Page 6 - the SyI Quarterly 11

Know your Institute
Know your Institute

Five months ago, when I started as the Chief Operating Officer and since the end of April when I became
A BIG Thank You from Me to the interim Chief Executive Officer, I have refreshed my skills and knowledge in marketing, events, finance,
annual planning but none of this would be possible without the team based at MIRA Technology Park in
Nuneaton. The team have collectively changed my understanding of what goes on behind the scenes and
You! Chief Operating Officer, the untapped talent at our fingertips and how we harness that knowledge for the good of The Institute and
its members.
Angela Vernon-Lawson CSyP The colours of Pride Month have influenced a refresh to the backdrop to our social media and eNews
curtesy of the Marketing and PR Team - Jade Lapper and Rachel Owen. A 12-month event calendar is in
progress with Q3, Q4 and Q1 (2023) already drafted by the Events Team - Becky Bills and Martina Greatrex.
FSyI The Membership Manager Paula Stanbridge and Deputy Membership Manager Lisa Molineau continue
to assess and score the Membership Applications supported by SyI members on the Validation Board.
Heidi King and Vikki Fox (external) are the Finance Team, a whizz at numbers and keeping the accounts on
track. The embedment and success of the ISO9001 system is down to the Office Manager Helen Stone,
who has been very patient with me as I have settled into the role and asked 100’s of questions. Vicky Smith
and Rosie Razaq who continue to manage the application process for the Register of Chartered Security
Professionals (CSyP), communicating and collaborating with all relevant parties.

After a lengthy experience in the private security sector and Overall, what a team!
academia I joined The Security Institute as the Chief Operating
Officer on Monday 14 February 2022; to share my passion for When asked “where do you get time to think?” I say I have 406 miles of thinking time on the drive from
the security profession which has not diminished but increased home to the office and back. Is it wasted, certainly not! It is very productive and assists to plan future
year on year. I have witnessed the challenges the profession projects to support others in their personal and professional development.
has experienced and the difficulties to upskill individuals in the
quest to gain the professional recognition the industry deserves. Lastly a BIG thank you to all our members who make things happen.
It has also been a time where the working relationship between
the private and public sectors has improved, yet more work is
required to break down silos and work collaboratively - an area Angela Vernon Lawson JP MSc FSyI SFHEA
where The Security Institute plays a significant role and one I can Chartered Security Professional
champion by participating in the JSaRC skills working group, the
security apprenticeship trailblazer, and the future SIA Stakeholder Angela is a keen volunteer and spent six years on the Board (2015-2021), is a Unit Leader for the Volunteer
Forum. Police Cadets in her local area, and a Family Magistrate.
Since joining The Institute as a member in 2011, it continues to
flourish year on year as a progressive not-for-profit organisation
with so much talent on the Board, within the team at Head Office and of course the knowledge and
skills within the membership.

Directors who contribute to developments which are not always mainstream security, for example,
supporting the newly formed Security Consortium for the Prevention of Suicide (SCPS) initiative.
Collaboration with other organisations means we now deliver SABRE as part of The Institutes portfolio; a
programme delivered by my colleague Gareth Hulmes CSyP MSyI. And in the not-too-distant future the
Physical Pentest Register in association with CREST is due to launch.
Central to all activity are the members; this includes but not limited to those who volunteer for the
Validation Board or participate in one of the regional or national groups. The Chairs and or Co-chairs
of the Special Interest Groups who give their time so generously to support members to develop the
knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deal with today’s security requirements. Steve McGrath
MSyI and Andy Donaldson CSyP MSyI who devote so much time to deliver an extensive Counter
Terrorism programme as part of the CT SIG, David BaMaung CSyP FSyI and Allan Burnett FSyI who
hosted the recent ‘Counter Terrorism-Lessons Learned’ event in Glasgow, and Simon Roberts MSyI and
Gary Simpson MSyI, Co-chairs for the Protecting People in Crowded Places (PPiCP) SIG who stepped
in to host the panel at Counter Terrorism Exp 2022 are just a few examples of our exceptional pool of
talent.
Members such as Natalie Swinfen-Green ASyI, Dominic Chandler MSyI and Karol Doherty MSyI who
volunteer time after time to support the team from Head Office at industry events and the members
who become a Corporate Partner, or an Approved Training Provider are also key to The Security
Institute’s success.

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