New Board members announced by The Security Commonwealth
James Thorpe
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Following confirmation at the recent meeting of Security Commonwealth members, the Board has announced two new Board members, David Ward and Houdah Al-Hakim CSMP.
They join Chair, Jayne King, past Chairs Guy Mathias FSyI and Joe Connell, Secretary Dave Cooke, Graham Bassett, Oliver Curran and Mike Hurst.
Houdah is the Founder and CEO of Quick Click Security, an online platform in its infancy, with a vision to become the “go to” for the private security industry; designed to promote career opportunities as well as increase accessibility and access to training resources, knowledge and networks.
Houdah trained and qualified as a solicitor before a chance encounter led her to security. She helped set up and manage a security services firm before moving on to consult with various SME organisations on everything from business development and recruitment, through to operations, legal compliance and contract management. Having also been an SIA licence holder working across various sectors, Houdah has acquired a variety of perspectives which she now uses to assist others joining or building their careers in the industry.
In 2017 Houdah completed the Level 6 CSMP Diploma with ISMI. Houdah now sits on the board of the Women’s Security Society, is a Member of the Security Institute and a member of the Inclusive Security SIG. More recently Houdah has joined the Sycom EDI SIG and works hard supporting various initiatives which promote diversity and inclusivity within the private security industry.
David Ward is a senior security consultant who has worked at every level of security over many of the security disciplines for over 25 years. In 2000, he founded Ward Security, a company which under his direction, grew to become one of the leading security companies in the UK with a £45m turnover, employing over 1,000 security personnel. He left his Chief Executive position in the business in 2021 to establish DWA Associates and specialise in working with businesses at an international level to provide risk management consultancy, security advice and training.
He is a board trustee of the CSSC (Cross-Sector Safety and Security Communications) and Chair of the Southeast Region, a role he has held since 2015 and one that involves developing strong partnerships between law enforcement agencies, local and national government and private sector businesses. He is the creator of the City Security Council (CSC) and the immediate past Chair of the Group.
