As the former chairman of the SIA Baroness Ruth Henig has knowledge that is now a valued commodity. So how does it feel out in the commercial world after the public sector? Roy Cooper asked.
After laughing out loud she replied: “It’s very exciting and it is very liberating. As you can imagine it is a very different experience if you have worked in the public sector, you get used to doing certain things, certain rules and regulations. When you get in to the private sector it is very much up to you what you do, how you do it and where you are going to go with it. So the entire experience is extremely liberating and I am in the fortunate position of being able to take on only things that really interest me. Although I have left it a long time…I am really enjoying myself and doing a number of things, some of which follow on from the work I was doing for the SIA.”
A couple of months after the Labour peer left the SIA, she became a non-executive director with the ACS company Securiguard, mentioned in our June issue. Soon after the BSIA announced her appointment as the association’s special advisor on regulatory change. She will support the association’s active public affairs programme to represent the interests of the BSIA and reinforce the importance of primary legislation to support the Government’s proposals for a new ‘lighter touch’ regulatory regime.
She said: “It did strike me when I was at the SIA that one of the problems for the diverse security industry is that it does a lot of good work which people don’t always appreciate and understand. I think that the industry needs a much stronger and united voice than it has had in the past. So one of the things I am interested in doing is working with the BSIA, ASC, IPSA and the Security Institute along with other industry lead bodies to see if we can develop a much stronger industry voice. This will enable us to actually tell the government what the security industry should be doing, how it should be regulated and what its future should be … I don’t think we should wait to be told. Also since being involved with the SIA I have always been struck by the way the industry itself has been working to raise standards. How there has been so much work for example around chartered security professionals, which of course is one of the reasons I am pleased to also be part of iAudit Consultants.”
She is a company director of iAudit Consultants who are a penetration testing organisation; with a difference. She pointed out that they are the only company practising that type of work in the security market at present who are themselves inspected by an independent inspection process. She went on: “Who audits the auditor? Surely that should be the first question any company would ask if they were employing a security penetration testing company. Therefore, that was one of the first things I wanted to see within the company in order that we could reassure our potential clients of quality from the start. I am now on the other side of the fence if you like! Having been the regulator for six years I am now in the industry as an entrepreneur looking at how to try and build on that foundation and transfer my skills across to business practice. It is a great opportunity to practise what I was preaching so it is very important that quality standards prevail within iAudit Consultants. In fact one of the things I worried about when I left the SIA was the question of quality and service delivery in business. At iAudit we strive for quality service to both internal and external customers. I have come to appreciate in the private sector that you really do have to strike up some close and important partnerships with a number of companies with whom you need to work if you are going to offer a service that is of a high standard. We believe in business partnerships and we demonstrate that with our preferred suppliers. Our core supplier relationships are very important to us such as the BSI who are our external certification body and LogoSoft for instance who we have worked with from the start to provide the systems platform for our business. LogoSoft have worked with us to develop our specialised software needs. This on-going relationship is an example of how businesses work together to create a service dimension that is constantly striving to enhance each other’s products. One of our directors chose LogoSoft because it was a security software that he had worked with before and he trusted them. Initially the software bore no resemblance to what we needed as a penetration testing organisation. However, this is where the true partnership agreement is so important. They listened to our needs and after months of working together at the beginning of the business it has now resulted in the development of a renewed fit for purpose systems platform that meets our specialist needs … that is what a supplier relationship is all about … respect and co-dependence on quality service provision from both sides.
But I must admit one of the most interesting things for me is not only working with our customers but also with our customer’s clients! I believe the entire service chain should be part of the quality process. One of the important elements for me is that people should not only work to a high standard but they should also be recognised for consistent service delivery. Which is why I am so enthusiastic about our iAudit reward and recognition scheme. It actually tests individuals in very farflung places in very difficult environments in some cases. It gives them the opportunity to show that they are good at their jobs. I think it gives tremendous satisfaction to people to have been recognised for carrying out their role and then being celebrated for doing it … it is an approval of the quality of service that they are providing. To me that is a very important element of the work we do and the service we provide. “
A few weeks ago she made a presentation to our iAudit Champion 2013 at Ascot racecourse on behalf of client SECURE by Sodexo. “The winner is an outstanding security officer who was absolutely determined that no way was anyone going to intrude upon his security site and he was a shining example of how a really high quality person, working shifts is still able to provide an excellent service at all times. For me that’s what it’s all about … the individual being part of the overall quality operation…and being valued as the champions they are. Yes. I am really enjoying being a business woman and entrepreneur – it is an extremely fulfilling new career!”
