Our Leadership Team
Sara Norrie, Chief Executive Officer
Sara’s appointment marks an historic milestone — she is not only the first female CEO of FIRST Security, but also the first woman to lead a physical security organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand. This is a proud moment for both our organisation and the wider industry.
Sara joins us from Wilson Parking New Zealand, where she has spent the last 18 years building a strong operational foundation and earning a reputation for people-focused leadership, customer-focused delivery, and innovation in complex environments.
Sara brings rich experience from service-driven environments, with earlier roles in the Metropolitan Police in the UK and Qantas, further strengthening her ability to lead large, distributed teams with operational complexity.
She is deeply committed to building inclusive, high-performing cultures and is passionate about uniting people behind a common purpose as FIRST Security enters its next phase of growth.
Nick Gibbs, Chief Operating Officer
Nick Gibbs has over two decades of experience across all aspects of the security industry. Beginning his career in 2000 while studying at university, he has built a strong track record of operational excellence and strategic leadership.
At FIRST Security, Nick is responsible for ensuring outstanding service delivery for clients nationwide. His earlier experience as a successful business owner in Christchurch, Ashburton, and Timaru gives him valuable insight into both local business needs and the wider security landscape.
Nick holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from Massey University and a New Zealand Diploma in Security. His combination of academic knowledge, practical expertise, and industry vision continues to shape FIRST Security’s services and strengthen partnerships across the sector.
Nick also contributes to the advancement of the security profession at a national level, serving as a board member of the New Zealand Security Association (NZSA).
Brian Switalla, GM Strategic Accounts
Brian is an experienced security professional who has worked throughout New Zealand within the security industry since 1982.
Having extensive operational and managerial experience Brian is ideally suited for his role.
Ensuring the delivery of exceptional levels of customer service whilst providing innovative solutions are key deliverables for Brian.
Responsible for the retention and organic growth of our national strategic accounts Brian holds The Professional Security Officers Certificate of Competence issued by The New Zealand Security Association.
Brett Farrell – GM Northern Region
Brett is an experienced Commercial Manager and joins us with over 15 years’ experience in the energy and services industry.
He brings a wealth of knowledge in Business Strategy, Team Leadership, Stakeholder Management, Agile methodologies, Financial analysis and Project Planning.
Brett feels most at home when he is collaborating with his team to challenge the status quo and deliver customer centric solutions.
Wade Wilson, GM Systems & Technology
Wade has over 15 years’ management experience across several industries in the UK, Australia and NZ. Having led teams in Finance, Operations, Information Technology and Project Management, Wade is a collaborative leader with a passion for the continuous improvement of both people and service.
Wade’s role at FIRST Security is responsible for our systems strategy, technology innovation and project delivery.
Carl Trask - GM Central Region
Carl is an experienced operational leader with a 27-year career that spans the Airline, Freight, Food Assurance and Dairy industries.
His strengths are in leadership, operational excellence, financial management, logistics, planning, along with managing customer and stakeholder relationships.
A key focus for Carl and the way he works is identifying how things can be done better to deliver for customers and the business.
Chris Harris, GM Southern Region
Chris brings over 25 years’ experience in the security industry and has been with FIRST Security since 2017. In 2021 he was promoted to his current role as Southern Region Manager. He’s based in Christchurch and is responsible for all South Island operations. Chris oversees our South Island branches and directly manages strategic contracts for the region.
Chris is a seasoned security manager, leading teams to ensure an innovative approach to customer solutions and service delivery. This includes collaborating with security partners and emergency services and managed deployments. He has a Bachelor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences.
