David Gill, managing director of PerpetuityARC Training’s parent company Linx International, spoke to IFSEC Global about the course, called ‘Essential security practices’, as well as the group’s progress in building international partnerships in the Middle East and Africa.
IFSEC Global: Hi, David. Please tell us what the course involves and who it’s aimed at…
David Gill: Initially we were going to describe it as a course for non-security managers.
Our consulting division does a lot of work for blue-chip organisations. We come across facilities managers, typically, or operations managers or procurement managers, who are given all sorts of responsibilities around corporate security for which they’ve had no formal training.
It’s not until something goes horribly wrong, when a legal duty of care kicks in, that lots of these companies are asking managers to take on areas of responsibility that affect security.
You speak to many facilities managers, and some security managers, and their knowledge is incredibly limited
So we’ve come up with a really innovative programme of 12 modules that cover things such as security risk management, security surveying, perimeter security, building security, access management, video surveillance, security lighting, protection against explosive devices, risk management, workplace investigations…
It’s an e-learning programme, so if you’re a facilities manager and you think you know a lot about many of those topics, you can just dip in and select one or two.
IG: Have you had a positive response from the industry so far?
We’re promoting it to associations and their members, and so far the response has been very encouraging.
You speak to many facilities managers, and some security managers, and their knowledge is incredibly limited.
Take terrorism situations: do you evacuate the building or do you invacuate? Lots of people don’t even know the difference.
In the moment of crisis someone has to make a decision. So I think the essential security practices programme – ESP – is going to be really good.
The course isn’t accredited with anyone. But I think because of our reputation as the country’s leading private security training business, it will stand up to scrutiny.
IG: Any other news in the Linx group worth mentioning?
Ciaran Barry was recently appointed group operations director and it’s likely he’ll become COO in due course.
Ciaran has a very interesting background. He has a business degree, a policing and military background he’s a fluent French speaker, he has a diploma in security risk management – and he’s only 37 years old.
He’s proved to be a fantastic asset to the business. He’s worked in all areas of our group, including running a number of consulting projects and delivering training.
He recently passed his CCP accreditation. So he’s basically an extremely competent all-rounder.
IG: What’s in Ciaran’s in-tray?
One area is developing international partnerships. At IFSEC 2018 we signed partnership agreements with Norway and Iran and we’re looking at forming partnerships in Africa and the Middle East.
IG: Does being a UK organisation help you build those international partnerships given the UK’s strong reputation for security management?
There’s no question. That’s why we’ve incorporated half of the Union Jack into our logo. On my travels throughout the Middle East and Africa there’s no question that the Union Jack represents a very strong brand.
We’re the exclusive training providers to SIRA [the regulatory authority] in Dubai. We do a lot of work with the Dubai Police Academy. We’re currently advising them on developing a new policing science degree.
We’re also the first private security company to develop its own MSc in International Security Risk Management, which we developed in collaboration with the University of South Wales.
IG: Can you give me some examples of collaborations with overseas organisations?
We delivered a training programme in Oxford for the National Bank of Nigeria. They selected us as their training provider.
They like the British standards, the British way of doing things. There’s a huge respect for our policing and military services there.
We’ve had some fantastic showcase events like the 2012 Olympic Games. London is a major international city.
And while there have been terrorism incidents, by comparison to other parts of the world, we remain a very safe and popular place to live.
In the UK, Jaguar Land Rover chose us to do all their corporate security training.
IG: Has our impending departure from the EU had any adverse effects yet?
The whole Brexit thing has had absolutely zero effect on our business so far.
Internationally we deliver training to the likes of Deutsche Bank and the Germans have given us no indication they’re likely to change.
We have a big market in Africa and Middle East, which obviously sits outside the EU.
