Speakers Series: Airport IT & Security

Looking back at Airport IT & Security 2018, what did you enjoy talking about most?

My presentation was all about employee competencies, how to work with your staff, and for me that is a very important subject. Very personal to my heart; it is not just about technology and management and processes, it is all about the security officer and how we train and educate. It comes down to how we work as a service and how you behave as a manager towards your staff. This all comes down to having a great working environment and respect for each other. I think this is missing when we discuss security because we focus so heavily on technology and legislation and we put a great deal into the complexity of the work. Nobody is respecting that this change in process has a huge effect upon the security officer who has to implement these changes. There is no increase in salary, or an increase in education. Something is missing and I think this needs to be focused on. If we want to succeed we have to treat our staff very well. We have to respect them and build on the skills they have to offer. 

What did you enjoy hearing discussed most at Airport IT & Security?

I enjoyed Ken Dunlap‘s drone panel, I enjoyed discussing with my peers what we have all experiences. Additionally, I was inspired by Michelle Furgiuele, who discussed the importance of knowing the signs of human trafficking from her own personal experiences, this is vital for us as an industry. 

How can you see the industry changing over the next 12 months?

Gatwick and Heathrow have highlighted the importance of finding a solution to the drone threat, for the safety side of things. That will be something that we should be spending a great deal of time and money on. For me as always, it always comes back to the employees, they have to deal with the knock-on effect of the drones, and we have to ensure that they are properly trained to deal with the consequences of these incursions. 

Looking ahead to Airport IT & Security 2019, what do you think will be the most discussed topics?

I would like to hear about the operational and proven solutions on the drone threat. Not just theory and what can be done, but what has been done, what has worked to stop this threat becoming such a big problem to our industry. I’d like to see some evidence of the way in which we think we can handle the threat, and I would like to see some operational proof of this and how can we apply this to the commercial use of drones, how can we, as an industry, benefit from drone use. 

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