Congratulations to the Australian winners of our highest accolades, the Certis Pinnacle Awards! Held annually in our markets around the world, these honours recognise the best of the best within Certis, from our frontline security officers to our corporate colleagues. With two years’ worth of winners to commemorate, the team organised a lavish event to celebrate our colleagues and their achievements.
Finalists and representatives from around the country attended the ceremony at The Ranch Hotel in Sydney, while Certis Group CEO Paul Chong led a delegation of colleagues from our head office in Singapore. Supported by emcee and Senior Vice President of People and Transformation, Darryl Prince, Paul opened the ceremony by congratulating all finalists and thanking them for the impressive efforts which have made them ambassadors for Certis Australia.
Paul said, “Whether you’re on the frontlines or working behind the scenes, your efforts embody our Purpose: Making our world Safer, Smarter, Better. It is because of you that our flag flies high every day, symbolising our unwavering commitment to our customers and to the wider community.”
This year there were 43 finalists across our different functions – from the suits to the uniforms – yet no one’s effort rated higher than another’s. These awards not only recognise the effort of our colleagues, but also serve as an aspiration for our individual roles in making this world Safer, Smarter, Better.
Get to know our winners and their achievements below:
2023 Winners
Excellence in Customer Service (Individual)
Winner: Wendy Kelly, Client Services Manager
Finalist: Harry Elkheir, Regional Operations Manager
Wendy consistently goes above and beyond in managing her portfolio of clients, including a major transport hub. She consistently promotes high morale amongst her team members, making time to bake varieties of sweets and pastries for the whole team to enjoy. This is an excellent way to get everyone together and creates a more positive work environment for all.
During a particularly busy time for one customer, Wendy was able to manage their needs and deployed enough guards to multiple sites despite the limited resources and tight timeline.
Overall, Wendy has great positive spirit, proactively goes to the front line to help out her team, leads by example and is empathetic to clients and her staff. She is a good and resilient leader.
Excellence in Customer Service (Team)
Winners: Belal Abdelaal, Team Leader; Steven Nolan, After Hours On Road Supervisor; Usman Yuousaf, Coordinator
Based in our Head Office in Sydney, Belal, Steven and Usman work together in our National Operations Centre, helping to coordinate services and officers across the country.
During one challenging incident at a major transport hub, the team managed to step up and cover shifts across all sites. They had to work around the clock under immense pressure to ensure that adequate guards were properly equipped and deployed to their respective posts, and that patrons were not left stranded.
Their response is a prime example of the Certis value of Excellence. The team went above and beyond their duties to practise situation awareness at all times, ensuring the safety of each and every colleague by preparing them for their tasks and keeping them up to date with developments. Throughout the ordeal, the team worked seamlessly with other departments and managers to deliver positive outcomes.
Above all, the team prioritised the safety and comfort of patrons and colleagues. The steps the team took were beyond the normal scope of work and they coped very well.
Take Charge & Go The Extra Mile (Individual)
Winner: Umar Hassan, Gatehouse Officer
Finalist: Christian Dempsey, Security Officer
Read Umar’s heroic story of saving a life here: https://www.certisgroup.com/au/news/id/799/going-above-and-beyond
Take Charge & Go The Extra Mile (Team)
Winners: Christopher Deegan, Duty Shift Supervisor; Warren Fernandez, Aviation Screening Officer
Christopher, Warren and their team went above and beyond during an active shooting incident at a major transport hub. Christopher’s quick thinking and meticulous monitoring of the CCTV assisted the Australian Federal Police in locating the armed offender in a timely manner.
To keep the public safe, the team made sure that no member of the public entered the area where the armed offender was. During the incident, they had demonstrated the Certis core values of Safety, Integrity, Customer Focus, Teamwork, Courage, Care and Professionalism.
Innovation and Excellence (Team)
Winners: Ngie Ung Lau, Head of Quality Excellence; Linda Tomlinson, Project Manager; Quek Pei San, Senior Manager, Quality Excellence; Stephen Mizzi, Head – National Operations Centre; Vivienne Bryant, National Manager – Payables and Receivables
Known as our Digital Transformation team, these individuals used Process Reengineering & Design Thinking frameworks to help solve every challenge they faced. The team worked with internal and external users to resolve issues with time and attendance applications, working closely with end users to understand their pain points, then developed a solution that not only made the Certis Australia workflow smoother but also simplified processes for users.
Their work has fostered a culture of innovation, drawing on the ingenuity of the people who make up the core of the business and giving them tools to successfully adapt to the increasingly digital workplace of today.
Excellence in Business Support (Individual)
Winner: Karen De La Motte, National Manager Payroll, Corporate
Finalists: Victoria Callaghan, Senior Manager, Strategic Accounts & Solutions – Protective Services; Susan Banks, Regional General Manager
Karen De La Motte is an outstanding operator who always goes above and beyond to ensure that time frames and deadlines are met. She is always ready to lend a helping hand as she is quick to understand the support needed.
Karen knows her job well and she is quick to prioritise critical business matters. She has a great sense of teamwork and always puts extra hours in where required to ensure that the payroll department consistently delivers outstanding results in a timely manner. She works long hours on weekends and is always happy to take on extra workload. Her approach and stakeholder engagement are outstanding.
Excellence in Business Support (Team)
Winners: Jossiv Graham, Coordinator; Kamran Mohammed, Coordinator; Mohammed Al Shamari, Coordinator; Peter Hanna, Coordinator
Based in our Head Office in Sydney, Jossiv, Kamran, Mohammed and Peter work together in our National Operations Centre, helping to coordinate services and officers across the country.
The Daylight-Saving Shifts Initiative undertaken by the team aimed to manage the time difference issue faced by Certis Australia’s security guards during the transition to daylight saving time.
To achieve this, the team took the lead in creating a detailed report of all the guards who would be covering the transition shift, contacting each officer individually to conduct a welfare check on each of them to ensure that they were fit and able to work an additional hour.
At the end of the shift, the NOC successfully managed to cover the full extended shift without any issues. The initiative ensured that Certis Australia’s security guards were able to effectively manage the transition to daylight saving time without any disruptions to their work. Overall, the initiative demonstrated a commitment to customer focus, teamwork, social responsibility and excellence in its operations.
2024 Winners
Category: Excellence in Customer Service (Individual)
Winner: Angela Griffiths, Security Officer
Finalist: Karl Belcher, Control Room Operator
Angela Griffiths has received frequent and consistent praise for her work securing a major retail centre in Victoria, with the customer complimenting her professionalism, care and kind attitude to everyone she encounters.
On one occasion, Angela attended to a gentleman after finding him with his head slumped, non-verbal and skin red and hot. While administering first aid and calling an ambulance, Angela was able to locate a contact number for the man’s daughter. Once paramedics arrived, Angela kept the patient’s daughter updated on his condition and helped to organise transport home once he had been given the all-clear.
The man’s daughter was grateful for the follow-up call but even more so for the assistance that Angela had given to her dad on the day.
Take Charge and Go The Extra Mile (Individual)
Winner: Mansour Raad, Control Room Operator
Finalists: Michael Streets, Regional Operations Manager; Jason Mosese, Cargo Screener & Team Leader; Spartak Kaladze, Security Officer; Andrew Neilson, Patrol Manager; Rhett Davis, Operations Support Manager
While responding to reports of a suspicious package on fire at the external entrance to a client site, Mansour demonstrated exceptional professionalism and quick decision-making skills. Recognising the urgency of the situation, he immediately pressed the duress alarm at the front desk to alert the relevant authorities.
Mansour retrieved a white powder fire extinguisher and with great composure and effectiveness, he skilfully extinguished the fire. The prompt action taken by Mansour prevented the escalation of a dangerous incident.
We recommend Mansour for his brave and decisive actions in combating the fire. His dedication to ensuring the safety and security of our premises and the individuals within is truly commendable.
Take Charge and Go The Extra Mile (Team)
Winners: Kulveer Kaur, Retail Security Officer; Akshaye Vaid, Retail Security Officer; David Close, Control Room Officer
Finalists: Muhammad Khan, CBS Operator; Jessica Thai, Team Leader
A massive flooding incident in May 2023 resulted in complete shutdown of lifts and the entire basement carpark at a shopping mall. Kulveer, Akshaye and David worked together to manage this crisis, walking across the flooded area in cold winter conditions to conduct an investigation.
They later attended to distressed customers who could not access their vehicles and supported customers with mobility difficulties who needed to move from floor to floor when the lift system was shut down. The team also proposed a business continuity plan and enhanced customer service operations for the next day as the entire carpark was closed and several lifts were damaged by the flood.
It was a chaotic situation but the team managed to stick together and operated as one to help customers and support the facilities team to investigate the sources of the flood. Despite being cold and wet, the officers continued to assist in other operations to ensure the mall was properly secured and redirected customers out of the building.
Excellence in Business Support (Individual)
Winners: It’s a tie! Mathew Lewsam, State Operations Manager; Paulo Platt, Operations Supervisor
Finalist: Vivienne Bryant, National Manager Payables & Receivables
Matthew Lewsam supports the business through a systematic approach that results in enhancement of our organisation’s performance, efficiency and effectiveness in various operational areas. He has achieved this through a consistent way of working, embracing and positively driving a set of behaviours and mindsets to promote a positive work culture, and setting the stage for success.
In particular, his work on the rollout of a major customer portal is a great example of focusing on purpose and technology as Matthew encouraged key stakeholders to use the portal, engendering ownership with key Certis Australia staff members and seeking feedback on efficiency and pain points with end users. He believes that Operational Excellence is not confined to any one department and his strong advocacy of his collaboration and inclusivity promotes a unified vision between workstreams.
Paulo Platt has delivered valued services fora major transport hub in his position as Operations Supervisor, coming in after hours to provide training for new employees. He has also displayed great value within Certis Australia by stepping out of his comfort zone and aiding with on the ground operational support.
Paulo has demonstrated teamwork, care and professionalism with all employees, stakeholders and customer engagement whilst delivering satisfying results for Certis Australia and its customer.
Excellence in Business Support (Team)
Winners: Victoria Callaghan, Senior Strategic Account Manager; Colin Brennan, Senior Manager, Security Solutions; Tanya Honess, National Projects and Administration Manager
Tasked with improving processes across the business, this team has been absolutely outstanding in their business support to the Queensland, Newcastle and North Coast regions. A regular rhythm of meetings, robust and respectful discussions led to a significant improvement to the region, resulting in impressive financial achievements.
In one instance, Victoria went to great lengths to understand the challenges of multiple sites, including the fact that one in particular was remote & therefore not appealing to the workforce. Victoria worked with the Operations Team to design a solution that would meet the customer’s needs and attract the right guards. This was an extremely positive result for our Operations Team, the customer and Certis Australia.
One final congratulations to all our finalists and winners – we are all winners!