Ligue Internationale Des Societes De Surveillance Tribute Presentation

JPS was the Chairman and President of the Ligue Internationale Des Societes De Surveillance for over 40 years, following in the footsteps of his Father who was a founder member.

This presentation was presented at the Ligue's last General Assembly in 2010.

The Ligue meets every two years in a different location and the 2010 General Assembly was held in Instanbul. It was felt befitting that a tribute be paid to JPS and this was organised by David I Hudson, a board member and who was someone who was closely associated with JPS for 45 years.

The tribute took place as the end of the meeting with the Chairman of the Ligue Mr. Nick Buckles saying some very nice words, followed by a rather moving and touching story of JPS's time with the Ligue by the Secretary General, Mr Hans Winzenried.

Jorgen Philip-Sorensen: 'Building the Future' Award winner for 2010

Brian Sims reports from the BSIA’s 2010 Annual Luncheon

It was agreed with the majority of the previous recipients to posthumously make this award to ‘JPS’ because, in reality, this finest of men was the architect of the modern security industry.

In truth, his contribution to the development of his own employees as well as that of industry standards entirely changed the landscape of the UK security sector much for the better.

Left to right: Brian Sims and Bobby Logue with JPS' daughter Louisa Mann and son Mark.

Personal Tribute by Professor Roger Williams, CBE

Tribute by Professor Roger Williams, CBE, Director Director of the Institute of Hepatology, and supported of 'The Foundation for Liver Research', established in 1974 to develop and extend research into diseases of the human liver and to enhance medical research generally.

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As Philip’s doctor for some twelve years – and of his medical problems I will say no more, except to indicate that his only complaints to me, particualrly during the past year, were to the effect that he was no longer able to do all he wanted to do! 

We shared a great love of the sea and of sailing and consultations often turned quite quickly to our most recent experiences.  Early on in our friendship I remember particularly one tremendously fun evening that we had when going out to The Needles to welcome Mike Golding back after his first Round-the-World race sponsored by JPS.  We also had happy times together during Cowes Week.

But it is of his work as Trustee of the Foundation for Liver Research that I particularly want to write about and pay tribute to.  Philip took a serious and professional interest in not only the workings of the Foundation but also in what was being attempted in various projects directed to the better understanding of liver disease and its treatment.

I know that I can speak on behalf of the Chairman and other Trustees in saying how much his advice  and opinion were welcome.  He rarely missed a meeting despite the hectic business and travel schedule that he lived and I could always rely on him for wise advice in between the regular Trustee meetings.  His most generous donations over many years also made possible important research project and many patients wil be indebted to him as a result.

Philip, for me, was larger than life in so many respects and each of us who filled Worcester Cathedral for that most marvellous memorial service last Friday will have special memories of him and reasons for gratitude to his entrepreneurial skills and extraordinary hard work over the years. 

He will be greatly missed.

Tribute from Peter Green

Peter Green - Retired Ex Head of Human Resources, Group 4 Securitas (International)

Like thousands of others, we heard with shock and great sadness of Philip's death. Our thoughts and sympathy are with Ingrid, Susse, the children and grandchildren and close family friends.

Early in the history of Group 4 in the UK, Philip taught me the full importance in our business of the guard, their families and their supervisors, their need for support and their need for training. How can you expect a quality job to be done by someone who has not been properly trained?

This philosophy was the basis for the great expansion which was to follow and he continued to show this regard for the troups on the ground by the early introduction of a most generous pension scheme for guards, staff and management alike. His work rate was legendary.

Nothing delighted him more than a new marketing opportunity. The opening up of Eastern Europe allowed him to formulate many joint ventures, giving many of us new challenges, excitement and great job satisfaction. It gave a new meaning to the expression, "multi-national". Thereafter, the Group's development continued in the Americas, Asia and the Middle East, until few places remained where he was not represented.

As a leader he preferred making allowances, if this were possible, rather than judging and condemning. Perhaps this is why so many people were prepared to work so hard for him; perhaps also because he convinced people at all levels that what they were doing was worthwhile.

As a boss he was tough and demanding and life was never dull but he never asked you to do anything which he had not done himself or was not prepared to do.

As a friend he was generous and supportive and always there.

We shall miss him. 

Tribute From Michael Dufton

Tribute From Michael Dufton - Ex Group 4 Employee

Not only did JPS create a large multinational company which eventually had a presence on every continent, he also enabled many other people to realise their own goals and ambitions.

JPS did this not only by his own ingenuity and ideas, but also by giving to his management and staff a significant freedom to do what they thought was right for both the customer and the company.

He was able to get the most out of people and at the same time remain essentially human and concerned for the individual. In talking about him with other friends, it was often the small details of his kindness and thought for others which have struck us all.

The other remarkable achievement was to create one of the most "extended families” within one of the largest employers in the industrial world. JPS managed to create a sense of personal loyalty which was quite infectious. If he ever asked us to walk across hot coals, there would have been few of us who would have hesitated.

JPS was able to bring about a sense of fun and adventure in projects and initiatives, which made it a real pleasure to work for him, his “extended family” and his group.

His passing has brought a number of us together again, as it did whilst we worked in his company.

His legacy is not only a great company but also the employees who worked for him, and their skill and expertise will live on in his company and beyond it.

Michael Dufton

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.

Tribute by Anders Wallin

A tribute by Anders Wallin, Retired ex Personnel Director Group 4 and Group Human Resource Director Global Solutions.

I first met Philip at his father’s 60th birthday at Blommerod in Sweden.  It was a memorable experience meeting the family on this occasion.  A number of years later after having joined the Securitas group, as the business was then called, I contacted Philip about a job opportunity in England. 

I remember when he showed me around Farncombe House in 1974 driving a white Cooper S car and how he assisted my wife and I when we arrived in England to start my work with Group 4.

My Group 4 experience has been an extraordinary life experience, having spent some 34 years with the business.  The work experience around Philip, which I was party to, was eventful and most enjoyable.  His vision and determination to go where he wanted to go has been an experience which I will never forget.   He had an ability to make things happen which normally wouldn't. 

He also had an exceptional ability to build and retain a team of exceptional business talent which has given me, and I am sure many of my ex-colleagues, great enjoyment and reward over the years.  I for one would not be able to enjoy my retirement as I now can without having been part of what Philip created. 

Philip - I thank you for giving me the opportunity to be part of your business, for having been able to work with you in person on a number of projects and for having been able to work with the very exceptional team you built around you. 

I will always remember you and will always be grateful for what you did for me.

Tribute from Linda Sharpe

Tribute from Linda Sharpe, former Group 4 HR Manager and Manager of the International Resource Centre at Broadway, now Non-Executive Director of the Security Industry Authority.

One of JPS’ greatest legacies was his belief that his security personnel should be well trained and made to feel valued. His training school at Broadway was a testament to this. Over more than three decades thousands of security personnel, from humble security guards starting out in their new job to experienced security managers and professionals, spent days, sometimes weeks learning their trade on the Broadway estate. What they were taught, whether security specific subjects or general management training, became affectionately known as the ‘Group 4 Way’.

As Group 4 expanded its businesses during the 1990’s JPS realised that his ’Group 4 Way’ of doing business was exportable across national boundaries and different cultures. He loved visiting his companies always insisting that he should meet and chat to the security officers. He was genuinely interested in what they did and how well they had been trained.

In 1993 JPS established his International Resource Centre (IRC) at Broadway, a security library and learning centre, which was to provide information and business know-how to his UK and international companies world-wide. It was a unique facility at that time, enjoyed by many and particularly those studying for security qualifications or carrying out research. JPS took at active interest, visiting regularly, reviewing the information being sent out and, most importantly, checking that the library books were maintained in straight, tidy rows on the shelves!

JPS’ commitment to the personal development of his people was further demonstrated by his sponsorship of a yacht in the Challenge Series of round the world yacht races. This gave members of his international companies who were lucky enough to be selected, the opportunity of an unique experience in personal development and team building.

JPS had the foresight to see that those who deliver private security activities would need to become the trained and qualified professionals that they are today. He campaigned tirelessly for regulation in the UK and it is no surprise that the current requirements for training for a security guard licence are based on the original Group 4 training programmes. Three years ago he was a major contributor to setting up of the Sørensen Centre at Skills for Security in Worcester, once more ensuring that those who want to make a career in security have access to learning and information.

As an HR professional I feel very privileged to have worked for JPS and to have played a part in his vision for the professionalisation of our industry.

A Letter to Philip - Jens Stadum

As a lawyer in Skagen, Denmark, I have had the pleasure to work for and with JPS for many years. At his funeral in Skagen I had prepared a short letter, which I had written to him. But there where so many people, and at Ruth's Hotel we where in so many rooms, that it was impossible for me to read the letter for the many guests.

My letter to JPS is as follows:

Dear Philip,

So we meet again in Gl. Skagen (the older part of Skagen), although this time not at your office in Vagthuset (the watch house), where we’ve met on a number of occasions during your visits in Skagen, but this time we meet just a stone’s throw away. In fact, this is also our last meeting, which is not easy at all.

Everybody in Skagen knows about your enormous importance and influence on the develop-ment here in Skagen, and the commercial opportunities brought to this small town farthest out in Denmark solely because of you. You’ve developed business activities, as only you could do and by virtue of your financial resources.

This is, however, not the major thing for me right now. Most important are my gratitude and my affection for having been allowed to work for you and getting to know you so well. The way you used to consider your prospects for the future instead of acting on a short view has had a great influence on the way I now try to think and act, so you’ve indeed been a most inspiring and forward-minded mentor to me. Surely, I shall miss our informal meetings and phone calls, but if I’ve anything to say, I’ll do my best to ensure that the business activities are continued in the way you’ve taught us.

Everything will indeed be much more difficult when you’re not around anymore. When I joined the boards in some of you companies here in Skagen, I asked you what you expected of me and what overall guidelines you wished me to follow. You told me that so far I did not need to think very much for myself, as long as I did what you asked me to do. And I’ve kept on doing so for many years now, and I’ll continue to act as I think you would expect me to.

If there is one thing I feel particularly sad about, it is that you were always so damned busy. You had never arrived before you had to leave again, and you always had thousands of things on your mind and a tough daily program. Although we’ve had many pleasant moments to-gether, we should have met more frequently and enjoyed our time together even more. We never succeeded in having coffee in the finished house in Hulsig and never got around to the Copenhagen Jazz House or the opera event in Knud’s and Marin’s apartment. Our business visions may very well be directed towards the future, but our social contacts with each other should never be postponed.

Thank you for many years of friendship, says a humble lawyer from Skagen, where you placed such a great part of your heart.

You, and what you gave me, will always be clear as a bell within me, and I shall never forget but always remember with the greatest gratitude.

With love from Jens

Tribute From Grahame Gibson

Grahame Gibson, Chief Operating Officer G4S plc

I received a phone call on January 18th from David Hudson - I couldn't take it at the time - David called again and I knew ... somehow I knew ... Philip had passed away.

His passing was confirmed and I felt empty. We knew Philip was not well - we knew he had been suffering but when the time came it was like a sledge-hammer on my head - a deep shock. I knew Philip as a boss, a friend, my Chairman for 27 years - more than a lifetime for many a relationship. I was side by side with him on the amazing roller-coaster ride of Group 4's expansion, through our 'affair' with Securitas, through our New Market development, through a merger with Falck and the ultimate creation of Group 4 Securicor - G4S.

Philip, we did it !!! We created the leading security company in the world and you were alive to see it, to savour it, to reflect on it.

Of course, it was Philip's drive & vision that achieved it. A number of us helped (and hindered), supported, advised, argued along the way but he was so determined to open Group 4 everywhere in the world he could start a security business. Many a competitor ridiculed him at the time - who's laughing now ? Philip, I think, as he looks down and reflects on his great handiwork.

People say it's the end of an era, the end of a long chapter; for me it feels like the end of the book. I turned over the last page on January 18th, the day after my 57th birthday. My life has been inextricably entwined with JPS and Group 4 through those 27 years. Broadway, The Hague, Vienna, Copenhagen and many a city in many a country during many a year.

I wouldn't be married to my wife Jinnie if it wasn't for JPS and the BT Global Challenge and the yacht Group 4 - I wouldn't have two adorable young children (George & Josephine) but for JPS and the Challenge - children of the Challenge ! I have to open a new book of my life, many of us do - a daunting task - quite scary really - life without Philip being around.

Philip, I am sure you'll be guiding us from wherever you are, making sure your spirit lives on within the company, the world-beating company you created over these many years.

Philip, thank you for everything.

Grahame Gibson Chief Operating Officer G4S plc