In 2017, The International Foundation for Protection Officers, in conjunction with Security Magazine, announced the inaugural Bill Zalud Memorial Award for Professional Excellence, an award that recognizes one security professional or an organization for professional excellence or outstanding service in the security profession.

For more than three decades, Bill Zalud covered and shaped the security industry. His knowledge of the industry, his readers, the advertisers of the publications (including Editor and Editor Emeritus of Security magazine) and their services have brought great value to his contributions. Bill strived to serve the security industry with professional excellence.

In November 2018, Grant Lecky, Co-Founder of the Security Partners' Forum (SPF), was the first award recipient of the Bill Zalud Memorial Award for Professional Excellence. Lecky holds several positions, including the Business Continuity and Strategic Planning Officer at the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, overseeing the business continuity and crisis management programs and the strategic departmental security plan. He also participates in the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network in Risk and Resilience.

Lecky also volunteers for the Editorial Boards for both the Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning and the Cybersecurity Journal (Henry Stuart publications) and has many professional certifications in security management, business continuity, crisis management, risk management, organizational resilience and critical infrastructure protection. Lecky has a Master of Science Degree in Security and Risk Management from the University of Leicester UK and a diploma in Security Management from Algonquin College.

Lecky has received several industry awards, including the “Leader of the Decade Award in Risk & Resilience” by the Women Economic Forum, in addition to the Canadian Security Magazine’s “Who’s Who”, winner of the “2017 Outstanding Achievement in Global Cybersecurity Award”, one of the “Top 40 Most Influential People in Security”, and one of Security magazine’s “2012 Most Influential People in Security.”.

Security magazine: What does the Bill Zalud award mean for you and what do you think it signifies for the security industry?

Sadly, I never had the pleasure of meeting Bill Zalud, although his reputation for professional excellence in the security industry was well established by the time I first became acquainted with members of the Security magazine team in 2012. 

In terms of the International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO), I first became aware of the great work they were doing in the security domain approximately 10 years ago when I was completing my Master’s Degree in Security and Risk Management at the University of Leicester.  The findings for my Master’s Thesis appeared to support the importance of the work of the IFPO the professionalization of the security industry. 

I feel privileged to have been named the 2018 recipient of the Bill Zalud Award. It holds special meaning to me, both personally and professionally, because it reflects Bill Zalud’s influence in the security community, as well as Security magazine’s reputation as a leading security publication globally, and the value that the IFPO continues to bring to the security industry.

Security magazine: What is the biggest challenge the security industry is facing?

The current challenges to the security industry are nothing short of numerous and vary according to which sector of security you are looking at. Identifying any one challenge would be difficult to say the least. One consistent theme that keeps emerging relates to difficulties in both the finding and retention of top talent – particularly in terms of what would be required to attract the “next generation workforce,” and this seems to be a consistent challenge across all sectors of security.

Security magazine: Tell us about your most recent award, “Leader of the Decade” from the Women Economic Forum that you received on International’s Women Day?

The “Leader of the Decade Award” is one of two top awards presented by the All Ladies League/Women Economic Forum (the other being the “Woman of the Decade” Award). In terms of the Award itself, it is conferred on leaders from across the globe from all professions and diverse backgrounds with significant contributions in the areas of entrepreneurship, education, technology, health, security, media and business. The award is presented to women and men who have led their companies and institutions in eminent leadership roles with distinctive achievements.

I was honored to be presented with the award by Dr. Harbeen Arora on International Women’s Day (March 8, 2019) in Amsterdam at the Women Economic Forum event.

Security magazine: What are you working on currently?

At the beginning of 2019 I worked alongside Dr. David Rubens, Lord Toby Harris, Lynn Mattice, Bonnie Butlin, Paul Moxness and other security and crisis management professionals from across the globe to help establish the Institute of Strategic Risk Management (ISRM). The ISRM has been established in order to create a global centre where practitioners, academics and policy makers can come together to share information, help progress and promote the underlying understanding and capabilities associated with strategic risk and crisis management, and develop their own personal and professional networks

The other current initiative worth noting is that I am currently working with Bonnie Butlin and her “Women in Security & Resilience Alliance” (WISECRA) team to help establish additional women in security networks across the globe, and to help foster interconnectivity among them. In the last year and a half, numerous networks for women in security and resilience were established in Africa, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Turkey and the Balkan Region. 

My ongoing work and initiatives related the Security Partners’ Forum, the World Economic Forum and Editorial Board responsibilities with the Canadian Who’s Who, the Cyber Security Journal and the Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning (Henry Stewart Publications) will continue to keep me busy and engaged in the security industry. 

Security magazine: To what do you attribute your success and achievements in the security industry?

The majority of my success and achievements in the security industry can be linked to a combination of having strong mentors and colleagues to work alongside, as well as developing effective skills in both networking, collaboration and adaptability in an increasingly complex security landscape.