturer.

After leading a successful IPO in November 2011, since when Avigilon’s stock has risen by over 250 percent, Fernandes aims for Avigilon to have revenues in excess of CA$500m by 2016.

When you look at the general high quality of their products this is easy to believe.

It would be a realistic prediction to say that Fernandes’s high-definition products will lead him to rise up our list in years to come. But for our first edition, he rounds out our top five.


Linkedin

Click here to view Figure 4.

4

Peter Hawksworth, Siemens security products CEO
Peter Hawksworth has helped turn Siemens security products division around from a loss-making business to a profitable one.

The company is less focused on producing simply market-leading products, but on creating complete security systems. Intelligent buildings, integrated thinking — these are the kinds of phrases that Hawksworth associates the business with now.

While their core business remains access control and intrusion alarm products, they also have a wide range of surveillance options and Hawksworth was the first to introduce leasing options for CCTV systems allowing customers to pay over a five-year period. This innovative approach helped both Siemens and their customers.

Siemens opened a £30m “sustainable cities initative” — The Crystal — in late 2012 to showcase their vision for the future of cities. Keeping those cities safe will be something that Hawksworth and his team will surely lead the way in.


Click here to view Figure 3.

3

Per Bjorkdahl, ONVIF chairman
Per Bjorkdahl is at No. 3 in our list as the new chairman of the video surveillance standards group ONVIF. As previous chairman, Jonas Andersson was originally in our top 40 but now that Bjorkdahl has taken over, we had to put Bjorkdahl in.

ONVIF has done some extremely interesting work to unify the surveillance community.

Founded by Axis (where Bjorkdahl has his day job), Sony, and Bosch Security Systems, ONVIF has simplified security technology interoperability, a process that in the coming years we think will lead to a contraction in overall numbers of surveillance suppliers.

With over 438 member organizations, ONVIF is unprecedented in scale, but there are others snapping at the heels.

That’s why the organization is concentrating on improvements in their access control standards and video storage as we head into 2013. Bjorkdahl will be at the forefront of continued physical security development through ONVIF.


Click here to view Figure 2.

2

Mike Howard, Microsoft chief security officer
As the cybersecurity threat grows at unparalleled pace, traditional threats are generally what is on the mind of Mike Howard.

With 700 facilities around the world employing over 90,000 people Mike is in overall charge of everyone that keeps Microsoft — including their precious data and R&D facilities — and is an evangelist for security in the company.

He regularly leads dialogues and communication across Microsoft to help people understand the importance of both physical and cybersecurity in a fashion that has led to security being seen as an integral part of the business’s success.

He told BusinessNewsDaily in 2011: “Security is not something that should be thought of as ‘break glass only in times of emergency.’ It affects a brand’s reputation, can result in lawsuits, and requires initial investments up front.”

Unlike many others in our list, Howard has to think about the threat of software piracy to the business as well as protecting server and building integrity. And Microsoft arguably face a greater threat from hackers than most other organizations.


Click here to view Figure 1.

1

Martin Gren, Axis Communications
Co-founder of Axis Communications in 1984, Martin Gren has been at the forefront of the recent IP camera revolution. In 1996 he helped invent the world’s first network camera, which left the organization in a prime position to become the world leader in the network camera market.

Axis Communications has led the migration from analogue to digital video surveillance and is also considered to be the second biggest supplier of video encoders.

While Ray Maurittson has long since taken over as president and CEO of Axis, Gren remains a senior member of the board and maintains a 10.6 percent shareholding of the company.

The video surveillance market has been defined by the network camera, and while there may be other companies who are pushing forward faster, Gren’s influence on the industry is undoubtable.


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Victoria Molland
Victoria Molland
January 30, 2013 10:56 am

What a list, some really influential names here. Having recently joined the industry, it’s striking how few women work in the security and fire arena, it’s good to see two influential women Emma Shaw, Esoteric and Julie Kenny, BSIA/Pyronix leading the way for future women in security. 

saulsherry
saulsherry
January 30, 2013 10:59 am

I couldn’t agree more – great to see the IFSEC 40 acknowledging what these woman bring to the industry… here’s hoping when this list is repeated (next year??) that the balance is redressed a little more.

Rob Ratcliff
Rob Ratcliff
January 30, 2013 11:00 am

Quite right – next time we make this list I’d LOVE to see more women in the top 40. We need more trailblazers in the industry. Julie was the first female chairman of the BSIA. Hopefully the first in a long line!

Victoria Molland
Victoria Molland
January 30, 2013 11:08 am
Reply to  Rob Ratcliff

Great to hear the top 40 will be running in the future and with more female trailblazers included hopefully.

Luke Bilton
Luke Bilton
January 30, 2013 11:11 am
Reply to  Rob Ratcliff

Something that has always puzzled me is why there aren’t more women in Security. What is it about the industry that makes it so male dominated?  
 

RachelEaton
RachelEaton
January 30, 2013 11:28 am

 
I completely agree with you Victoria it’s great to see women on the top 40 list. I hope to see more on next year’s list.

Brian Sims
Brian Sims
January 30, 2013 3:13 pm

Big congratulations to Rob on originating the idea for this list of major influencers and bringing everything together by way of a public vote. There’s no doubt that the individuals listed represent the Cream of the Crop.
 

Luke Bilton
Luke Bilton
January 30, 2013 3:32 pm

Congrats to everyone who made it into the Top 40.
I’m particularly pleased to have discovered SchneierFacts.com! 
Favourites so far:
“Bruce Schneier has the body of a model. A threat model.”
“When you email Bruce Schneier, you don’t need to press “send”
And perhaps the ultimate accolade for anyone in Cyber security:
“In 1987 a woman sued Bruce Schneier for fatherhood. The DNA test never came back because they never managed to decipher his DNA.”

Brett Ennals
Brett Ennals
January 31, 2013 3:56 am

Great to see Patrick Allen listed, thanks for the start in the industry Pat all those years ago.

Rob Ratcliff
Rob Ratcliff
January 31, 2013 4:55 am
Reply to  Luke Bilton

Bilton “In 1987 a woman sued Bruce Schneier for fatherhood. The DNA test never came back because they never managed to decipher his DNA.”Love it! Anyone from the world of security who has an internet meme dedicated to them must be a worthy addition to the #ifsec40!

MikeHurst
MikeHurst
January 31, 2013 10:25 am

Thanks to Rob and Brian for the opportunity to help compile this list.

I think the final list is reflective of the IFSEC family

Rob Ratcliff
Rob Ratcliff
January 31, 2013 11:09 am
Reply to  MikeHurst

And thanks to you Mike for helping us through the judging process! With so many nominations, it was no mean feat, that’s for sure!

martingren
martingren
February 4, 2013 4:42 am

Hi! Many thanks for electing me the most important security person! Itis truly a great pleasure to me!I remember my second IFSEC in 1997 (the first was in 1996 when wechecked out if there were any network cameras at the show). Then, in1997 (and the 4 following years for sure) people looked strangely at usand thought we were a toy company who had booked the wrong trade show.And certainly the early network cameras did not have very goodperformance – they did 1 fps in CIF resolution and 3 frames/minute in4CIF so they were not very suited for video surveillance. But… Read more »

Rob Ratcliff
Rob Ratcliff
February 4, 2013 5:07 am
Reply to  martingren

Thanks Martin, what a great insight and fantastic to see our #1 commenting on our #ifsec40!
When you say ‘1997’ out loud it doesn’t sound that long ago until you sit down and realise we’re talking about 16 years ago! The network camera has certainly come a long way since then. It was great to see the picture you sent us of the Axis stand back in the 90s as well. The company has certainly come a long way since 97!