Judges 2023

• Steve Coleman BA, CPOI® – The Institute of Strategic Risk Management (ISRM)
• Karl Fagan MSc CBCI CPP® – The Institute of Strategic Risk Management (ISRM)
• Pat Finucane – International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO UK & Ireland)
• Finbarr McCarthy CSSM, Dip FC Psych, F.ISRM, M.Sec I.I. – International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO UK & Ireland)
• Peter Murray – Dip.Crim.F. Phych; CPO; Dip.Sec.ARM; MSecII T.T. – Security Institute of Ireland
• Shenan O’Mahony CPO M.Sec.I.I – Industry Representative
• Dr David Strachan Morris PhD, SFHEA, MSecII – Security Institute of Ireland            
• Sean Ward – Emergency Management Institute Ireland (EMII)

Steve Coleman BA, CPOI

A highly qualified and experienced security professional with over 32 years’ experience across a variety of security industry sectors and with direct experience of corporate security, counter-terrorism, surveillance, close protection, commercial management, HR, fraud, auditing, quality, business policy & process design, training, customer service, vendor management and finance/ budgeting. Former director of the Security Institute of Ireland and director of Manguard Plus, largest privately Irish owned security company trading in Ireland.

Outside of company directorships, Steve advises local authorities on dealing with anti-social behavior and on protecting public assets. Also works with the private security authority in relation to the development of standards for physical intervention training using knowledge gained over time in classroom as a QQI security training instructor – CPOI Instructor – Security Institute of Ireland instructor – BTEC physical intervention instructor.

Karl Fagan MSc CBCI CPP®

A pro-active Regional Security and Resilience Manager with significant experience gained within the industry, locally and internationally from California to Cape Town, and Dubai to Dublin.  With a belief that  it’s impossible to be effective without Integrity, Ethics, Collaboration, Commitment to People and Professionalism and the pursuit of excellence. His  experience lies within Risk Management, Business Resiliency, Crisis Management, Customer & Supplier Trust, Disaster Recovery, and availability management. Current memberships include Institute for Security and Risk Management (ISRM), BCI (Business Continuity Institute)  ASIS international, EMII (Emergency Management Institute of Ireland), and the International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO) among others.

Pat Finucane

With over 29 years experience within the Private and Public security sector,  Pat is an experienced security professional and transformation driver with a demonstrated history of physical security program design and execution across global markets.  In 2022 he was appointed Global  Physical Security Operations Manager at Pinterest.

Prior to joining Pinterest, Pat has held senior leadership roles at Dropbox, Global Risk Solutions and the Irish Defence Forces. He has served on operational deployments to the Middle East, Africa and across the Balkans.

A keen advocate for Veteran affairs and continuing professional development, Pat is the Co-President of the Veterans Community Group at Pinterest, where he is actively involved in helping to encourage former service personnel transition from service and retrain to new careers in the tech sector.

Pat holds a PhD in Political Science along with several postgraduate degrees from Dublin City University, University of Saint Andrews, National University Maynooth and Institute of Technology, Carlow. In addition to academic credentials, he holds IFPO CPO, CSSM certifications and ASIS CPP certification.

Finbarr McCarthy

Finbarr has spent over 27 years working within the private security industry,
holding security leadership roles at US Fortune 500 companies for the past 20 years.
With a personal mantra of “doing what’s right, not what’s easy”,
Finbarr specialises in developing dynamic and sustainable physical security programs both regionally and globally.
He has gained extensive experience in technical systems design, program management,
policy development and risk identification and mitigation.Finbarr is a Fellow of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management (ISRM), a member of the Irish Security Institute,
An Advisory Board member with the International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO)
and winner of the Ireland 2022 OSPA for Outstanding In-House Security Manager/Director 2022.

Peter Murray

Peter is a Director and Member of the Security Institute of Ireland. He has worked in the Irish Security Industry for over 25 years and is a time served member of the Irish Defence Forces Reserve. He has many years of experience working in the locksmith sector and is the owner and managing director of Stoptheburglar.ie & Design Out Crime Ireland.

His is presently creating a new initiative “Community Security Awareness” making use of the principles of CPTED & SCP. Involving the community with all security matters to enhance their daily lives with no financial outlay.

His qualifications include an SII Diploma in Crime Prevention, SII Terrorism Awareness and locksmith qualifications through the National Locksmith Training School (UK). Peter is currently the Chairman of the Locksmiths Working Group within the Corporate Division of the SII. Peter is also Accredited through the ICA Class B’ CPTED Practitioner. (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design)

Shenan O’Mahony

Shenan is a Director of the Security Institute of Ireland and a Certified Protection Officer (IFPO UK & Ireland).

Shenan is a highly motivated professional and an advocate for life-long learning, currently completing a QQI Major award in Security Operations. As a female ambassador for the Irish Security Industry, Shenan has established the need for more women across the industry.

She is passionate and takes pride in her work and is popular with her peers, she is a positive professional and polite person who encourages and supports her team. She has been very successful in her professional development and is certified and accredited Manual handling and CFR – C instructor, Trainer with Securitas Ireland.

Shenan was one of the winners of the Securitas Global purpose award, for Integrity, joining her colleagues from across the globe in Argentina, USA, and China. Shenan works as Front of House Security Receptionist for Dell Technologies in Cork and has received an achievement award acknowledging her work behind the scenes.

Shenan was the first female to complete the IFPO Certified Protection Officer (CPO) in Ireland and was the winner of the Outstanding Security Officer (OSPA) in 2022.

David Strachan-Morris

Dr. David Strachan-Morris is a Lecturer in Intelligence and Security in the School of History, Politics and International Relations at the University of Leicester, UK.  Before becoming a full-time academic he worked in the private security sector as an intelligence analyst and intelligence manager, for 10 years, and served in both the army and the police force. He is a Member of the Security Institute of Ireland and a Board Member of the Europe Chapter of the International Association for Intelligence Education.

His publications include:  ‘The Who, What, Why, and How of Teaching Intelligence: The Leicester Approach’ (co-authored with Mark Phythian and Helen Dexter) in Intelligence and National Security; ‘Controlling the Corporate Warrior in Iraq’ in Gary Schaub (ed.), Private Military and Security Contractors: Controlling the Corporate Warrior; ‘The Intelligence Cycle in the Corporate World: Bespoke or Off the Shelf’ in Mark Phythian (ed.), Understanding the Intelligence Cycle ; ‘Threat and Risk: What is the Difference and Why Does it Matter?’ in Intelligence and National Security.

Sean Ward