A double celebration for FIRST Security’s Women in Security
FIRST Security’s Waikato Branch Manager Su Kaur and Wellington-based Account Director Natasha Pennell have just been named by the New Zealand Security Sector Network as 2022 Women in Security Awards Aotearoa category winners.
The Women in Security Awards Aotearoa (WiSAA) initiative was established in 2020 to recognise women who have advanced the New Zealand security and resilience sectors.
This year, the awards attracted high quality nominations from across the security sector from physical to cyber to national security. Among the ten category winners were our very own Su Kaur, awarded in the Leader category, and Natasha Pennell, who took out the Consultant category.
Having worked in the Security Industry since 2008, Su started at FIRST Security as a Security Officer, she worked her way through to Site Supervisor for our Britomart operations working with Auckland Transport.
From 2018, Su worked as Client Service Manager handling some of FIRST’s key clients, such as DHL, Precinct, and Sky TV to name a few. In 2021, Su was seconded into the Auckland Operation Manager’s role.
According to a key local government client, Su’s commitment and leadership ensured that security services didn’t skip a beat despite Covid disruptions.
“Su provided unbelievable support to us during lockdown and subsequent restrictions – her responsiveness was second to none, making herself available 24/7 and ensuring our facilities were provided with guards for our public facilities at short notice when [often] necessary.”
“I have been to deployments “in the field’ which Su has managed, and her leadership skills are first class,” said Brian Switalla, General Manager Strategic Accounts at FIRST. “She plans, reviews and executes operational requirements with military precision. Whilst being a quiet person, Su leads from the front and is very much a ‘leader’ compared to manager. People follow Su, as they respect her. “
Natasha Pennell is our Wellington-based Senior Account Manager. New to the security sector when she joined FIRST in 2018, Natasha has through personal initiative, abundance of enthusiasm, and dogged commitment, made a major impact on our business and on security outcomes for her clients in the Wellington and surrounding regions.
Natasha has a unique and widely recognised ability to ‘reach’ people both in terms of her relationships with individual colleagues and clients, and this is what enables her to formulate and deploy the most effective security solutions for her clients.
According to Gareth Bacon, National Delivery Manager at FIRST Security, Natasha’s role as an advisor to clients is based on commitment and trust.
“Tash is prepared to go the full the full distance to achieve an outcome. She is supremely motivated and all about the client, and just wants the best for everyone. Our clients trust her to the extent that they seek her advice on a range of security issues and on how they can improve their security posture. People are always offering her jobs just because of the relationships she’s formed – she knows how to build relationships!”
According to Meridian’s Ryan Peni, Natasha delivers via a solutions focus and an uflappable desire to “get things sorted”:
“Natasha has been a key reason why we continue to use FIRST Security; [she is] approachable, honest and open, solutions focused and just gets things sorted,” stated a key infrastructure client in support of Natasha’s award nomination. “I cannot fault Natasha’s role in our operation and delivery at all and have found her to be an absolute pleasure to work with. We will continue to help grow our partnership with first security knowing Natasha is there to support our requirements.”
Congratulations to both Su and Natasha from all of us at FIRST Security. We are super proud of your inspirational achievements!
