Page 115 - KZN Top Business Portfolio - EBOOK 2019

Chief Executive Officer at Blue Security Van Bemmelen explained that his leadership style
needed to fit the people and their job descriptions.
ENK VAN BEMMELEN, CEO of Blue “I like to empower people to make decisions. It is
Security says, “I fell in love with the not in my style to micro manage employees, I allow
security business from an early age – it them the space to deliver the goods. I can connect
His in my blood. I can’t remember ever with people and be flexible as I am aware of the
waking up and not wanting to go to work. If you different responsibilities of their jobs’ demands.
have a passion for your business, then you can’t However, there are times when I have to be stern.”
go wrong.” In addition, said Van Bemmelen, the younger
After the completion of his two year South African generation does things differently. “Consequently,
defence force call up period, Van Bemmelen’s within Blue Security, we have to keep a balance
experiences motivated him to join a security between the younger employees who are pushing
company. He started as a reaction officer and boundaries all the time and the senior employees
enjoyed the work involved, as combatting crime has who need to keep up to date with trends such as
always been an overall concern in South Africa. new communication channels.”
Over the past 29 years, Van Bemmelen has worked A major challenge of the security industry is to
his way up through the divisions and ranks of the keep up with change. “The world is constantly
security business. Eight years ago, he relocated from evolving; we have to keep up with innovations and
Johannesburg to Durban, to take up the position as we need to ensure that we meet the expectations
operations director at Blue Security. Since then he of our clients. The security business is a disruptive
has been promoted to managing director and then industry, which is not the same as 20 years ago and
in October 2018 to his current position as CEO. we cannot stay in our comfort zone but continually
need to adapt.”
He says that his journey through the ranks of the
security industry has been enabled by having good Blue Security has invested heavily in research and
mentors. “Having a mentor is a top priority for development to implement top end technologies to
anyone want to progress in their career. My mentors improve the security for its residential and business
have become friends and people that I have learnt customers. “The business runs 24 hours a day - crime
from beyond the on-the-job experience. A mentor does not wait - and we want to make a difference in
will also push you harder than you do yourself.” the communities we serve,” he explained.
Van Bemmelen commented that the experience When not at work, Van Bemmelen spends much
of having a mentor had prompted him to focus on time at the gym as he says that staying fit and healthy
providing mentorship to other employees within the keeps his mind clear. He is a family man who enjoys
company. “The reality of this job is that it is people the strong support of his family, who understand his
driven and it is often hardcore; you really get tested, passion for his work.
so support is required,” he explained.
Another of Van Bemmelen’s loves is his motorbike
The main challenges of his role as CEO are firstly on which he and his wife have toured South Africa.
to ensure that the Blue Security ‘ship’ is pointing They have covered many thousands of kilometres
in the right direction, and secondly to ensure that together and are currently planning a trip to
the company is keeping up with the technological Lesotho, and on to the Eastern and Western Cape
innovations that are driving the security business. as well as Namibia.

113