Richard Huison

Gallagher Security, a division of Gallagher Group, a privately-owned New Zealand company, is a global presence in integrated access control, intruder alarm and perimeter security solutions. Gallagher entered the global security industry in the 1990s with the purchase of security access control business Cardax. In the last several decades, the company has leveraged its experience in electric fence technology to develop a variety of innovative solutions used to protect some of the world's most high-consequence assets and locations. Solving business problems Among Gallagher’s recent innovations is the Security Health Check, a software utility that enables customers to run an automated check on their Gallagher Command Centre security system. To get an update on the company, we interviewed Richard Huison, Gallagher’s Regional Manager for the U.K. and Europe, who says he has a passion for technology and solving business problems. Huison says working in the industry for more than 20 years has shown him you can never stop evolving and adapting. Q: What are Gallagher's points of differentiation versus competitors? Huison: Gallagher’s strengths are in solving business problems outside of the normal access control and intrusion detection solutions. Enforcing company policy through compliance and competency is what really matters to business continuity. Using Gallagher Command Centre to oversee the security, health and safety and compliance brings true business value to the client who benefits from reduced costs and risk to the success of their growth and strategy. Q: What is the biggest challenge for customers in the security market, and how does Gallagher help to meet that challenge? Huison: A great solution fit is key. Where most fail is choosing a solution that does not meet the needs of the client in 10 to even 20 years’ time. As businesses evolve and grow, so must the security solution. In a recent conversation, a client had to replace a 300-door access control system that was no longer supported. ‘Why Gallagher?’ they asked. The answer: ‘If you had chosen Gallagher 10 years ago, we would not be having this conversation.’ Ensuing the system you choose is legacy-compliant is king. Gallagher’s brand is well known for protecting Critical National Infrastructure Q: Please describe Gallagher's geographic presence in the UK and Europe. Huison: Gallagher’s brand is well known for protecting Critical National Infrastructure. They choose to adopt our solutions because we meet the highest levels of resilience against cyber-attacks. Our ability to modernise legacy systems ensures the maximum return on investment with minimal disruption to business continuity. Gallagher solutions cover a broad mix of verticals, with strengths in high security, education and large corporate entities. Our Channel Partner network is continually growing so more clients can benefit from the diverse and powerful Gallagher Command Centre software. Q: Describe how Gallagher is typically integrated into larger systems. Huison: Our systems offer the flexibility of being standalone or globally networked via our Multi-Server environment. Most integration happens logically where data is pushing into our Command Centre database. The single point of truth allows for minimal data errors and efficiencies around manual input. The total cost of ownership is greatly reduced in allowing the system to work for the client and not the other way round. Over and above this, Integration into other solutions brings that rich data back to one software front end. Q: What is Gallagher's biggest challenge and how will the company seek to meet that challenge? Huison: Our biggest and continual opportunity is being a relentless innovator. We are not short of ideas and how we are bucking the trends with our solutions. Broadcasting these messages is not always easy in the digital age. This is why Gallagher is investing heavily in more shows, publications and specific vertical conferences globally. Q: What is the market's biggest misconception about Gallagher? Huison: Our brand is known for perimeter solutions with our monitored Pulse Fence. What many forget is we have a very powerful access control and integrated intrusion detection solution that meets Government standards around the world. We are unique in that all three can be controlled via one software platform that is cyber-resilient and infinitely configurable to suit many verticals. Q: What is your message to the security market? Huison: Many see Gallagher as only suitable for large and complex sites. I openly challenge our audience, speak to us and you may find we can provide an Enterprise Level solution that is delivered on budget and provide an outstanding return on investment for the client. Our pedigree of 80 years shows we never stop innovating and building that trusted advisor status with many lifelong clients.

Global access control and perimeter security solutions provider, Gallagher Security is recruiting new channel partners to distribute and install its product range – and is using a major new exhibition to step up the hunt. Signing new channel partners Gallagher Security (Europe) will devote its stand (SE163) at The Security Event from 9-11 April 2019 at The NEC Birmingham to sign up new channel partners with a compelling pitch. New general manager, Richard Huison believes Gallagher offers the security industry at least 10% more value with an enterprise-level solution that is future-proofed ahead of the business curve. Importance of Cybersecurity Gallagher is in the top five UK manufacturers of access control solutions and cites industry standards such as Open Supervised Device Protocol" He says, “For the end user, from small business to multinational, we offer resilience and the confidence that what they are putting on their network will combat the ever-growing cyber threat. For our channel partners, this translates to annual management contracts and retaining clients for longer if they lead with Gallagher.” Richard adds, “Gallagher is in the top five UK manufacturers of access control solutions and cites industry standards such as Open Supervised Device Protocol, on which Gallagher is ‘miles ahead’.” Critical national infrastructure security Countering the cyber threat has been a key plank of Huison’s strategy since stepping up to the helm at Gallagher, which is a long term CPNI-approved supplier to the Home Office and critical national infrastructure clients such as the National Grid. Gallagher Security’s focus is on keeping client businesses and their people safe and offering business continuity and efficiency to ensure core operations run smoothly. The Security Event is a free-to-attend exhibition for the commercial and residential security market with 100 of the world’s leading security brands, a programme of 40 seminars and workshops for its more than 6,000 visitors.

The growing cyber threat is the target for the new man at the helm of Gallagher Security (Europe), whose vision is to equip companies and authorities to combat it. Richard Huison has stepped up to General Manager for UK & Europe, a year after joining Gallagher from Vanderbilt Industries access control brand ACT. He believes Gallagher is perfectly placed to counter the cyber threat as a long term CPNI-approved supplier to the Home Office and critical national infrastructure clients such as the National Grid. Securing the Grid from cyber threat Given the cost to businesses and nation states of falling prey, we have to be sure that security is increasingly baked in to everything we put on our networks"Huison says: “The cost of a power outage on the Grid is £1m per minute so they have to be absolutely sure of their cyber resilience and that everything they plug on to their network is secure. That’s a real challenge in an era where kettles and other household appliances are becoming increasingly wifi-connected, so a hacker switching them all on at the same time could bring down the Grid.” He cites the recent decision to limit Chinese giant Huawei’s involvement in 5G in the UK as evidence of how seriously Government takes the threat and wonders if mass network failures at mobile providers Vodafone and O2 Telefonica have a more sinister cause. “Given the cost to businesses and nation states of falling prey, we have to be sure that security is increasingly baked in to everything we put on our networks,” he says. Filling the shoes of Dave Bentley Huison fills the shoes of career-long Gallagher stalwart Dave Bentley, who has left after 24 years for an entirely new challenge – to run a holiday camp in France. Bentley was the first on site in the UK at customers like Severn Trent Water, EDF, United Utilities and National Grid, which has evolved to be Gallagher’s largest UK client and its biggest worldwide for perimeter, covering a total of 700 sites via different channel partners via the Gallagher Command Centre in two Alarm Receiving Centres. One of Huison's last projects in this role was the development of the Rapier 2000 fire command system where optical cryptos initiated the launch Gallagher employs 1,100 people across a global network in ten countries. Research and development alone makes up 135 of the workforce, 75 of whom are software developers. Global security boss Kahl Betham says: “Richard is a strong natural authentic leader with great drive and ambition for the future. We are delighted to have Richard taking on this GM role.” Security expert for the government Huison spent 14 years at Dublin-based ACT, expanding the brand, increasing their market presence and boosting growth by 25% in the UK. That followed three years with French security manufacturer CDVi. His career in the security industry started with a government contractor making voice and data cryptos and scramblers for the military and government departments. The technology was also adopted by banks and utilities to make secure financial transactions over a non-secure infrastructure. One of his last projects in this role was the development of the Rapier 2000 fire command system where optical cryptos initiated the launch. Out of work, Huison is a qualified commercial diver and a CAA-approved drone operator, both linked to the security and infrastructure industries.