Ep 141 - Closing the Skills Gap for Security Technicians

The security industry has a growing problem: not enough young leaders are choosing security as a first career. Furthermore, for those younger people who do enter the industry, too many struggle to see a clear path forward. In this episode, I speak with Codee Ludbey (CPP), co-founder of Core42 and a researcher focused on corporate security careers and progression. We explore what’s holding recruitment and retention back, how to make security a more attractive and future-focused profession, and what employers can do right now to develop the next wave of capable security leaders.

In this episode of the ASIAL Security Insider Podcast, we sit down with Dr Tony Zalewski to unpack occupational health and safety in the security industry – what it really means in practice, and where organisations commonly get it wrong. Drawing on decades of experience in risk, security and major personal injury cases, Tony explains who is responsible for providing a safe workplace, how effective WHS systems are developed, and why context and consultation are critical. We also explore practical approaches to risk assessment, the difference between a safe system of work and a safe place of work, and real-world lessons from case studies that every security provider, venue operator and contractor should hear.

In this episode of the Security Insider podcast, we’re joined by Theresa Payton—a trailblazer in technology and cybersecurity and the first female White House Chief Information Officer under President George W. Bush Jr. As CEO and chief advisor at Fortalice, and a trusted voice for Fortune 500 boards and major news networks—plus a stint on CBS’s reality series Hunted—Theresa is renowned for translating complex cyber risk into practical action. Her presentation, delivered at Cybercon in Melbourne recently, titled Leading with Purpose: Lessons from the White House to Your House, distils frontline insights on resilience, values-based decision-making, and safeguarding people and data in the age of AI. We’ll dig into how to harness AI’s upside while defending against modern cybercriminal tradecraft—at work and at home. 

In this episode of the ASIAL Security Insider podcast, we are joined by Lee Odess, CEO of The Access Control Collective and founder of the Access Control Executive Brief, a widely read analysis hub for the physical access and smart lock space. Lee sits on the board of the Security Industry Association in the US and is known for transforming global research into practical playbooks for owners, integrators, and vendors. He recently delivered a talk titled “What’s Eating the Security Industry: How to Thrive in Today’s Global Evolution,” arguing that while the traditional ~$10B high-security niche is changing fast, a much larger ~$100B mainstream market is taking shape. We’ll unpack what’s driving that shift, the timeline, and how leaders can position their teams to win. 

In this episode of the ASIAL Security Insider podcast, we sit down with renowned psychologist and creative strategist Adam Ferrier, founder of Thinkerbell and regular panelist on Gruen. We explore how to uncover your business’s brand and use it as a powerful driver for growth. Adam shares insights from marketing science and creativity, revealing practical strategies for standing out in competitive markets and building stronger connections with customers.

In this episode of the Security Insider podcast, we’re tackling a topic that sits right at the heart of every security, event, and facility manager’s responsibility—keeping crowds safe.In 2021, the Astroworld Festival ended in tragedy when ten lives were lost in a crowd surge that investigators later concluded could have been prevented. Out of that heartbreak, the Pink Bows Foundation was created by the family of Madison Dubiski, one of the victims, to ensure no family has to endure that kind of loss again.At the centre of their work is the Showstop® Procedure. This proven system empowers event organisers and security teams to act decisively and stop a performance if there’s a credible threat to life safety. It’s already been used successfully around the world, preventing injuries and saving lives.Our guest for this episode is Steve Allen, the developer of the Showstop® Procedure and a leading voice in global crowd safety. Steve has decades of experience working with major artists, festivals, and venues, and he’s now working with the Pink Bows Foundation to make Showstop® training a global standard.We’ll be talking about the lessons learned from past tragedies, what the Showstop® Procedure looks like in practice, and most importantly, what you—as security professionals and event managers—can take away to make your venues and events safer.”

In this episode of the ASIAL Security Insider podcast, we speak with Darrell Gilmour, Director of Technical Training at Skills for Security, an organisation in the UK that trains and provides apprentices to systems integrators. Darrell explains how they are helping to tackle the technical skills gap in the UK and why they have partnered with World Skills to promote Security Systems technician as a career of choice.

Following the recent events in the Middle East, the many intelligence agencies in the West have stated they expect to see a rise in terrorist activities in the foreseeable future. In this episode of the ASIAL Security Insider podcast, we explore the dramatic changes that have occurred over the last decade, since the fall of ISIS, regarding the operational, motivational, and behavioural characteristics of terrorists and terrorist groups.Our guest for this conversation is Sagit Yehoshua. Sagit is a criminologist and a terrorism specialist, focusing on criminal and terrorist profiling. Sagit was awarded her PhD by King's College London and is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Counter-Terrorism at Richmond University in Israel, as well as an Atkin Research Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of De-radicalisation at King's College London. Sagit has extensive experience as a consultant for official intelligence agencies, multi-national corporations and private sector risk management companies and is a recognised profiler and risk assessor of extremists in both Israel and internationally.

In this episode of the ASIAL Security Insider podcast, Tony Keane discusses the challenges of running major events.As the Head of Integrity & Security at the Australian Football League, Tony is responsible for the security of over 900 events per year, ranging from Australian Rules football matches to hosting some of the world's largest Cricket matches and a wide array of the leading music acts from across the globe. For more podcasts like this one, visit www.asial.com.au.

In this episode of the ASIAL Security Insider podcast, we discuss the impact of Generative AI on the future of security video. To help with the discussion, we are joined by Leo Levit, the Chairman of ONVIF, the global open industry forum that’s been setting the standard for IP-based security products for over 15 years.With extensive experience in security technology and a passion for driving collaboration across the industry, Leo has been instrumental in advancing ONVIF’s mission to create a more open and standardized security ecosystem.In this episode, we cover the kinds of threats to video authenticity that we are seeing today. What is ONVIF doing to help the industry protect video authenticity? What is ONVIF's outlook on AI and its impact on security in general?For more podcasts like this one, visit www.asial.com.au.