Abloy UK makes trio of new appointments
James Thorpe
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Abloy UK is continuing to expand its team of experts within its Critical Infrastructure (CI) division.
The appointments include positions for Phil Rice, Rick Menlove and Simon Jeff as CNI Market Development Managers in transport, energy and the water sector, respectively.
All three individuals join Abloy as it undergoes an exciting digital transformation, providing new compliant and effective solutions to its customers.
Phil Rice, a former Abloy UK employee returns after five years away, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience within access control and an impressive understanding of the security brand. His focus will be transport, working alongside Wayne Webster.
Phil began his career with a construction contractor, estimating and specifying construction products, before joining Abloy’s Master Key Department in 2007. During his eight years with the company, he progressed from Production Manager to Product Manager and finally Market Development Manager.
Deciding on a new challenge, Phil moved outside the group where he gained valuable skills, new business acumen and produced marketing and business strategies.
The innovation and move towards digital transformation attracted Phil to return Abloy UK, with the goal to establish and grow its presence in the Transport sector.
Phil said: “It’s fantastic to be back; the advancements in the product range and innovative technology are really exciting and what made me want to come back. Abloy is renowned for the superior level security it brings clients, but now it offers so much more from an operational standpoint. I want to establish Abloy in the Transport sector and showcase the many benefits available.”
Rick Menlove meanwhile will focus on the energy sector and will be working alongside Rob Bennett. Previously, Rick spent a decade in Thailand leading and advising project suppliers for many hotels, high-end residential and condominiums throughout the region.
Now he plans on utilising his degree in Industrial Design and Applied Technology and his experience with ironmongery to grow the sector and further establish Abloy UK as market leaders within the Energy industry.
Rick said: “It’s an exciting time to be part of Abloy UK with technological advancements growing in the business. I hope my experiences can further progress our reach within the Energy sector.”
Simon Jeff, whose focus will be on the water sector, will be working alongside Rudi Balla. Simon’s background is in the Royal Navy, where he served two tours of the Gulf and travelled across the world.
After leaving the Navy, he worked in communications, helping customers improve their internet connections in rural areas. Following this, Simon worked within the security industry, discovering the access control market and gaining knowledge of the capabilities it offers.
Simon felt Abloy UK was the ideal progression in his career and hopes to further cement it within the water sector by highlighting the capabilities and benefits the company’s locking solutions offer.
Simon said: “My interest in access control grew while working at another security manufacturer and I soon discovered that Abloy UK was the market leader in the industry. It’s fantastic to now be a member of the team and be able to offer Abloy’s security solutions to the water sector. Access control is growing far from just security – operational benefits, data integration and audit-trails makes our CLIQ system an ideal solution in this sector.”
Steve Wintle, Head of CNI at Abloy UK added: “Phil, Rick and Simon’s appointments strengthens our commitment to expanding our expertise across the UK’s Critical infrastructure sectors and continue to grow our market-leading position as the first choice for high-security solutions in all CI sectors. We welcome them to the team and look forward to utilising their trusted expertise to better serve our clients within the transport, energy and water industries.”
For further information on products and services available from Abloy UK visit www.abloy.co.uk, call 01902 364 500, or email [email protected].