Tribute from Roy Stemman

Tribute from Roy Stemman - Editor of various Group 4 publications, including “Group 4 International” and now “G4S International”

I have so many happy memories of working with JPS that it is difficult to know where to begin. He was, without doubt – as others have said in their tributes – a giant of a man, who built the world’s biggest security organisation with vision and determination. And his sense of humour was always in evidence, even during difficult times.

Another of his many qualities was an understanding of the importance of communication. He did that extremely well personally, as those who heard him speak publicly can testify, but he also knew that he needed to use the published word to reach a wider audience. That’s where I came in – in late 1973 – as a consultant to Group 4, writing and editing its largely UK-based internal magazine.

As well as promoting his own business he used the magazine to influence the UK security industry as a whole, campaigning for legislation and encouraging it to adopt his own values.

When we launched "Group 4 International" in 1991, to start reporting on the company’s rapid expansion, everything moved up a couple of gears for me, though it was just JPS’s normal pace. To collect material for the first couple of issues I accompanied him on one of his trips. We visited four countries – Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Malta – in as many days. And while I familiarised myself with what had been achieved so far, JPS attended board meetings planning future developments. How he maintained that pace throughout the year I’ll never know.

I accompanied him on many other trips and was privileged to be in at the beginning of his new operations in eastern European. I also accompanied him to the Indian company, in which he took immense pride. Two things impressed me about those visits.

Firstly, when we visited the biggest contracts, the first people JPS wanted to speak with were the security officers on duty. He never tired of reminding us that they were the backbone of the company. He often said that security was "a people business" and he was certainly "a people person".

Secondly, with some of his new European ventures, things may not have gone quite according to plan and the management occasionally tried to gloss over this fact. It never worked.

I remember the managing director of one joint venture talking very enthusiastically about the business and pointing to an array of freshly-printed charts and graphs covering the walls. JPS listened patiently and then asked why there wasn’t a graph showing one particular key performance figure. People looked at each other in astonishment and offered a flustered explanation, but he’d immediately put his finger on the one weak point. No doubt that was discussed at length behind closed doors at the board meeting.

Then, of course, came the sailing years and I found myself following not only JPS but the "Group 4" yacht around the world, interviewing its skipper Mike Golding and its crew members about their adventures and misadventures, and particularly their triumphs.

I was astonished when, in my first interview with Golding, he told me that people would be able to follow the yacht’s progress on the internet and know exactly where it would be at any time. How, I asked, would that be possible?

“I’m going to have JPS attached to the mast,” he replied.

For just a few moments, the absurd picture of the chairman strapped to the mast calling out coordinates flashed through my mind. I knew he was passionate about sailing, but surely that was going too far. It turned out, of course, that I had misheard Golding. It was GPS not JPS that would be communicating the information.

My most treasured memories of those times was seeing JPS, with tears in his eyes, throwing bottles of champagne to the skipper and crew after they had crossed the line on various legs of their tremendous round-the-world races.

Like most of us who were lucky to be part of the Group 4 adventure, I guess I took much of it for granted. Looking back, I now realise that this extraordinary man was making history and I was privileged to be writing some of its pages.

Thank you, Philip, for your loyalty over more than three decades and for being such an inspiration to me and countless others. You leave behind an astonishing legacy and a deep feeling of loss in all our hearts.

Comments

[Michal Fábera, former MD of G4S Czech republic]

When Philip appointed me Managing Director of Group 4 Securitas Czech republic in 1994 my knees were shaking. We did not know much about private security in Central Europe in that time and I - Human Resources manager - did not feel much fit to run the fast growing business. Philip looked at me and said : Don´t be worry, chap. Ex teachers are the worst possible material for COOs. But I have a feeling you could be an exception... I tried so hard for next thirteen years to prove that he was right - because I knew he trusts me. And I am a little bit affraid that trust in people started to dissappear and become oldfashioned and numbers, not people become our business God.. Be the business days good or bad, I alwasy felt I owe much to this great man whose trust I have got.
He used to come to Czechie for board meetings regularly and always insisted "letś make some sales, Michal, let´s go to see some of your Clients" And he was an excelent salesman, the best I know. And always wanted to meet the guards : it did not matter they spoke Czech and he spoke English - they understood each other. He appreciated their work and they felt he knows very well what he speaks about.
I have lost a great teacher - what I know I have learnt from Philip and from his than partner in Central Europe John Miller. I was privileged to work for people of their moral, knowledge a humanity.
Dear Mister Chairman - private security in Czechie owes you a lot (even if, as the life is, most of the market players do not know about it). Without your support and help we would never build in a post communist country a serious guarding and CIT and Alarms business. Thank you for this.
It is hard to believe, that I would not be able to see you again. You will never again tell me your famous sentence, which I heard so often before you boarded your plane at the airport: "And, Michal, do not forget it is my f**king money you are here looking after!!!"
Rest in peace, Philip. You will not be forgotten and believe me, there are still people like me and my wife Veronika in our business who try to do things in Group 4 way - Your way. Even if Group 4 does not need our services anymore.
God Bless you Philip, hope to meet you in Security heavens.