In the latest instalment of our FM executive interview series, we sat down with Cordant Security Managing Director Brendan Musgrove to talk about his company, industry trends and Tripel Karmeliet…
Tell us about your company, products and services.
Cordant security has a turnover of £110m and is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of manned guarding. Family owned, we are social business operating beyond the usual shareholder driven values.
What have been the biggest challenges the Security industry has faced over the past 12 months?
Attracting the right calibre of candidates at the market rates some end uses demand has proven increasingly difficult. We are trying to address this through best in class recruitment processes and making security an attractive career by offering a fully structured approach to development.
And what have been the biggest opportunities?
There have been some major changes in the competitive landscape which has created opportunities for those agile enough to take them.
What is the biggest priority for the Security industry in 2019?
To come up with new and innovative ways to deliver value for money over and above the traditional models which may have worked up until this point.
What are the main trends you are expecting to see in the market in 2019?
For suppliers, it has to be being increasingly judged on output rather than input, demonstrating the value they add to their clients. In fairness this is continuation of a trend that has been developing for some time now.
What technology is going to have the biggest impact on the market this year?
I believe it will be putting two way data in the hands of the security officer. Both in order to direct their actions in a more targeted way, but also to provide Management Information to the end client.
In 2022 we’ll all be talking about…
Brexit… Still I suspect!
Which person in, or associated with, the industry would you most like to meet?
No one in particular. I have had the pleasure to meet such a wide range of people in this industry, some of the most interesting being those you wouldn’t necessarily think so. Therefore I’ll keep an open mind!
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learnt about the sector?
That some clients rightly value security very highly… and yet want to pay so very little for it.
You go to the bar at the Security Management Summit – what’s your tipple of choice?
A nice strong Belgium beer – Tripel Karmeliet.
What’s the most exciting thing about your job?
It has to be the variety, no day is ever the same.
And what’s the most challenging?
Nothing much. Surely, the difficult bits are all part of the fun of it!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
“If your snout is too far in the trough you can’t see what the other pigs are doing”…
Peaky Blinders or Stranger Things?
Peaky Blinders of course! No contest!
