BizBahrain May-June 2017

Interview | G4S
While becoming an increasingly
important aspect of modern
life, security service agencies
often walk the tight rope balancing
client expectations of safety and
security with personal freedoms and
civil liberties. Theirs has to remain a
finely-balanced operation that is not
an overt presence and goes largely
unnoticed, with the understanding that
a breach in security can mean losing the
very things they were called to protectthe
governance of our institutions and
the right to carry on with our daily lives
without disruption.
G4S, well-known as one of the
world’s biggest security companies
works in different parts of the world to
safeguard this very balance and create
safer and better environments for people
to live and work in. A joint venture
between the parent company and
Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa,
G4S Bahrain has been operational since
1993 with a work force of 500. The scope
of the security services provided by the
teams is wide ranging with activities
as diverse as cash solutions, manned
security services, electronic security
systems, emergency response and
security consultancy services.
“We are planning to expand our
business Operations in the coming
years as there is a demand for our
services in the market,” says Atanu
Sanyal, Managing Director of G4S
Bahrain and a veteran of the industry.
“We are very positive about revenue
growth in the coming years due to
increased demand for security solutions
SECURITY
SERVICES IN THE
CONTEMPORARY
WORLD
which will allow stronger players like us
to really make an impact. Regionally - in
UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia -
each of these countries has more than
10,000 people working for G4S. The
business regulations and requirements
in Bahrain for security companies here
in Bahrain are restricted to 500 guards
limit. However, we have talked to the
authorities and they have been very
understanding. They know the need for
the kind of services we provide, so we
are hopeful we will reach a solution.”
The challenges are many but Sanyal
has been in the business for more than
a decade. His rise to the top has been
meteoric, having joined the company
in its India operations and then moving
through the ranks first in Qatar and
then in Bahrain where he heads the
company. This is very much the style
of working that G4S employs Sanyal
says. “People join us and they stay on
for years. It is important for us to have
staff that understand what it takes and
who become an integral part of the
system. We like to promote our own,
we encourage them to grow and reward
performance.”
In a freewheeling discussion
with Reena Abraham, Group Editor of
bizbahrain, Atanu Sanyal talks about the
path that led him to his current position
at G4S and the challenges that lie ahead.
18 May-June 2017