Telgian appoints new Vice President of Finance/Controller

Telgian Fire Safety has announced the appointment of Kirk Unterseeas Vice President of Finance / Controller. In this position, Untersee will be responsible for overseeing financial reporting, preparing operating budgets and performing essential financial duties related to both payroll and operations.

Untersee is an accounting professional who possesses extensive experience in all aspects of finance and accounting for the manufacturing, service and construction industries. His skills include the creation of annual operating plans and forecasts, as well as the monitoring of actuals vs. forecasts.

In addition, his prior experience as a Plant Manager will provide a unique perspective, as well as a deeper understanding, of the essential connection between finance and operations.

Untersee earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting with a minor in business administration from Illinois State University.

Telgian President Chris Higgins commented on the appointment: “A dynamic and effective leader, Kirk’s 30+ years of financial experience, combined with exceptional business acumen, will be an invaluable asset to Telgian Fire Safety.

“His proven track record and strong background in financial reporting, planning and analysis are essential as we plan for the future growth of the company.”  

Six new appointments at Amthal

Fire safety and security specialist, Amthal is continuing on its growth plan to service more advanced commercial customers, with six dedicated appointments already in 2023, set across the business.

The new appointments include Amy Bradbury who has joined the commercial team, together with Donna Henderson who has been welcomed as a key account coordinator in the MSR team.  Amthal has also appointed three new MSR Engineers since the start of the year.

Amthal is looking to grow its team further with the appointment of a new Business Development Manager, Supply Chain Team Member and a Key Account coordinator to meet increasing customer demand, alongside a number of Engineer roles in commissioning, maintenance and installation. 

Commenting on the team’s aspirational growth plans, Jamie Allam, CEO Amthal said: “There is a positive outlook for the physical security technology and fire safety industries as we move into 2023, especially with new legislation coming through.  To ensure we can continue to maximise the opportunities and remain proactive with our customers, together with the senior management team we have continued to steer the company on an ambitious growth plan. 

“This is both through acquisition following our success with IPL, and organic growth to further expand our geographical expansion along with adding to our existing services within the fire and security sectors.  To maintain our mission, vision and values and continue to customer excellence, we are delighted to welcome Amy, Donna and our new Engineers so early in the year. We are also conscious not to be complacent and present further exciting career opportunities via both technical and managerial pathways.” 

Amthal has also committed to its apprenticeship programme to develop the workforce and bring forward the next generation of talent in security and fire safety.

Allam added: “We operate in a dynamic industry and there are plenty of opportunities for a fulfilling and rewarding career. Amthal has always been a big supporter of apprentices and we continue to develop a range of training strategies and job-specific courses across the business. 

“We ensure apprentices have the opportunity to work with our senior team in a structured career progression path and form an essential part of our product and service development.  We have employed, retained and promoted the majority of our apprentices, with some even forming part of our management structure, making a significant influence on our future business growth.”

Johnson Controls promotes Sarah Dixon to Enterprise Sales Director

Johnson Controls has promoted Sarah Dixon to Enterprise Sales Director, UK&I, effective immediately. As the former General Manager, Fire Suppression at Johnson Controls, Dixon brings a wealth of leadership experience and industry expertise to the wider business.

In her new role, Dixon will continue to drive sustainable growth, digital and sustainable outcomes for Johnson Controls customers and positioning the business to thrive in an ever-evolving world.

“I am thrilled to announce Sarah’s new role in the business. Having been with Johnson Controls for two years now, Sarah has shown herself to be a proven leader in fire suppression, applying her experience and insights to some of the most complex fire suppression challenges,” shared Richard Lek, VP and GM, Building Technologies and Solutions, UK&I at Johnson Controls. “She is an asset to the team and I am excited to see her thrive in our enterprise sales function.” 

Dixon said: “I’m honoured to have progressed in my role at Johnson Controls and am eager to work among some of the best in the business.

“I look forward to drawing on my experience to help drive Johnson Controls toward continued industry leadership and global success.”

During her time with Johnson Controls, Dixon has led her team in driving the return of sales for Fire Suppression. Alongside her work in improving their financial results, she has spent time speaking both internally and externally to encourage diversity and inclusion within the industry.

Read IFSJ’s exclusive interview with Dixon Sarah Dixon, where she spoke to IFSJ Editor Iain Hoey about the gender balance in a male-dominated field.

Two join Hyfire UK team

Global wireless fire detection and alarm devices company Hyfire has boosted its UK team with the appointment of Martin Lee [left] as Business Development Manager (UK & Ireland) and Richard Williams [right] as Regional Sales Manager – South West.  

Lee, 47, has worked in the fire industry for 26 years, most recently in a senior sales role with a well known global manufacturer. His role will be to develop the Hyfire brand and to promote it to key partners, end users and consultants.

Williams, 35, will take charge of developing existing Hyfire partnerships in the South West region, and identify new opportunities as the takeup of wireless fire technology continues to accelerate.  

Lee commented: “Hyfire has developed a fantastic product in the Taurus range and this, combined with the structure of a great sales and technical team, made the opportunity very exciting.

“I see the Hyfire business going from strength to strength as we continue to build market share, and become an increasingly significant disruptor in the wired marketplace.” 

Tom Crane, Hyfire International Director, said: “One of the few positives to come out of the pandemic is that end users and installers are beginning to appreciate the inherent advantages of wireless fire systems, and the continued expansion of our sales and business development teams is a major fact in helping Hyfire to capitalise on this growth. Both Martin and Richard have key roles to play in the continued Hyfire success story.” 

Williams said: “I was attracted to Hyfire by the company’s culture, offering industry-leading products backed up by superb service. I’m looking forward to building on the company’s established business in the South West, introducing wireless fire technology to more installers and end clients in the region.” 

Vallfirest appoints Deane Seeger as Sales Director for North America

Vallfirest has announced that Deane Seeger has been appointed the new Director of Sales at Vallfirest North America.

The fire protection equipment supplier said that having the opportunity to incoporate a person with Seeger’s experience in this position will ‘clearly put us one step higher.’

Commenting on his new role, Deeger said: I have 30 years’ experience designing, developing, manufacturing and selling products for the Wildland fire, Industrial Safety and Outdoor recreation markets. I worked domestically and internationally with fabric mills and factories. I spent the last 15 years selling and managing the sales teams in North America.

“I am very excited to be part of the team that is bringing Vallfirest wildland products to North America!

“When I am not fulfilling my duties for VFT I love to ski, cycle, travel and play golf. I love to cook and am always testing out new recipes on my family and friends. In addition to cooking, I have been making wine for 20+ years, always looking for the perfect wine to pair with the foods that I cook.”

New Chief Exec appointed at NEBOSH

The Board of NEBOSH has announced appointment of Andrew Shenstone as the new Chief Executive Officer of NEBOSH, the National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health, which provides valuable qualifications to tens of thousands of people in more than 130 countries every year. The appointment was made after a fair and open competition for the role.

Shenstone has worked in the education and training industry for several years and brings with him extensive experience of development and enhancement of higher education for the benefit of learners, employees and wider society.

He will lead the ongoing growth and development of NEBOSH as we aspire to attract even more people to train for, and take, our globally recognised qualifications in safety, health and environmental management.

The NEBOSH Board said looks forward to welcoming Shenstone who will join NEBOSH as CEO on 20 March 2023. Andy Wilkinson-Sharpe will meanwhile continue in the role of Acting Chief Executive.

Three new appointments for ASFP

The Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) has announced the expansion of its team to further strengthen its member support, with the newly extended team set take forward new initiatives and develop a range of new technical and competency services.

Tariq Malik has joined the ASFP in the new role of Quality Assurance and Quality Manager. Malik will be responsible for producing and managing a new umbrella quality mark scheme for ASFP members and further developing our Competency Pathway. He will also help to steer the Association through the ISO 9001 accreditation process and investigate the potential for additional certification schemes that will add value to ASFP and our members.

He brings experience of working in compliance and as a laboratory operations and quality manager. He also spent two years at TRADA Technology as a project co-ordinator.

Sadiyah Begum has been appointed as the new Technical Assistant, providing administrative and operational support to our existing technical and regulatory affairs officers. This new role forms part of the ASFP’s succession planning strategy and will develop further as Begum’s skills and knowledge of passive fire protection grow.

Begum has a Chemical Engineering degree, a Level 3 in Technology Entrepreneurship: Lab to Market and a foundation degree in Combined Engineering, the study of Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering and Electrical Engineering.

Andy Tyrrell has been appointed as Training and Events Executive, providing maternity cover for Georgina Fennell. He is an accomplished Events Manager with a strong background in organising events ranging from award ceremonies, exhibitions, business-to-business meetings, networking forums, seminars, conferences and large-scale outdoors events. He previously worked for organisations including Brighton and Hove City Council, Silverstone Race Circuit and the International Wine Challenge.

Welcoming them to the ASFP team, ASFP Business Manager Mike Ward commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Tariq, Sadiyah and Andy to the ASFP team. In these exciting new roles, they will be instrumental in developing new services to support our members. They each offer essential new skills that will be key to expanding the ASFP’s professional services and strengthening the Association’s reach and recognition throughout the construction sector.

“This latest expansion of the ASFP team ensures that the Association can continue to grow and build on its reputation as the go-to Association for passive fire protection advice, both now and in the future.”

Fire-Dex takes on new team members following strong year

Family-owned global manufacturer of PPE for first responders, Fire-Dex, has announced that after another year of growth and continued success, the company has made 15 key associate promotions and hired three new team members.

The manufacturer saw year-on-year sales growth of over 40% in booking and revenue, having brought on 110 new associates across its 13 locations, resulting in production volumes being up nearly 30% across the board.

Fire-Dex has announced the promotion of 15 individuals to new roles, including:

  • David Moore, Senior Zone Director
  • Nick Lino, Director of Supply Chain
  • Jamie Marks, Director of Human Resources
  • Dan Goble, Director of Information Technology
  • Bart Brown, Regional Zone Director
  • John Armstrong, Senior Project Manager
  • Shannon Lienemann, Communications Manager
  • Jon Sawyer, Regional Sales Manager
  • Niki Carter, Regional Operations Manager
  • Anthony Costanzo, Regional Operations Manager
  • Alexa Green, Content Marketing Specialist
  • Kaitlyn Ferrell, Product Innovation Coordinator
  • Mary Jo Johnson, 2nd Shift Team Lead
  • Harrison Creameans, Warehouse Team Lead
  • Rebecca Rath, Purchasing Administrator

In addition to these promotions, Fire-Dex continues to grow and has added three new hires to the team in 2023. This includes:

  • Allison DeCongelio, Sales Operations Administrator
  • Joe Hodge, Regional Sales Manager
  • Gary Schofield, International Sales Manager

Fire-Dex CEO Steve Allison commented: “We truly believe in recognizing and rewarding associates who are making a difference. Because their impact is felt well beyond their own respective teams and departments—it touches every aspect of our business and directly impacts our achievements as an organization. Each of these individuals has demonstrated their commitment and hard work and continue to be valuable assets to the Fire-Dex organization. Their promotions are much deserved.”

Middle East and Africa sales team expansion for Advanced

Fire protection solutions company Advanced has appointed Business Development Manager Sargunan Sellamuthu as part of its growth plans in the Middle East and Africa.

Sellamuthu comes to Advanced with nearly a decade of fire industry experience, most recently working as a Sales Manager, successfully handling UAE sales for a European safety systems manufacturer. Prior to that he worked in several engineering roles.

In his new position, he will draw on his sales experience and fire safety expertise to help grow Advanced’s presence from his base in the UAE, as part of its progressive expansion strategy across the Middle East and Africa.

Commenting on his new role, Sellamuthu said: “Advanced is always good at reading market needs and responding with technically sound innovations. This partnered with the longevity of our products provides the ‘X factor’ and I’m excited to show more customers the value our products add.”

Sellamuthu represents Advanced’s second appointment in the region, after Sasi Kumar, Commercial Manager – Middle East & Africa, launched the company’s plans to accelerate growth in the territory.

Speaking about the appointment, Kumar said: “I am delighted to welcome Sargunan to my team and continue our growth across the Middle East and Africa. As a company we are committed to expanding our presence in the region, working closely alongside our existing distribution partners in Oman and South Africa, and actively seeking new relationships in the rest of the area. Sargunan’s wealth of industry experience puts us in an excellent position to grow our market share.”

Raft of senior hires and promotions at Chubb Fire & Security

Chubb Fire & Security (Chubb) has announced that, since the appointment of Andrew White as Chief Executive Officer, it has strengthened its Executive Leadership Team (ELT) with a number of senior hires and internal promotions.

The ELT has been established to provide greater levels of oversight to Chubb’s global sales and operational activity and to maintain its focus on its three key pillars of people, process and portfolio.

Appointments

Keith Mizen has joined Chubb as Chief Information Officer following four years in the same role at Vodafone Business working with multiple geographies and running IT platforms to support B2B sales and operations globally. He is expected to play a vital role in Chubb’s transformation journey as it looks to embed digitalisation into everything it does.

Rabih Najjar has been recruited to the newly created role of Global Vice President of Sales, leveraging more than 19 years of international sales experience in markets including Beirut, Doha, Dubai and London, most recently working for NYSE-listed business Vertiv.

David Jackola, currently Vice President Controller at APi Group, has taken on the new role of Chubb CFO & Vice President of Transformation. Jackola has significant functional and global experience that will bring many attributes to the Chubb Executive Leadership Team. He joined APi Group in October 2021 as Vice President Corporate Planning and Analysis before assuming the role of Vice President Controller in March 2022.

Additionally, Stephen Dowling has was appointed the role of Director of Quality, Environment, Health & Safety for Chubb globally, having previously held the role for the UK & Ireland exclusively. Dowling is a Chartered member of the Chartered Quality Institute and previously spent 28 years at BAE Systems.

Brendan McNulty has been promoted to the newly created role of Vice President – Europe. Reporting to McNulty will be the country leaders of UK & Ireland, Benelux, Spain, Germany and Switzerland/Austria. It is anticipated that this new role will enable Chubb’s European businesses to benefit from many of the transformation and optimisation models successfully adopted by Chubb UK & Ireland.

KT Yiu has been promoted to the newly created role of Vice President, Asia Pacific after more than 30 years’ experience working with Chubb in the region. His expanded business portfolio will cover Hong Kong, China, Macau, Singapore, India and Thailand. Finally, Dave Marven, previously Managing Director for Chubb Australia, is now responsible for all activity across both Australia and New Zealand.

Andrew White, CEO of Chubb Fire & Security Group, commented: “We are very excited to announce the bolstering of the Executive Leadership Team with both external and internal hires at an exciting time for Chubb. The acquisition of the business by APi at the start of this year marked an important turning point for the business, shifting focus to a model with a greater priority on digitalisation, as well as allowing us more penetration in the North American market where APi has historically always been strong. I have been working closely with the new team as we continue our transformational journey and prioritise the wellbeing of our people, the efficiency of our processes and the selective expansion of our portfolio towards new markets and solutions.

In January 2022, Chubb Fire & Security was acquired from previous owners Carrier by APi Group Corporation