NEW BOARD DIRECTOR: CRISPIN KENNEDY

06/02/2023
Profile

The ICoCA Board of Directors proudly announces the election of Crispin Kennedy as the new Industry Pillar Board Director for Europe and the UK, effective December 2022.

 

Crispin Kennedy joined Salama Fikira in 2010 as Operations Manager before becoming a Director and Board Member in 2012. In his current role as Chief Operating Officer he heads the compliance elements of the company. Prior to Salama Fikira, Crispin was a chartered surveyor and gained experience managing a range of companies first in the UK (while serving in the Territorial Army as part of the Queen’s Own Yeomanry), and then later in Kenya.

Now headquartered in the United Kingdom, Salama Fikira was incorporated in Kenya in 2005 by Lt Col (Rtd) Conrad Thorpe OBE. The company was founded to provide specialist risk management services across Africa, however in the last seven years has diversified service delivery and expanded geographical coverage to include Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The company is unique in the fact that it grew out of Africa into other continents. This gives the organisation a distinctive perspective in how to manage risk in complex and sensitive environments – to quote Pliny, ‘ex Africa semper aliquid novi’ – out of Africa always something new.

 

We discussed with Crispin his newly appointed role on the ICoCA Board and his vision for the organisation.

What motivated Salama Fikira to join ICoCA in 2013?

Salama Fikira was one of the 58 founding signatories of the International Code of Conduct (PSP) in September 2010. Since 2010, Salama Fikira has grown and diversified in service delivery, and remained committed to improving standards of delivery and accountability within the whole security industry. Being a certified member helps demonstrate this commitment over and above the compliance certification provided by ISO28007 and ISO18788, and we believe that bodies like ICoCA are important in ensuring that the industry remains synonymous with high standards of conduct.

 

Why did you decide to join the ICoCA Board of Directors?

I believe that in order for the security industry to help build sustainable cultures of security and resilience in complex environments it is essential we protect the human rights in those communities. By doing so, we provide the social licences to validate the activities we undertake. I also wanted to use my skills and experience in leadership and governance  to contribute to the strategic direction of the organisation. I believe strongly in the work of ICoCA and I would like to see that it continues to grow and flourish in its mission and goals. Additionally, the Board of Directors is a great opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of professionals from around the world who are dedicated to the same cause. As a Board Member, I hope to be able to make a lasting and positive impact on the development of more responsible corporate security practices and the protection of human rights.

 

Why does ICoCA’s mission resonate with you?

ICoCA’s mission is to raise private security industry standards and practices that respect human rights and international humanitarian law and to engage with key stakeholders to achieve widespread adherence to its Code globally.

For me the global nature of ICoCA’s mission is key. I believe we are operating in a global community where a person’s or a small group’s action can impact the mentality of a business sector with improved outputs and outcomes for all. With increased communication, the world becomes a smaller place and the positive and negative impacts of behaviour and activity are able to resonate further in the communities and environments in which we operate. With this in mind the mission of ICoCA underwrites the quality and longer-term value of security services delivered by its members.

 

You represent the European security industry, including the UK, on the ICoCA Board. Why should European security companies be engaging with ICoCA, and what do you hope to achieve during your tenure?

The European and UK security industry in particular are world leaders in the development and delivery of responsible security services. By engaging with ICoCA, security companies have the opportunity to play an active role in international discussions, learn from their peers and help shape industry standards. In this way, they can help to ensure that their own business is compliant with industry standards and demonstrate their commitment to protecting human rights. I hope to be able to continue to move forward the initiatives already underway with ICoCA, and encourage other European and UK Security companies to become members and see the benefit of access to invaluable resources, networks and industry updates to help them stay at the forefront of the industry.

 

As ICoCA celebrates its 10-year anniversary in 2023, what are the challenges and opportunities for your company and for the Association in the years ahead?

The sustainability conversation is one that has matured in the past 5 years and I anticipate it will present its own opportunities and challenges for the years ahead.  Already we can see that climate change is impacting on the security of marginal regions where lack of reliable rainfall directly impacts the safety of the individuals and companies operating in those areas. I anticipate that increasingly our clients will require the design of security concepts to integrate with our own and their environmental and sustainability structures, where negative impacts are mitigated and positive outcomes desired.

The COVID pandemic has demonstrated that the resource and resilience of organisations when confronted by the ‘Black Swan’ event is paramount to survival. Innovative partnerships between the public and private sectors are creating mutually beneficial arrangements where the designs of services are tailored to meet the needs of the clients rather than a traditional private security ‘model’. I believe the exploration of such relationships, coupled with the development of shared best practices, will present itself as an opportunity for ICoCA to drive positive social and economic outcomes tuned to the local environments.

In my view the increasingly complex and changing environments in which we work and live require a global ‘one world’ approach where economic and social news travels as fast as physical, in terms of its impact on culture, reputation and value. It is ICoCA’s responsibility to be at the forefront of these discussions, promoting our members, understanding the complexities and influence of these conversations, and facilitating the supply of services across each of these areas which are tailored to the local context. It should go without saying that doing this while still maintaining the core principles of the Code of Conduct at the heart of the association’s Board and Member’s Direction.