Bidvest Noonan

A leading provider of facilities services and solutions

Latest News

“Transforming stumbling blocks into steppingstones” – a journey of exceptional leadership by Michele Hill

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Meet Michele Hill, one of our industry’s exceptional leaders, and our Contract Manager at Shannon Airport. This short article takes you on a journey through her remarkable management style, her ability to motivate her team, and the impressive trajectory of her career.

Michele has the challenging task of managing and motivating a large team of facilities professionals who work tirelessly to ensure thousands of passengers feel safe and secure every day.  Her winning formula? Clear communication, solid work ethics, constant encouragement, and above all, a generous serving of humility and empathy.


So, how does she keep herself motivated in this intense role? Michele has a unique approach – she runs. Running has helped Michele unwind and reconnect with life after a busy day in the office “I put on my running shoes. It’s a way to reset, refocus, and get back on track,” she shares.


Michele also proudly shares her personal motto, which has truly become a guiding principle in her life – “Make steppingstones out of stumbling blocks. Always remember that every ceiling you aim for through hard work and determination will become a floor you deserve to walk on.” A principle that teaches us to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and development. It’s about learning from setbacks and using these lessons to drive further development and success.


At Bidvest Noonan, we’re truly inspired by such stories of dedication and leadership and we’re privileged to have such committed and driven individuals on our team.

Sarah Scanlon and Brian Maguire promoted to Operations Director roles

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We are delighted to announce the promotion of two of our long-standing colleagues to top management roles in our integrated solutions business unit. Sarah Scanlon and Brian Maguire have been promoted to Operations Director positions.

Sarah Scanlon has climbed the ranks in our business since joining in 2007 and is now the Operations Director for the Life Sciences & Corporate sectors. Known for her impressive track record, Sarah has been instrumental in fortifying and growing Bidvest Noonan’s presence in the life sciences sector. Reflecting on her promotion, Sarah said, “I am delighted and honoured to have been promoted to Director of Operations. I’m eager to roll up my sleeves and take our business in the life sciences and corporate sectors to new heights.”

Brian Maguire also joins our senior leadership team within the business unit taking up the role of Operations Director for Strategic Accounts. With 22 successful years in the FM industry, Brian has proven himself a vital asset during his tenure here. Commenting on his promotion Brian said, “This is a testament to Bidvest Noonan’s belief in nurturing its own talent. I am excited to bring fresh perspectives to our clients and push the boundaries of what we can achieve together.”

Anthony Harman, Managing Director of Bidvest Noonan’s Integrated Solutions Business Unit, is confident about the promotions: “Sarah and Brian have consistently shown an exceptional level of dedication and skill. I have no doubt that they will accelerate growth and deliver even better service to customers. I eagerly anticipate this new chapter with Brian and Sarah in our Senior Leadership team.”

Introducing Spot, the Next-Gen Security Robot

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We recently announced our investment in Spot, a highly advanced quadroped robot developed by Boston Dynamics. We were delighted to unveil this technology to a captivated audience of security experts at our Counter-terrorism conference at Croke Park Stadium in Dublin in 2023.

Spot comes equipped with state-of-the-art features that are instrumental in performing vital security tasks. These advanced tools allow Spot to perform real-time inspections, mapping, and data gathering, even under the most challenging and hazardous conditions. This functionality can make Spot highly valuable to security teams, providing a new layer of safety and operational efficiency.

Spot overcoming obstacles and undertaking a patrol on-site

Walking on four legs, Spot is more stable, agile, and versatile than bipedal or wheeled robots. It can travel at up to 3.5 miles per hour, more than 15% faster than the average human walking pace. Importantly, the robot can be deployed in areas that may be difficult to access or hazardous for humans.

Spot can be equipped to gather a wide range of data, generate detailed 3D maps, and identify anomalies, including changes in temperature and sound. The data it collects can be used to enhance security operations in a number of ways, such as identifying patterns in activity and detecting potential hazards. Spot can also capture real time video footage of an area allowing security teams to monitor and respond to incidents.

Peter Smyth, Director of Innovation and Technology at Bidvest Noonan said “Spot represents an important step forward for the security industry. It is a highly innovative robot and it will be used to augment security teams and keep people safe in a variety of ways. One of its key attributes is the ability to customise it by integrating different equipment options through the base platform mounting rails. This versatility allows Spot to adapt for numerous business applications, including Security Patrols, Alarm Responses, repeatable data capture for asset maintenance, and performance management, among others. I firmly believe that ground-breaking technologies like Spot will have a profoundly positive impact on the security industry in the coming years, and I take great pride in Bidvest Noonan being among the first security companies to invest in Spot.”

Spot’s Entrance into our Counter-Terrorism Conference at Croke Park, Dublin

Security Experts Gather in Dublin for Ground-breaking Counter-Terrorism Conference

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Bidvest Noonan, a leading provider of security and facilities services, is bringing TinyG, the global counter-terrorism information network, to Ireland for the first time as part of its Counter-Terrorism and Major Incidents conference. The event will take place at the iconic Croke Park Stadium in Dublin this month. Due to the high level of interest in the event, places for the conference were booked out rapidly, with strong demand from security and facilities professionals across various sectors.

Terrorism continues to evolve in complexity, posing a threat to security worldwide. Bidvest Noonan and TinyG aim to provide an invaluable platform for sharing the latest strategies and technologies for mitigating these threats. Attendees will hear from a host of experts, including representatives of the FBI and Ireland’s Special Tactics Operations Command. The keynote will be delivered by Neil Basu QMP, a highly accomplished former Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the sole officer to hold the top three positions in Counter Terrorism Policing. A recipient of the Queen’s medal, Neil played a pivotal role in leading the response to the 2017 terror attacks and went on to head the UK’s CT Policing organization, succeeding Sir Mark Rowley in 2018.

The conference also highlights the important role that security guards can play in countering terrorism. Security guards are often the first line of defence against security threats and play a crucial role in protecting people and assets. The conference will provide insights into the latest strategies and technologies for enhancing the capabilities of security guards in countering terrorism.

Cormac Sheils, CEO of Bidvest Noonan in Ireland, said, “We are delighted to bring TinyG to Ireland for the first time and provide our customers with the opportunity to hear from such an esteemed group of experts. I’m looking forward to attending, and I know the information shared will be invaluable”.

Nick O’Connor, Operations Director, added, “As a career security professional, I believe this conference provides a unique opportunity to hear from international experts in counter-terrorism, exchange knowledge and best practices, and network with other security professionals.”

Dave Evans of TinyG said, “TinyG is committed to fostering collaboration and intelligence sharing among security professionals. By partnering with Bidvest Noonan, we are excited to bring our expertise to Ireland and create new opportunities for learning and cooperation in the fight against terrorism.”

Bidvest Noonan achieves global sustainability accreditation

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Bidvest Noonan is pleased to announce we have been accredited by CDP for the actions we have taken in engaging with our suppliers on climate change.

CDP is a global environmental disclosure system that measures and manages how businesses engage with their suppliers, recognising best practices to reduce supply chain emissions. Our business has been awarded an A grade in Supplier Engagement, an A- in Scope 3 Emissions, and an overall grade of B, surpassing the global average rating of C.

This recognition is the result of the significant work done by our environmental and procurement teams to promote a greener future. Our recent commitment to reducing plastic waste across our business has led us to decrease our single-use plastic consumption by 95%. We have also moved to reduce the size of our packaging when ordering.

Commenting on our achievement, Bidvest Noonan Environmental Manager, Keerthana Sreenivasan, said:

“We are delighted to have been accredited by CDP, achieving ‘Management’ level status. This achievement highlights the coordinated action we are taking with our supply chain to deliver a greener world.

Our procurement teams and I have held regular meetings with our suppliers to ensure that the products we use and the way we source them are environmentally friendly and sustainable.

I am thrilled at the progress we have made, and receiving this accreditation is a testament to our work to date, but we are not stopping here. We look forward to continuing our engagement with our suppliers and enhancing our overall climate change actions.”

Women in Security: Overcoming Old Challenges in a New Era

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In an ideal world, conversations about the representation of women in security and leadership roles should not be necessary. But the equal society we envision is still in the future, though it is one we are progressively approaching. 

It is essential to recognise the progress made towards gender equality, especially in industries where women are underrepresented, such as the security industry. However, despite the increasing awareness of the impact that women can make in the security sector, there is still a long way to go in achieving gender diversity and inclusion. In this article, we speak to Melanie Innes, Key Account Director, and Sharon Kane, Operations Manager, about the challenges and opportunities for women in the industry.

How do you view the attractiveness of the security industry for women?

Melanie: The security industry has faced challenges with gender diversity in the past. However, this has significantly changed over time as more women enter and stay in the sector due to equal opportunities for both genders. Today’s change-makers in the security industry are strong women with a change-oriented ideology. The industry today offers a wider range of tasks that do not only include manned guarding but also customer liaison roles, which broadens the industry and makes it more accessible for women.

Sharon:  There has been a misperception among some that the security industry can be challenging and too physically demanding for women who aspire to work in the field. For views to change, the industry needs to be more than just inclusive. It means that our industry must establish a culture that promotes diversity and values the contributions of women. This can involve initiatives like setting up leadership programs and flexible work schedules for women, among other things. For example, Bidvest Noonan recently signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge that supports colleagues experiencing menopause and making reasonable adjustments in their working schedules and environments.

Why do you think the industry feels less appealing to women?

Melanie: The lack of professional networking opportunities and mentorship remains a big challenge for women in security. I believe that professional networking opportunities and mentoring programs are crucial for women to rise to the top in this industry. This also means that women should seek out mentors and colleagues who can provide direction, guidance, and support which would help them form strong networks.

Sharon: Insufficient representation is one of the key challenges women encounter in security and management roles to date. I came across a study which mentioned that only 11% of security leadership positions worldwide are held by women. This is not a particularly appealing number, and the problem is that even this 11% of women are underrepresented in the sector. It can be challenging for young women to picture themselves in senior roles when they lack a female role model in the industry and examples of strong successful women in security. Melanie and I are fortunate to have had strong women role models in our business units, both are led by female Managing Directors.

Can you share your thoughts on perceived gender bias in the industry?

Melanie: For a business to be productive overall and to combat gender bias, inclusion and diversity must be achieved. To deal with the shifting landscape, organisations should make sure they can keep attracting and retaining talented women. To attract more women into the industry, and to promote female leaders, there must be a desire to make the right decisions from the leaders and do so with positive intent. The fact that a woman is the Managing Director of Bidvest Noonan London Solutions Business Unit is an incredibly motivating example.

Sharon: It is true that gender bias remains an issue and it is a global problem across different industries. I learned recently that the global average gender disparity is around 31%. In order to work towards closing this gender gap in our industry, a lot of effort has to filter down from management. One of the most effective measures that a company can take is to develop an environment that promotes ‘conscious inclusion’. 

What advice would you offer to a woman considering a career in security?

Melanie: There has never been a better time to pursue a career in the security industry. Take advantage of all the opportunities that are offered to you. At the end of the day, it’s important that women realise they can accomplish everything they set their minds to. Someone considering a career in security should concentrate on being persistent, being able to take constructive criticism, and having confidence in their skills. 

Sharon: Women can achieve great heights in this industry. Women do indeed face unique challenges in their journey, but with perseverance and support from their colleagues and mentors, anything is possible. It’s time to challenge the way women are perceived inside and outside this industry.