Bidvest Noonan

A leading provider of Facilities Management Services

Our Business

From Admin to Operations Manager: The Inspiring Journey of Christina McDonald, a Determined Leader at Bidvest Noonan.

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Twelve years ago, Christina McDonald embarked on a promising journey with Bidvest Noonan, beginning her career as a Rostering Admin. By September of last year, her commitment and dedication had earned her the position of Operations Manager. In this role, Christina has made a significant impact, particularly in building stronger customer relationships.

Christina’s inspiring rise reflects her determination and tenacity. Committed to continuous growth, she has avoided becoming too comfortable in any role. As soon as she began feeling settled in a position, she viewed it as a cue to strive for more, propelled by her strong ambition.

Recently, we had a chance to briefly chat with Christina about her path to success, her approach to strengthening customer relationships, and the impact of these efforts on her recent performance feedback.

Your ascent within the business is inspiring. What have been the factors in your success?

“Career progression, in my opinion, calls for several essential elements. There are five key principles that have guided me:

  • Work diligently
  • Build experience
  • Show respect and kindness to colleagues
  • Encourage open communication by asking questions
  • Believe in yourself

Out of these, believing in yourself is probably the most important. There were times when my aspirations seemed too high, but the encouragement and backing I received from my superiors and peers strengthened my resolve. They convinced me to challenge my limits and chase my goals relentlessly. The belief that I had the necessary skills and knowledge to take the next step allowed me to maintain focus and persistence, even when immediate success seemed far away.”

In your opinion, what is the most important ingredient for a successful client relationship?

“People form the very core of our service delivery, and these individuals represent our company when interacting with our customers, especially those on-site. Treating your team with respect, providing support, and helping them excel in their roles are key to solid customer relationships. Having ascended through the ranks myself, I can relate to my team’s experiences and challenges. This connection creates mutual respect and understanding.”

You recently received positive feedback from customers for significant improvements made to some of your sites. How was this accomplished?

“Multiple factors contributed to this success, but I believe the main catalyst was my commitment to improving relationships with those customers. Regular meetings and on-site visits proved invaluable in identifying necessary improvements to enhance our service delivery. Should problems arise, my past experiences help me to present effective solutions. A thorough understanding of our processes has also empowered me to address challenges more effectively.”

We Have Launched our Brand New Energy Management Service in Response to Soaring Energy Prices.

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Energy prices have soared in recent years, driving businesses to search for solutions to control their rising costs. In response to this, we have launched a new Energy Management Service. This innovative service is designed to help businesses streamline energy consumption, achieve significant cost savings, and boost sustainability.

“Our new Energy Management service will help customers overcome energy challenges,” says Peter Smyth, our Director of Innovation and Technology. “With high energy prices and continued volatility in the energy market, our mission is to help customers reduce their energy consumption, pay the lowest rates and achieve their sustainability goals.”

The new service simplifies energy management into three key steps:

  1. Contract and Consumption Analysis: Our energy management teams perform an in-depth review of our customers’ existing energy contracts and consumption, pinpointing areas of potential financial improvement.
  2. Supplier Negotiation: Our business then negotiates with energy suppliers, on behalf of our customers, leveraging our position to secure the best price and terms on the market.
  3. Contract Finalisation and Monitoring: Bidvest Noonan’s team handle the transition to the new supplier and continually monitor market trends and manage contract renewals for a seamless, uninterrupted service at the lowest cost.

The energy management service enables our customers to align their energy procurement with their sustainability objectives, sourcing energy from sustainable energy suppliers.

“Bidvest Noonan remains dedicated to helping businesses navigate these challenging times,” adds Peter Smyth. “With our expertise and this innovative solution, we are set to unlock significant cost savings for our customers while contributing to a more sustainable and energy-efficient future.”

Additionally, we are offering an energy audit service to identify potential energy-saving projects such as lighting upgrades, solar installations, EV charging solutions, and more, enabling businesses to achieve further environmental and cost efficiencies.

Bidvest Noonan’s Workplace Solutions Managing Director, Mary Kealy added: “Our new energy management service is just another step forward in our ongoing mission to provide added value for our customers. It underscores our dedication to continuously finding new ways to support them and help them achieve success.”

For more information about Bidvest Noonan’s new Energy Management Service, or to schedule a consultation, please visit our dedicated page here.

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.”

Bidvest Noonan appoints a new Chief Financial Officer for its business in Ireland.

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We are thrilled to announce Mark Holligan has joined Bidvest Noonan as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for our Irish business.

The appointment follows a period of very strong growth for our business, solidifying our leadership position for services such as cleaning, security, and M&E maintenance services.

A qualified chartered accountant and tax advisor, Mark brings with him more than 12 years of experience to the role, with expertise in financial planning and analysis, taxation, risk management and compliance, and more recently acquisition integrations.

Mark has previously worked across various industries including investment banking, technology, and data and analytics. He has international experience in Australia and mainland Europe. Prior to joining Bidvest Noonan, Mark served as Finance Director for the Irish operations of a multinational data and analytics company, where he also acted as European Accounting Leader.

Mark succeeds Kathy McDermott who has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer for Bidvest Noonan’s group operations.

Commenting on the appointment, Bidvest Noonan’s CEO for Ireland, Cormac Sheils, said:

“With Mark on board, we are well-positioned to take our business to the next level. His impressive track record and financial acumen make him the perfect fit for our team. I have every confidence he will help us achieve our goals and continue to grow our business in the years ahead.”

Mark added: “I am delighted to take up this position as CFO at a very exciting time for the business. I look forward to working with my new colleagues across our Irish business. Together, we will build upon the company’s strong foundation and achieve even greater success.”

The Importance of Investing in Quality and Continuous Security Training – Stephen Devlin

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Stephen Devlin, Bidvest Noonan’s Senior Operations Manager in Retail, shares with us why training is crucial in security, the importance of continuous development, how Bidvest Noonan supports our security teams, and the benefits of investing in training for security colleagues.

Why is training crucial to providing a successful security service?

When it comes to training in security, never cut corners. To produce high-performing teams, it is essential that they are given the right tools. At Bidvest Noonan, we invest in our teams to make sure they are future-ready  

The importance of this becomes evident when security officers first get deployed to a customer’s site. Having gone through initial training, they will have the awareness and understanding needed to hit the ground running, applying all their knowledge and expertise to the needs of our customers from day one.

How important is it to provide continuous training and development?

To truly build a strong and effective security team, there needs to be a clear path for officers to progress and develop their skills and expertise over time. This is where continuous training and careful management come into play.

By providing ongoing training there is an opportunity to make them better equipped to handle the ever-changing security environment. This not only benefits security professionals themselves but also ensures the best possible level of protection is provided to customers.

How is Bidvest Noonan ensuring consistency with this training?

In our business, we work hard to provide the best possible training and do so in many ways including in-person workshops, simulation exercises and drills, mentoring and coaching programmes, and online training courses and webinars.

We ensure our security teams get regular training on some key elements like first-aid, conflict management, and terrorism awareness. Each customer has unique requirements, and our colleagues need to know how to identify what are the potential risks for them.

I also believe it’s important that our security teams, especially those on site, have easy access to training programmes. We have made many of our modules available to colleagues through our online Learning Management System (LMS). Through e-learning platforms and mobile apps, we make it convenient for our security personnel to complete on-the-job training requirements.

Our security management teams do regular performance evaluations and skill assessments of our teams. This allows us to measure the effectiveness of what we do and identify areas where additional training may be needed. We also regularly review and update how we deliver our training to ensure that it stays current with the latest security threats and best practices

What are the long-term benefits of investment in this training?

I am a firm believer that investing in the growth of your security colleagues will reap the rewards of better employee engagement, retention, and ultimately, a better service to customers. That’s why it’s important to view training and development not as an expense, but as a valuable investment in the future of the business.

I am proud to work with many colleagues, who like myself, have benefited from strong mentorship and guidance from people inside the business and the training that has been made available. It has allowed me to progress to where I am today.

Making Air Travel More Accessible – A Spotlight on PRM Services with Michèle Hill

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Airports are known for their busy nature, with thousands of people passing through their doors every day, connecting people from all over the world. While a focus on providing core services such as cleaning and security is important, there are many passengers that intend to travel through the long terminal corridors who require additional support.

We sat down with Michèle Hill, Bidvest Noonan’s Contract Manager at Shannon Airport, to gain a deeper understanding of the People with Restricted Mobility (PRM) Service, some of the fundamentals that need to be in place, and what the aims of our PRM teams are here at Bidvest Noonan.

What exactly is a PRM Service, and what is involved when delivering it?

A ‘People with Restricted Mobility’ (PRM) Service is designed to assist individuals who have mobility challenges such as walking, standing, or climbing stairs. The service also assists those who use mobility aids such as wheelchairs, walkers, or crutches. Support also extends beyond physical impairments and also includes accommodating those with visual and auditory impairments.

Providing a PRM service involves assisting those who need additional support at every stage along the passenger journey through the airport. This includes helping departing passengers from check-in, through security, to boarding the plane. It also includes assisting arriving passengers from the aircraft through immigration and baggage reclaim, and out to the arrivals hall.

All of this is designed to help passengers navigate the airport with ease and ensure that they have a safe and comfortable journey.

What fundamentals must be in place to deliver a PRM Service?

Knowing the terminal inside out in order to navigate it effectively, being aware of where all equipment and mobility aids are at all times, and having the appropriate training to assist passengers of all restricted mobility levels are some of the key basic elements I believe are required to deliver an effective PRM Service.

However, delivering an effective People with Restricted Mobility (PRM) service is not just about checking off a list of necessities, it’s much more than that. A holistic approach should be taken.

Recognising that navigating through an airport with physical limitations can be a source of stress and discomfort for individuals, and taking steps to alleviate those challenges is important. That is why our teams go that extra step to make each passenger feel warmly welcomed, by making an effort to personally greet them and learn their name.

This personable touch can often help ease any anxiety passengers might have and make the experience more relaxed for them. This can be really important if they are travelling alone.

What do our PRM teams at Bidvest Noonan aim to do?

Our PRM teams have one core focus, and that is to ensure passengers who have restricted mobility or other impairments have a seamless experience on their journey and get to where they need to be, all while enjoying their time at the airport. Providing them with the reassurance they need that all their needs are being cared for, is what makes the difference. No matter what disability or mobility issue the passenger may have, we make it our mission to remain adaptive, flexible, and accommodating to passengers throughout the airport.