Bidvest Noonan

A market leading provider of facilities services and solutions

pressrelease

Bidvest Noonan appoints Managing Director for Northern Ireland

We are delighted to announce Jim O’Hagan has been appointed as Managing Director for our business in Northern Ireland.

Jim is a highly accomplished senior executive with more than 20 years of senior leadership experience. He has a track-record of guiding high-performance teams, bringing success to many market-leading brands. He succeeds Scott Brannigan who has retired. 

This appointment signals our continued commitment to the Northern Irish market and underlines our ambition for the business in the region.

Bidvest Noonan provides services ranging from cleaning and security to facilities management in Northern Ireland and supports many of the most iconic brands operating across the UK & Ireland.

Speaking on his appointment, Jim said:

“I am delighted to join Bidvest Noonan at a truly exciting time for the company. This business is hugely admired for its people-first culture and commitment to service excellence, which made my decision to join very easy.

I want to wish Scott the very best in his retirement and thank him for the work he has done to ensure my smooth transition into the role. I look forward to working with my new team to build on our success to date and continue to deliver outstanding support to customers.”

CEO for our business in Ireland, Cormac Sheils commented:

“I would like to warmly welcome Jim into the Bidvest Noonan family. Jim has a very impressive background and brings with him a wealth of experience, strong management skills, and deep expertise. I look forward to working with Jim to expand our presence in Northern Ireland. I have every confidence that Jim will be very successful at Bidvest Noonan.”

Bidvest Noonan Scoops Inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Award

Bidvest Noonan, a market-leading provider of facilities services that employs over 27,000 people across the UK and Ireland, has been named the inaugural winner of the Diversity & Inclusion in Security award at the 2022 ISIA Awards. The award was introduced this year by the Irish Security Industry Association to recognise companies in the private security industry that excel in creating an inclusive culture that encourages diversity in the workplace.

The win comes at a time when the value and importance of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace is in sharp focus across many sectors. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion programmes seek to ensure that people are treated equally, valued and made to feel welcome regardless of their gender, ethnicity, faith, age, sexual orientation, or other differences.

In recent years, Bidvest Noonan has announced a number of investments and initiatives to improve its performance in the area of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. In 2021, the business launched an ED&I Council with the aim of developing a more diverse workforce and a more inclusive workplace. Since its inception the council has overseen a number of new initiatives including campaigns to encourage more women to join the security industry. This year, the company was recognised by Investors in Diversity and Diversity Mark for its work to embed Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) across the organisation. 

Commenting on the win, ED&I Chairperson for Ireland, Marina Goncalves said: “I’m delighted that our work in the area of ED&I was recognised at this year’s ISIA Awards. We believe supporting equality, diversity and inclusion is a moral imperative, and we know that respecting and valuing our differences makes us a stronger and more innovative business.

We want all our people to feel welcomed, valued and able to achieve their potential at Bidvest Noonan.”

Environmental, Social and Governance Director John King added:

“We are very proud of the impact our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion programmes are having, and we continuously search for new ways to make a difference. For example, we recently began collaborating with organisations across the UK and Ireland, such as Business in the Community, to help marginalised and disadvantaged groups gain employment and access opportunities for education. This approach is bringing new talent into our business and providing people with the opportunity to have a successful and rewarding career.”

Bidvest Noonan signs Menopause Workplace Pledge

Bidvest Noonan has signed the Menopause Workplace Pledge, developed by the charity Wellbeing of Women, and launched a new menopause support tool kit to ensure people across the group are supported and feel comfortable discussing their needs as they experience menopause.

Menopause can be a challenging time. Women usually experience menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, with the average age being 51, and symptoms can last several years. However, menopause can also occur at a younger age. The symptoms can include hot flushes, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, headaches, muscle and joint pains, and low mood. These symptoms can be debilitating. 

Menopause can also affect people from transgender, non-binary and intersex communities, and its symptoms and impact can vary among different groups. Men, especially those in their late 40s and early 50s, can also experience ‘male menopause’ which involves the development of physical and emotional symptoms.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) states that three out of five working women between the ages of 45- 55 who are experiencing menopause symptoms say it has a negative impact on them at work. Bidvest Noonan’s new menopause support tool kit aims to make the business an inclusive place workplace. The toolkit sets out how colleagues experiencing menopause can be supported, including how reasonable adjustments can be made to working practices and working environments for affected employees to ensure their comfort and well-being.

The Menopause Workplace Pledge requires signatories to:

  • Recognise that the menopause can be an issue in the workplace and those experiencing it need support
  • Talk openly, positively, and respectfully about the menopause
  • Actively support and inform employees affected by the menopause

Mary Kealy, Managing Director, Workplace Solutions at Bidvest Noonan said “While the topic of menopause is not typically something that comes up in conversation at work, this can be where people find their symptoms most difficult to manage. We feel it is important to make it easier to talk about menopause and provide support for people experiencing challenging symptoms, therefore we have also implemented the role of Menopause Champion so our people can speak freely and feel comfortable they are supported.”

Emma Rahim, HR Director said “We feel it is important to dispel the taboo surrounding this topic. We are working to ensure our people are well informed about the menopause and enabling them to access support and resources. We want to ensure that our people see menopause as a natural phase and feel confident discussing their needs with us and how we can support them in the workplace.”

John King, Environmental, Social and Governance Director added “At Bidvest Noonan, we are committed to ensuring we are an employer of choice and making the workplace a welcoming space for all our colleagues. We want our colleagues to feel empowered and supported in any challenges they face”.

Bidvest Noonan announces its appointment of Jenny Jones as Director of Operations

Bidvest Noonan has announced its appointment of Jenny Jones as Director of Operations in its Facilities Solutions business unit. With more than 20 years of industry experience under her belt, Jenny is highly accomplished and brings extensive operations leadership experience across multiple sectors to her new role.

Bidvest Noonan’s Facilities Solutions business unit provides cleaning and support services nationwide across the UK. The business unit has an impressive portfolio of customers that includes market leading businesses in the Pharmaceutical, Food, Automotive, Leisure, Retail and Corporate sectors.

Jenny’s appointment comes at a time when Bidvest Noonan has experienced significant growth. Jenny’s vast experience and knowledge will be invaluable in helping the company to continue growing and deliver exceptional value and service to customers.

Jenny Jones said: “I am delighted to have joined Bidvest Noonan at such an exciting time for the company. I joined Bidvest Noonan because it is an innovative and customer-centric business that puts people first. I am looking forward to working with my colleagues to continue delivering great service and value to our customers and to driving improvements for them.”

Jennifer Littlewood, Managing Director of Bidvest Noonan’s Facilities Solutions business unit, said: ” I am confident that Jenny will be highly successful at Bidvest Noonan. With her wealth of experience and industry knowledge, she will be a valuable asset to our team. Jenny has an impressive ability to deliver results that clients want to see.”