Bidvest Noonan

A leading provider of Facilities Management Services

security

Building great security teams in the Life Sciences Sector

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Bidvest Noonan supports many of the best-known and most important companies in the life sciences sector. Our clients include companies who produce many of the world’s most important and ground-breaking medicines and biotechnologies. We provide a wide range of services to our customers.

We spoke with Niall Bennis to understand how he prepares his security teams to support our customers in the life sciences sector.

Tell us about your journey and role in security.

I have over 15 years of experience in Security Management. Having worked in several sectors and engaged with diverse customers, I have acquired a vast knowledge of the security industry. I am very passionate about security and customer experience.

At Bidvest Noonan, I am responsible for Security Operations. My primary focus is on supporting the Life Sciences customers of our integrated solutions business unit. My job is to ensure the delivery of the operational plan at all levels, including training and development, talent and performance management, and recruitment and selection. My role is to build strong teams and put the right processes and technologies in place to deliver outstanding results for our customers.

What makes a good security team for the life sciences sector?

I believe that communication is critical to any team. As security teams are also ambassadors of customers’ brands, a good security team needs to be friendly and approachable while remaining assertive and confident at all times. They need to be passionate about security and have developed expertise in the field. A good team will be able to problem-solve and know when to escalate issues. They will support each other and know when to look for support. Good security teams earn our customers’ trust by demonstrating high performance and professionalism at all times.

How do you ensure your teams are prepared to deliver great service to our Life Sciences customers?

We work tirelessly with our teams to ensure they are delivering the best possible outcomes and experience for our customers. We put the right people in the right role to ensure they can be successful. We invest in strong management and subject matter expertise to support our teams.

We deliver bespoke training to our teams through a wide range of platforms to ensure that they are confident and competent in delivering a quality service to the sector. We identify, coach, and reward team members who go above and beyond their daily duties. We are visible and pride ourselves on building close relationships with our customers.

Our vision is to be so important to our customers, so valuable to their business, and provide experiences so good, we are always their partner of choice. What part of our vision resonates with you the most? Why?

Our vision in full resonates with me. The security service we provide makes us an integral part of their business, and we strive to add value through innovation and dedicated teams who always go the extra mile for our customers. We build strong relationships with our customers to always provide the best customer experience. We get this feedback through our engagement with our customers. It’s about trust and transparency.

Women in Security – Sharon Kane

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As part of our Women in Security series, Sharon Kane shares how Bidvest Noonan has supported her progress in the security industry.

What do you think it takes to become a strong leader in security? What makes a strong security team?

Working together, seeing the value and skills each team member brings to the overall team. In the security industry, training, guidance, and communication are key. Being approachable, listening to people, and working alongside them is very important to make a strong team.

I also believe that leading people by example helps to make a good leader in the security industry. One of my favourite quotes is “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” -John Quincy Adams

How has Bidvest Noonan helped your career in the security industry?

I started my journey with the company as a part-time cleaning supervisor in 2014. From there I have had many opportunities within the business. One of them was to join the Security team in one of the busiest shopping centres in Ireland in 2018.

Bidvest Noonan encouraged me to get involved with projects and listened to my ideas. This has me invested in the organization. Feeling valued as an employee and working with my other colleagues enhance my experience in the security industry, ensured the opportunities to grow and excel. 

The training, mentoring, guidance, and support I have received are invaluable in my progression within the business and have been instrumental in my current success. I have just been promoted to operations manager and cannot wait to work with other teams throughout the business. 

What has been the proudest moment (or best day) in your career?

I was nominated for an award by my peers at the Bidvest Noonan Annual Awards for ‘Support person of the year’. To hear and see in print your colleagues’ comments and the feedback was very humbling. To go on to win the award was an unexpected delight. 

What advice would you give to other women looking to begin a career in security?

Come join the Bidvest Noonan Security team. “The real energy and life of the business are people” and we are always happy to welcome more women in the industry. 10 years ago, I would have never thought I would be working in the security industry, and am delighted to have the chance to work alongside my great colleagues. 

Women in Security – Renata Baszynski

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To mark International Women’s Day, we spoke to some of the amazing women who do an outstanding job protecting people every day. We will share some of their stories and perspectives in our Women in Security series over the coming days. First up is Renata Baszynski, Security Supervisor at one of the busiest shopping centres in Dublin.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I enjoy every part of it even though the job can be tough sometimes. I love being able to multitask. When you work with security, beyond protecting people and premises, you also provide customer service, you are first aider, fire warden, detective, and many more. It is also great to have contact with people from different backgrounds.

In your opinion, what makes a good security officer/professional?

Experience helps but psychological skills are essential, like the ability to read people’s body language, especially in the retail security industry. I believe it is also definitely important to have a high level of customer service skills.  

What do you think it takes to become a strong leader in security? What makes a strong security team?

To become a strong leader in security you need to be able to work well with people. As a strong leader, you need to make sure that each person on your team is fully trained and is well supported. Strong security teams are formed when there is trust and you know that you can count on each other in difficult situations.

How has Bidvest Noonan helped your career in the security industry?

 Bidvest Noonan has helped me a lot to develop my career. For many years, I’ve gained experience as a security officer and a store detective. Bidvest Noonan gave me a great opportunity in a big retail store as a junior supervisor. During the pandemic, I’ve gained even more experience in different sites while working with many wonderful people. One of the sites was a very well-known shopping center, where I was offered a supervisor position, which I happily took it. 

What has been the proudest moment (or best day) in your career?

There are many great days and proud moments in my career. I think the best moments are the ones when people appreciate my work and come back to thank me. It is very rewarding to know how well we support our clients and the general public.

What advice would you give to other women looking to begin a career in security?

The security industry for many years was dominated by men. However, I believe women have a great opportunity to be a part of the security industry. It is an outstanding opportunity to build up self-confidence, customer service skills, and develop a strong career. I am delighted to see more women joining the Bidvest Noonan security division every day.

Bidvest Noonan wins national innovation award

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We are thrilled to have been named the winner of the Irish Security Industry Association’s (ISIA) ‘Innovation in Security Award’, for 2021. This award recognises companies that are truly innovative in their approach to the delivery of security through product, process, or service innovation.

Bidvest Noonan received the award for our innovation programme, EDGE. EDGE provides a set of tools and processes to empower our teams to innovate faster and develop better innovation skills, capabilities, and culture. 

The ISIA has recognised that this programme gives Bidvest Noonan’s security managers a platform to share their new ideas, imagine better ways of working, and improve how they protect people, clients, and communities.