Shaun Kennedy

Gratitude is a free public art installation of 51 beautifully sculptures, each unique design created by artists from across the UK. Securitas is the only security company sponsoring a sculpture and it is extremely proud to represent the industry as it expresses gratitude to every security officer and engineer and recognizes the role they played as key workers during the pandemic. In expressing gratitude, Securitas also wants to honor those employees and key workers the country has lost along the way. It hope that the sculpture will help raise awareness of the important role security professionals play, and the contribution they make, in keeping people, property, and local communities safe every day of the year. And through Gratitude, Securitas wants to thank them all for their selfless commitment, while facing the challenges of living with COVID-19. Raising the profile of security professionals In a recent survey, security officers were ranked 9th out of 10 essential services (just one place above traffic wardens), prompting Rick Mounfield, Chief Executive of the Security Institute to comment “The public seems unaware of the critical roles security officers play in supporting the police …. the average citizen in the UK pays little to no attention to what a security officer is doing.” Sponsoring Gratitude is just one way it can help educate others about the important role of security officers Securitas wants to change this public perception. Sponsoring Gratitude is just one way it can help educate others about the important role of security officers, and over the coming weeks, it’ll share some of the personal stories of its people to highlight how the challenging roles they undertake to keep the local communities safe. Contribution of frontline workers Shaun Kennedy, Country President, Securitas UK, commented, "Security professionals are the unsung heroes of the global pandemic. They were on the front line from day one, helping to keep people and property safe and secure. That’s why Gratitude is such an important event – it’s our way of saying thank you to security professionals across the UK.” “It’s also a great way for us to help change people’s perceptions of the role of security officers and help the general public understand the huge, often unseen, contribution our people make to society." After the Birmingham art installation, Gratitude will move to Manchester and then to Edinburgh. The final installation will be in London in early October, after which the sculptures will be auctioned to raise money for NHS Charities Together.

Securitas’ new brand delivers an original tone of voice, visual identity, and a positive, proactive storytelling agenda. It will be visible on Securitas’ personnel uniforms, vehicles, equipment, and facilities, as well as the company’s digital tools and online channels. The brand will be rolled out gradually across the company’s worldwide operations. The tagline ‘See a different world’ emphasizes the expertise and diversity of Securitas' people and the innovativeness and relevance of its offerings. It is intended to resonate with audiences within and beyond the security business and to enable Securitas to engage in conversations with a wider range of stakeholders. Transforming security industry Magnus Ahlqvist, President and CEO, Securitas: “Our new brand shows the world who we are and where we’re going. It builds on Securitas’ proud heritage and values of integrity, vigilance, and helpfulness, and focuses on our unique people and high-impact technology. We work with many of the world’s most recognizable companies, and our new identity makes it clear how we can help create a more sustainable and inclusive future together with our clients and partners. It will open even more doors for our business and accelerate our strategy execution.” Shaun Kennedy, Country President, Securitas UK comments: “At a UK level this is an exciting opportunity to differentiate ourselves as a world-leading organization, showing our commitment to the future with a significant step change and approach.  We aim to transform the Security industry in the UK and our new brand identity and positioning are key steps in our strategy for progressive business growth in 2021 and beyond.” Aims to double sales of security solutions In the UK Securitas employs around 9,000 employees, with 355,000 employees globally serving more than 150,000 clients in total across 48 markets. The company is accelerating its digital transformation through investing in data-driven tools and analytics and by interacting with clients in innovative ways and aims to double its sales of electronic security and security solutions by 2023. Mauro Silva, VP Brand and Strategic Marketing, Securitas: “This is a milestone for our company and our industry. We reflected on our strategy, our world and what clients expect from us today and saw an opportunity for differentiation. Securitas is a knowledge-driven company where engaged and talented people make a positive difference every day. This brand expresses our confidence in the future, while remaining true to our heritage and people, and makes our leadership clearer than ever.”

Securitas is proud to continue its commitment to forge women's equality in the workplace and celebrate the contribution and achievement of women on International Women’s Day on Monday, 8th March 2021. Free workshop sessions Securitas is hosting a number of free sessions throughout the day and every employee is welcome to join in live workshops, ranging from desktop yoga, mindfulness, maternity, and parental leave, to challenging assertively in the workplace, a workshop that supports the global campaign ‘#choose to challenge’. All the activities and workshops will be recorded, so employees can join in or catch up on the interactive sessions at a later time. International Women’s Day celebrations International Women’s Day is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate all the phenomenal women we have in Securitas" Shaun Kennedy, Country President of Securitas UK said, “As technology continues to transform the security industry, new, exciting, diverse roles and opportunities are being created for both men and women.” Shaun adds, “However, we still have some way to go in highlighting the variety and broad range of career options available to women working in our industry. International Women’s Day is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate all the phenomenal women we have in Securitas and discuss how we can encourage more women to join us.” Enabling and empowering women Sarah Hayes, Human Resources Director at Securitas UK, explains “It’s really important to us that we improve the working life of our women and enable the success of women in all of our workplaces too.” Sarah adds, “We’ve made a commitment to help overcome the barriers that women face at work and we’re proud to be making this a reality in Securitas. We believe enabling and empowering women is not only the right thing to do, it’s essential to our success as a business.” Securitas recognized as Top Employer Recognizing its commitment to all employees, Securitas UK was once again honored as a Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute. This accolade highlighted its commitment to delivering exceptional people management and HR strategies.

Shaun Kennedy has been appointed as the new Country President and Managing Director of Securitas UK and will assume responsibility at some point in early 2019. Shaun will take over from current Country President, Brian Riis Nielsen, who having successfully led the transformation of Securitas UK, will move on to a new senior management position in Securitas Group. Shaun is an experienced leader with a proven track record in the security industry. After leaving the British Army in 1997 Shaun joined Chubb Security, where he spent 15 years, until it was acquired by Securitas in 2011. Taking Up New Responsibilities Since 2011, Shaun has held several senior management positions including interim Country President UK and more recently Director of Specialist Protective Services. Shaun has also been responsible for the successful implementation of Securitas’ Fire & Safety strategy across Europe. By blending people, technology and knowledge, Securitas is at the forefront of this innovative change" Shaun will commence the transition to his new role from 1 January 2019, working closely with Brian throughout the first half of 2019. During this period Shaun will continue to oversee his existing areas of responsibilities including Fire & Safety. Living Wage Foundation Commenting on his appointment, Shaun Kennedy said “Having spent over 20 years working in the security industry, I feel privileged to be taking over responsibility of the UK business at such an exciting time. The industry is going through an exciting period of transformation, moving from reactive to intelligent, predictive security. By blending people, technology and knowledge, Securitas is at the forefront of this innovative change.” Brian Riis Nielsen commented “I am extremely proud of how we have transformed Securitas UK over the past five years. We can offer real value through our six protective services, and we are leading the industry in our work with the Living Wage Foundation to bring an end to low pay in the sector. Under Shaun’s strong leadership and with a continued focus on Vision 2020 and absolute attention on customer and operational excellence, Securitas UK will continue to go from strength to strength, as we continue to establish ourselves as a trusted security advisor, offering intelligent predictive security to our customers.”

Securitas has officially achieved FREDD (Free Running Explosive Detection Dog) certification – the EU standard for the use of dogs in aviation cargo security. Working in conjunction with the Department for Transport (DfT), this ground-breaking achievement means Securitas now provides the highest levels of explosives detection using our four-legged friends. Government-Certified Detection Dog Service Not only do ever-present terrorist threats make this an essential arm of the security provider’s portfolio, but aviation is the only sector that requires regulation of private security dogs. This is the first time Central Government has certified the private security industry to provide specialist free running detection dogs, so is a significant step forward not only for the company and its customers, but the security industry as a whole. Exacting EU And DfT Standards Meeting exacting EU and DfT standards, the challenging certification process put the dogs and handlers through their paces, testing them across a suite of explosive samples in an operational environment. Shaun Kennedy, Director of Specialized Protective Services at Securitas, said “Our team demonstrated exceptional levels of dedication and commitment in gaining this certification, which is a real game-changer – not only for our customers, but the aviation industry. Our focus is always investing in the highest level of training to raise standards and provide customers with the very best protection.” Airport And Cargo Screening Applications The momentous achievement will be welcome news to airports and cargo screening organizations across the UK. It’s a giant step for canine security and another leap for Securitas, as they continue to raise security standards, blending people, technology and knowledge to provide total protection.

Securitas will continue to increase awareness of fire safety through our proactive work to keep London safer Securitas helped the London Fire Brigade (LFB) kick off the celebrations for its 150th anniversary on Friday by sponsoring the organization's appearance at London's New Year's Day Parade. New Years Day is the start of the LFB year-long celebration marking the anniversary. The event saw over 50 members of the LFB join over 8,500 performers in the annual parade through central London.  Serving officers, fire cadets and retired firefighters walked alongside an array of LFB vehicles, past and present, including a brand new 17-seater mini-bus, used by the Brigade's young fire cadets, which has been donated by Securitas. Increased Awareness Of Fire Safety Securitas' Chief Operating Officer, Shaun Kennedy, said: "Friday was great fun and it has been an honor to support the Brigade and Fire Cadets as they kick off their 150th anniversary in the London New Year’s Day Parade." London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson said: "Friday marked a very special day in the history of London's fire service. Londoners have a great affection and trust in the Brigade and that is largely down to the huge professionalism of firefighters past and present. While rescue is at the heart of the service, we have also had incredible success with our preventative work. Fires are at their lowest levels since 1966 and we will continue to increase awareness of fire safety through our proactive work to keep London safer than ever before."

Securitas officers get around MediaCityUK by mountain bike and electric Raptors Securitas has beaten off stiff competition in its bid for the contract to provide security services to The Peel Group. 160 officers will provide manned guarding, key-holding and concierge services across 17 of Peel’s UK sites, including MediaCityUK and the Group’s aviation and ports portfolio. Securitas Successful Bid The Peel Group is one of the leading infrastructure, transport and real estate investors in the UK, with collective investments owned and under management of more than £5 billion. The company's principal areas of investment encompass the transport, property, land, retail, leisure, energy and media sectors.  Securitas was successful in the bid because of its commitment to ensuring true partnership between the businesses. Securitas and The Peel Group are both experts in their respective fields and specialize in many sectors including property management, retail, events, aviation and maritime. The new deal incorporates Peel Land and Property’s extensive commercial, industrial and retail portfolio. It also covers the ports of Liverpool, Glasgow and Sheerness and Peel’s aviation interests at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield and Durham Tees Valley. Securitas To Develop ‘Green’ Theme At MediaCityUK At MediaCityUK, which features key occupiers such as the BBC and ITV, more than 7,000 people now work, live and study in a sustainable environment with an abundance of open spaces. Peel and Securitas are working closely to ensure a strong community atmosphere is well maintained. Securitas is keen to develop the ‘green’ theme and officers are using an electric ‘Raptor’ and two mountain bikes to get around the site. Shaun Kennedy, Chief Operating Officer at Securitas, said: “This is a hugely important business opportunity for us. This win means Securitas is now The Peel Group’s sole security provider, as we already provide services to its aviation and maritime sectors.” David Glover, Director at The Peel Group, said: “Securitas beat off strong competition to win our security contract. We welcome them to our facilities team and look forward to driving standards ever higher, for the benefit of our occupiers, customers and employees.”