ED& Week Magazine 2022 : simplebooklet.com

P. 2 EDI WEEK BIDVEST NOONANP. 2 EDI WEEK CONTENTSWelcomeSecurity is a career for womenWhat is an ED&I ChampionIreland is a second home Our Credo is at the heart of all we doNot all disabilities are visibleFair treatment for allEveryone shares the same visionUniqueness, individuality and creativity0306040810121315A welcome from our ED&I CouncilWe chat with Sarah Cork, MD for Strategic Solutions in the UKDetails of our ED&I Champions and their responsibilities An interview with Dania Gohar, our Senior HR Advisor Jayke Ingram, HR Advisor in GB, tells us his storyEve Rushmer, Compliance Administrator shares her inspiring storyJenny Jones, Ops Director, shares her storyAnna Kasprzyk talks about the opportunities ED&I presentsPete Cooper, Head of Specialist & Industrial Services tells us about himselfThe sun rises for everyone16Moises Toledo tracks his journey from the Canary Islands to IrelandAlot of diﬀ erent ﬂ owers make a bouquet18Moises Toledo tracks his journey from the Canary Islands to IrelandWe are all cut from the same cloth19Security Supervisor and one of our ED&I Champions, Danielle Graham, shares her story When everyone is included: everyone wins20Deborah Mills-Burn’s story is an inspiration to allWomen are celebrated for their achievements22Interact’s Aoife Kane tells us her storyWorld Recipes24Kindness & tolerance brings togetherness14Ismara Santos Silva is one of our ED&I Champions and shares her story

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EDI WEEK 2022BIDVEST NOONAN P. 3In 2021, we launched our very own Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Council with the aim of developing a more diverse workforce and a more inclusive workplace to make our teams stronger and more creative. The Council is made up of people from every corner of the business, each with their own unique background. We have worked hard to build a foundation, setting plans and targets for the short, medium and long term and were recently awarded the Bronze Diversity Mark; a credit to the hard work of everyone involved. We are delighted to launch our very ﬁ rst ED&I Week in Bidvest Noonan and have invited several people, from across the business, to share their stories in this Magazine. We encourage all of you to take the time to read these stories and hope that you ﬁ nd them insightful, empowering and inspiring. And, a big thank you to everybody who has taken the time to share their stories with us - it is so appreciated. Towards the end of this Magazine, we have captured all the recipes - from all over the world - sent in by you and, we would love to see photographs of any attempts at making some of these recipes and please feel free to bring in samples when made! We are excited for the year ahead and our plan is continue on, in our ED&I journey. We will keep our strategy a living document, one that will continue to evolve. We plan to further improve gender balance across leadership and under-represented roles and raise awareness across the business around LGBTQI+, disability, age, social mobility and ethnicity. Welcome from our EDI Council• First Ever Mental Health Facility was in Bagdad AD 918• First Ever Female PM was Sirimavo Bandaranaike – Sri Lanka 1960• First Ever Nobel prize for Literature in 1901 was awarded to Sully Prudhomme who directed his life to literature when an eye disease prevented him from pursuing engineering• First Ever Openly Gay Head of State was Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir – Iceland 2009• First Ever Nobel Peace Prize winner was Henri Dunant - 1906 for founding the International Red Cross and initiating the Geneva Convention

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P. 4 EDI WEEK BIDVEST NOONANOur ED&IChampionsAn ED&I Champion is someone who is passionate about promoting diversity in their workplace and promotes all aspects of equality & diversity. The role of an ED&I Champion is important in helping to reduce discrimination and create and inclusive working environment. In Ireland, we currently have ﬁ ve ED&I Champions who support their contracts on their ED&I journey. They are piloting the role of the ED&I Champion in sectors such as pharmaceutical, technology, education, retail and energy supply. Our Ireland Champions are: Anna Kasprzyk;Cynthia Chepkoech;Danielle Graham;Isamara Silva;Mario Luis Saldanha Santos.What do they do?There are many things an ED&I Champion may do. Here’s some examples: • Start open discussions about diversity in their workplace and gather important information about how safe and secure employees feel at work;• Arrange events that help celebrate diversity such as fun runs or bake sales with donations going to minority charities;• Educate employees on diversity and the e ects of discrimination;• Help with the reviewing of policies and workplace culture documents to ensure they speak for everyone in the organisation. • Identify areas where the business can improve its e orts to be more inclusive Pictured here is Isamara Silva using the Diversity Ball to get the conversation started - excellen

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EDI WEEK 2022BIDVEST NOONAN P. 5and help it adapt to ensure everyone has the facilities to be comfortable at work;• Raise concerns through the appropriate channels about any behaviour that may undermine equality, diversity and human rights to the ED&I Council;• Promote all aspects of diversity, inclusion and equality in the workplace;• Ensure all employees are aware of their personal responsibility to support inclusion;• Act as an information resource for employees who want to know more about diversity and inclusion, as well as employers, supervisors or managers who need updates on the implementation and success (or lack thereof) of new inclusion policies. Why is this role important? Creating an accepting, inclusive and educated culture is not only important to reduce the chances of discimination, but it will also allow all colleagues to feel welcome, safe and valued. There is extensive evidence to show that, if someone feels happy and secure at work, they’re more likely to stick around for longer and perform better in their role. It goes without saying, that an openly diverse and welcoming business will attract more of the best talent and could even be the reason why someone chooses to work at Bidvest Noonan.nce initiative!

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P. 6 EDI WEEK BIDVEST NOONANSecurity is a Career for WomenOur Managing Director for Strategic Accounts, Sarah Cork was born in Heywood, Lancashire and now resides in Guildford, Surrey. She is a Mother with a blended family of four beautiful children, one Grandson and says she is “fortunate to have an amazing husband who supports my career journey” Prior to joining Bidvest Noonan, I have held senior security roles at several retailers including N Brown Group, Claire’s Accessories, Safeway, and Morrison’s, my other security experience was through Yodel the parcel carrier and Wolseley UK the Merchant company. I have a broad experience including cyber, physical security, intelligence, and investigations. Security is a career for women and has provided me the ﬂ exibility to allow my children to grow from childhood to adulthood whilst I worked full time and studied to get my diplomas in ﬁ nancial crime and anti-money laundering. Lots of late nights to complete my adult learning, however felt so proud of my achievements. My Journey at Bidvest NoonanIt has been truly empowering and has come at a time where I feel I can now grow further as a person within a business that has equal opportunities and allows women to thrive. I joined in August 2021 as

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EDI WEEK 2022BIDVEST NOONAN P. 7My journey at Bidvest Noonan has truly been empowering and has come at a time where I feel I can now grow further as a person within a business that has equal opportunities and allows women to thrive. an Operations Director to support the integration of an acquisition into the wider security solutions business. I was delighted when the business then asked me to bring the two acquisitions together and make the National business in Great Britain. This was both challenging and rewarding to see the transformation of three businesses into one. I thoroughly enjoy my job as I ﬂ ourish when working with people both sides of the fence, through customer interaction and the development of the amazing team we have.What I enjoy about my jobMy job has been challenging in the last 10 months however, having a strong support network around me and through asking several people for help, I seem to have found my way and gained knowledge about Bidvest Noonan along the way. I have needed coaches and mentors throughout my career to keep me grounded and allow me to express my frustrations on the bad days and share amazing memories on the good days. I enjoy my job as I get to spend it with people. I am hugely invested into Our Credo and putting People First. It is tremendously important for me as a leader to familiarise myself with the team and understand the heartbeat of the business.Why is ED&I important to you? This is so important for me as I need the awareness to ensure we give everyone an equal opportunity through diversity and inclusion. I want to learn about how to address people in the most respectful way - through the correct use of pronouns, for example, and ensure I don’t o end anyone. I have worked in security for 25 years and it is an unrepresented industry in which we have an opportunity to do something about the gender split by showing females this is a career they can successfully have.

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P. 8 EDI WEEK BIDVEST NOONAN“Ireland is now a second home to me”Our Senior HR Advisor, Dania Gohar was born in Pakistan, and moved to Dublin in 2006 with her family and says that “Ireland is now a second home to me”. She tells us her story here...I completed my Undergraduate from Dublin City University, and joined Bidvest Noonan three years ago. I am a practising Muslim, married and a mother of one young child who will be joining Senior Infants in September. I worked in a couple of organisations before joining Bidvest Noonan in 2019 as a HR Advisor before being promoted to Senior HR Advisor in July 2021. Describe your Bidvest Noonan journey. I had taken some time o in 2019 as my Father-in-Law had sadly passed away back in Pakistan and my Mother-in-Law needed to be supported so I went to live with her for a little while. When I returned to Ireland, I started looking for full-time employment to get back in the ﬁ eld. A former colleague, and my

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EDI WEEK 2022BIDVEST NOONAN P. 9mentor, shared the vacancy that Bidvest Noonan had advertised and suggested that I apply for it. I was a little scared because my previous experience was based in much smaller organisations and after doing some research on the Company, I was a little apprehensive as it was such a large organisation. After a little assurance from my husband and from the same former colleague, I sent in my application. When I ﬁ rst met with Bidvest Noonan, I realised that I could ﬁ t in very well here and the second interview conﬁ rmed it. I was over the moon when I was o ered the position. What do you enjoy about your job? My day-to-day job is varied and challenging. As a Senior HR Advisor, I work within the HR Team dedicated to the Workplace Solutions Business Unit and provide advice and guidance to the Operations Teams on various matters including ER/IR issues, employee management, mobilisation and de-mobilisation of contracts, recruitment, litigations etc. I liaise mainly with the Contract Managers, Key Account and Area Managers and assist them with their daily employee related concerns and also provide advice and guidance to the front-line colleagues. The feeling of improving an Employee and Manager relationship is one which I cherish the most in my job.

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P. 10 EDI WEEK BIDVEST NOONANJayke Ingram is our HR Advisor for Facilities Solutions in GB and here, he talks a little bit about his journey and why EDI is so important to him in his role. Tell us a bit about yourself: I was born and raised in North London until the age of 10 and then my Mother decided she wanted to return to where she was born in Glasgow, Scotland which is where I lived until I was almost 20 years old. Now, I live in Essex with my partner of almost 10 years with whom I have recently celebrated our ﬁ rst year of owning a property together. I have a background in supporting businesses with HR for Facilities Solutions, speciﬁ cally soft services, cleaning and HVAC engineering. Part of my role is to ensure consistency is maintained and that everyone is treated fairly and equally so, naturally, ED&I forms a large part of, not only my role but also my personal morals and ethics. Describe your Bidvest Noonan journey: I’ve only just started my Bidvest Noonan journey, having been with the business for only two months thus far however, I’ve found it exceptionally easy to settle, which is largely down to my immediate team and those I partner with who need my support. Both of which have shown tremendous support and have shown me nothing but kindness and willingness to do a good job. For me, it’s been inspiring to work alongside so many people who all put Our Credo at the heart of all the decisions made and truly want to perform to their best and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me. What do you enjoy about your job?Our people are the reason we are all in a job and I remind “It’s been inspiring to work alongside so many people who put Our Credo at the heart of all decisions made”

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EDI WEEK 2022BIDVEST NOONAN P. 11OUR PEOPLE ARE THE REASON THAT WE ARE ALL IN A JOB. I REMIND MYSELF OF THIS ALL THE TIME. WITHOUT THEM, THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR ME.myself of that all the time. Without them, there would be no need for me. So, when a problem arises, it becomes my responsibility to help those involved ﬁ nd the best possible outcome so that everyone feels listened to, heard and valued. When you’re able to do that for someone and, even if it’s not the desired end-result, it makes it all worthwhile because you’ve helped that person get over that hurdle they were facing. Why is ED&I important to you? As someone who is part of the LGBTQIA+ community sometimes, the thought of bringing your whole self to work can be overwhelming, especially when starting a new role as you’re never sure of how people will react and respond to you. I take great pride in my journey to reach the person I am today but, equally, I cannot ignore those before me who have had to hide themselves out of fear of being discriminated against, which still happens to this day. ED&I is not about separating out those who are di erent from the societal ‘norm’ but acknowledging that they deserve a seat at the table just as much as anybody else. The art of conversation is vital when it comes to ED&I because we don’t all have the same walk of life as each other and it can be hard to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. However, I am so grateful to Bidvest Noonan as it places great emphasis on providing a platform for ED&I conversations so we can all take a moment to celebrate each other for what makes us di erence, whilst making sure everyone is included.

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P. 12 EDI WEEK BIDVEST NOONANEve Rushmer is our Compliance Administrator within our Training Team based in London. She shares her incredibly inspiring story here, My parents call me unique as I was born, 27 years ago, with a rare Chromosome abnormality called ‘18q’ which means that a little arm of my 18th chromosome is missing. This a ects people in di erent ways. I am fortunate in that I am only mildly a ected - in my case it means that I appear a little shaky and sometimes I can be di cult to understand. I’ve a couple of really special features including narrow ear canals and curly toes! I had open heart surgery at the age of one at Great Ormond Street, which is now fortunately ﬁ xed. Now, the only treatment I receive for my condition is botox in my neck to help my tremors. Sometimes dealing with change can be a challenge. I live in Essex with my parents and gorgeous Cocker Spaniel, Dudley and hope to be able to move out soon when I can a ord to! I love socialising and go to the gym and participate in Zumba/Dance Classes. Describe your Bidvest Noonan journey: After I left School, and having completed a Business Course at College, I joined, what was, Ultimate Security and learned various skills such as managing the switchboard and performing administrative tasks. Following the acquisition by Bidvest Noonan, I have held various roles and completed several training courses to increase my understanding and experience within the business. I am now in my ninth year and look forward to continuining my journey with Bidvest Noonan.What do you enjoy about your job?My job is extremely busy but I work with a dedicated team and manager who work with me to make reasonable adjustments in order for me to carry out my work to my best ability. This includes getting lighter equipment for me to carry and a hybrid working arrangement that helps with my tiredness and tremors. I enjoy the customer side of things and meeting/greeting our sta on First Aid courses - it’s always good to put a face to a name! Why is ED&I important to you? It’s extremely important to me as I would like to further grown awareness and understanding across the business that not everyone is the same and not all disabilities are visible. I am hoping that we, as a business, continue to develop our programme to help employ and support a diverse workforce. Not all disabilities are visible

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EDI WEEK 2022BIDVEST NOONAN P. 13Anna Kasprzyk has been in Ireland for the last six years and has made it her home. Along with completing various specialist courses, such as a Supervisory & Management Course and Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices, Anna loves to travel and play tennis. She has worked for Bidvest Noonan for the past ﬁ ve years, starting as a Cleaning Operative and in June 2022 moved to a Helpdesk Administrator role. She comments “I love my new role - a positive organisational culture is key to feeling motivated and inspired at work. Everyone shares the same vision and is dedicated to the mission. I love that I get the opportunity to learn new things about the business and market every day.” Asked why ED&I is important to her, Anna comments “I love the opportunity equality, diversity and inclusion provides including the chance to collaborate, innovate, meet new people and exchange the experiences”. Jenny Jones is our Director of Operations for Corporate & Public Sector, based in London and is an avid dog owner having four - from a chihuahua to a masti . Born in Clapham, she has worked in the Soft FM Industry for 25 years+ and has worked across various sectors Everyone shares the same vision and is dedicated to the missionincluding retail, corporate and ﬁ nance, at various levels. She writes, I have won and maintained many prestigious contracts throughout my career which have included international banks - Australian, Canadian and also Tesco Banking Services. Having been with Bidvest Noonan for three months, I have recently dealt with the mobilisation of 21 retail parks. I love working with the team and the challenges clients provide whilst exceeding their expectations. The diversity of our contracts means I have the opportunity to meet various new people from all walks of life. No day is ever the same - you never get bored in FM! ED&I is extremely important to me as it highlights the variety in the world and the recognition and inclusion if o ers. Within the workforce, we need to ensure fair treatment and opportunities for all. We need to ensure fair treatment & opportunities for all

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P. 14 EDI WEEK BIDVEST NOONANMy name is Isamara Santos Silva. I was born and raised in Minas Gerais, Brazil. My mother moved to Ireland in 2006. When I turned 18 in 2009, my mother brought me to Ireland. Prior to joining Bidvest Noonan, I have worked many places since the age 14 including retail shops and call centres. Describe your Bidvest Noonan journey. Bidvest Noonan was the ﬁ rst company I worked for when I arrived in Dublin, I remember getting a Sony PSP with my ﬁ rst real salary as an adult. I will never forget the feeling of freedom and happiness of having the device in my hands after 2 weeks of working for Bidvest Noonan. I stayed with the company for a few years until the contract terms with S.O.S was changed. Afterwards, I worked with almost all of the other major cleaning companies such as MCR, Momentum, and Compass Group as well as some hotels until an opportunity rose to change the working environment that I was working in. Now I have come full circle and I am back to where it all started but with professional growth and experience to utilise in my leadership position. What do you enjoy about your job? If I was asked this a year ago, I honestly wouldn’t have many positive things to say But, my recent outlook has drastically changed, and I am enjoying every aspect of it. I enjoy the challenge that this position gives me every day. The need to be adaptable and versatile is a must, the promotion for working smart not hard and, most importantly, having the opportunity to present ideas and be listened to. It is something that I haven’t experienced before in a facilities company. The site I am working on right now has a lot to do with it, but still has great potential for improvement given the opportunity. Why is ED&I important to you? I have experienced discrimination in various forms while working in this ﬁ eld. I have been spat on “because it was fun to see who could hit the cleaner ﬁ rst’’, I have been called names because I am a “foreigner’’. The problems faced are very real and a ects us all in di erent ways every day. There is a wrong belief that, it is almost expected to happen as cleaners and it doesn’t matter when it does. Unfortunately it’s not a matter of if but when. ED&I is paramount in all aspects of everyday life, and should be incorporated in the workplace. As cleaners, we work in a dynamic environment with di erent people, backgrounds, and lifestyles. With a strong ED&I strategy in place, we can avoid conﬂ icts between our teammates and clients. Encouraging inclusivity ensures everyone can be proud of their role within the team. When we are kind and tolerant to one another, we can work more cohesively and e ciently together. When we are kind and tolerant to one another, we can work more cohesively and eﬃ ciently together.

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EDI WEEK 2022BIDVEST NOONAN P. 15We should champion uniqueness, individuality and creativenessPete Cooper is Yorkshire born and bred and shares his story here. I was brought up when pits were the mainstay of income for the area and that’s the career path that was expected of me. However, when the pits closed there was very little option, I followed my older brother and twin brother into the Army. After spending 22 great years travelling the world and experiencing some great, and some not so great, countries, I returned to Yorkshire and literally fell into Facilities Management (FM). My 16 year career in FM saw me working in all three sectors (charity, public and private) and culminated in me working for arguably the best private business company that is Bidvest Noonan. Describe your Bidvest Noonan journey. The journey within my ﬁ rst year in the business has been challenging yet extremely rewarding. Getting to understand the business, and clients whilst recruiting dedicated and ambitious sta that shared the vision has been the biggest challenge. The growth of the business is exciting and will be demanding, I have no doubt. What do you enjoy about your job? My job is made much easier following the recruitment of my management team which has culminated in formulation of business processes, mentoring and support to the administrative sta and cleaning operatives and building a “one team” ethos that’s demonstrating success. Without doubt, it’s proving to be the most enjoyable and rewarding job I’ve ever had, considering where the business area was 12 months ago when a “scorched earth” approach was discussed. I have witnessed improvements throughout the business and the support from Shared Services ﬁ lls me with even more conﬁ dence that the next 12 months will only get better. Why is ED&I important to you? Personally, ED&I has played a part in my life that’s given me a di erent perspective and shown me that everyone has the right to be treated fairly, with open minds and acceptance at the core. In personal and work life everyone should feel they have something to o er, and we should champion uniqueness, individuality and creativeness and allow people to be themselves.

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P. 16 EDI WEEK BIDVEST NOONANHi, my name is Moises and I was born in the Canary Islands, Spain but now I live in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin. I have worked in several roles during my career which include retail, cleaning and hospitality. In November 2017, my girlfriend asked me what I thought about looking for new opportunities outside of Spain. I was afraid because my handicap and challenge has always been the language barrier. But, I made the big decision and left my job and comfort zone and, now I am here in Ireland. Describe your Bidvest Noonan Journey: When I arrived in Ireland, my objective was to ﬁ nd a job but honestly, all the interviews were awful and, in the space of a month, my objectives changed and I just wanted to get back to Spain. When I almost lost hope, a good friend told me “Why don’t you try in the Hospital? They are always looking for cleaning sta ”. And, I thought ‘why not’. I will remember this interview for the rest of my life. During that 30 minutes, Yvonne (Manager) explained to me all of the details of the contract and my future position as a Cleaning Operative. I looked into her eyes and sad “Sorry, no understand - no speak English, I only want to work”. The Sun Rises for EverybodyMoises Toledo left his native Canary Islands, Spain in 2017 to embark on an adventure to Ireland. Here, he shares his story and his journey with Bidvest Noonan

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EDI WEEK 2022BIDVEST NOONAN P. 17She looked at me and said that she was going to give me a chance. After that, I worked hard for Yvonne and, initially, we communicated using notes - it was quite funny. She was so patient with me but, as time went on, I was able to communicate using small phrases of English. Under Yvonne’s leadership, I was promoted to Supervisor and, that was a challenging road and many lessons learned on that journey. I have to mention Lenka Svanova who was an incredible support during this time. Then, Nuno Riberio joined the team and, I worked closely with him throughout the Covid Pandemic, whilst this was a challenging time for many, it was paramount in my learning and journey within Bidvest Noonan. Now, after four years with the business, and under the leadership of Susan Howard, I am Site Manager on our contract with St. Michael’s Hospital working closely with Ann Coleman and Keith Neville and not forgetting the Supervisors and my excellent team of cleaners - who, without, a Manager is nothing. What do you enjoy about your job?Simply, everything. As the Site Manager, I work side-by-side with my team and the IPC Team where BIDVEST NOONAN P. 17we use insights and expertise to continually improve our standards for cleaning. I like to walk around the hospital and talk with di erent members of the team because they can add new perspectives about cleaning. Why is ED&I important to you? As a non-native to Ireland, I am extremely aware of potential discrimination that I, along with my friends and family, may encounter. But, I do believe that the ‘sun rises for everyone’ - each and every single one of us are individuals and we all have a role to play in contributing to a better world.

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P. 18 EDI WEEK BIDVEST NOONANteam provides. Being 58 at the time, I found the search for work di cult and had been warned by several recruitment agencies that ﬁ nding full time work in my ﬁ eld may be di cult. I therefore was advised to design my CV to not highlight my age. The reactions by some potential employers at interview was dismissive. I knew I met the criteria for the roles and, one interview which I had been told would last 45 minutes, was quickly concluded within 10 minutes. Extremely disheartening. I knew I had a lot to o er so persevered and I am so glad that I did. When I ﬁ rst met with Bidvest Noonan, my gut instinct told me I was a match for the role and the second interview conﬁ rmed it. Naturally, I was thrilled when I was o ered the job.What do you enjoy about your job? My job is varied and challenging. As the Health & Safety Incident Prevention Executive I work within the Risk & Compliance team where we use data-driven insights and expertise to continuously improve our safety performance. I visit many contracts across all our service lines and meet great people who consistently provide a high standard to our clients. When I see good practices, our people have built into their routines and work, I share these with the business. Why is ED&I important to you?Many years ago, a friend quoted an old Islamic proverb to me “a lot of di erent ﬂ owers make a bouquet”. We are better together and to be better, we must embrace and include everyone as each person contributes to a better understanding and collectively to better and brighter outcomes. Born in Northern Ireland, I worked in the UK for over a decade but have since settled in County Longford. I am a single mother of two adult children - both of whom are currently attending University. My career spans across several sectors including retail, publishing, consultancy and health and safety. Prior to joining Bidvest Noonan, I was a self-employed Health & Safety Consultant and Trainer. Self-employment gave me the ﬂ exibility to be there for my family and support them both emotionally and ﬁ nancially during a di cult time in our lives. Describe your Bidvest Noonan journey: When my son completed his Leaving Certiﬁ cate I decided to return to full time employment as I missed the camaraderie consistently working with a Alot of different flowers make a bouquet

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EDI WEEK 2022BIDVEST NOONAN P. 19We are all cut from the same cloth and deserve to be respected and included no matter our race, beliefs or gender. Danielle Graham has been working with Bidvest Noonan since 2004. As a woman working in security, she shares her story here: Im originally from Dublin City Centre and was raised by the best people. I had the best life growing up and couldn’t have asked for anything better. Being that adult now, I am trying, together with my partner, to raise my daughter to the best of my abilities which were instilled into me, whilst also working full time. Describe your Bidvest Noonan journey: I’ve been working in security since 2004, ﬁ rst starting with Federal Security Services. I started in Penneys as a Security O cer/Store Detective which was an extremely interesting role. I stayed on when the company was aquired by Bidvest Noonan and have thoroughly enjoyed my journey through the years. After my daughter, Faith, was born in 2015 and my maternity leave ended, I needed a change. A position was available in Li ey Valley Shopping Centre and I have been there since then and my journey continues.What do you enjoy about your job? My job as a Supervisor varies from day-to-day. Aside from the security aspect of my job, I love the experience of customer service - I enjoy interacting with people of all ages from the little children who give me that wave to the older generation who like to stop and have a chat. Why is ED&I important to you? I love the fact that Equality, Diversity & Inclusion brings fair treatment into the workplace for everybody. We are all cut from the same cloth and deserve to be respected and included no matter our race, beliefs or gender is.

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P. 20 EDI WEEK BIDVEST NOONANDeborah Mills-Burn was born in Birkenhead, which she comments is ‘one of the most deprived places in the UK.’ At 17, she joined the Armed Forces and tells her story here. When I joined the Armed Forces, I was desperate to forge a career for myself and make my family proud. A common question I’m always asked is ‘when did you know you were gay?’ and I think, when people do ask that question, there’s no malice in it, I think some people just think it’s the least awkward question to ask. The answer is hard to give because, for so long, I hid my sexuality afraid of what people thought or if I’d be judged. I am now a very proud and open married woman with a beautiful wife and son and my advice to anyone is to always be true to yourself and don’t worry about what others think as life is too short. n leaving the Armed Forces, I naturally gravitated towards working within the security industry. But, I have several memories of very negative experiences of job interviews where the interview panel was all male and, as soon as I walked in the room, I could almost taste the hostility that a female had even dared apply for a security management role. And, at that point in my life, there was no way I would add to the hostility by adding that I was a gay woman. After many unsuccessful interviews, I decided to ‘go back to my roots’ and went to work in Iraq and Afghanistan as Close Protection Operator. It was probably here that I started being a truer version of myself, as working in hostile environments makes you have a strong bond with your colleagues, and it was probably one of the ﬁ rst jobs I felt comfortable with my sexuality. I think that positively impacted my career as I became more conﬁ dent and my ﬁ nal role in Afghanistan was as an Operations Manager. I went onto work on the 2012 Olympic Games as Operations Manager, transitioned a decommissioned nuclear site from an Armed Police Force to a manned Security Provision as a Contract Manager and, prior to joining Bidvest Noonan, spent seven years in the Rail Industry leading a customer operations department with over 150 sta . “When everyone is included, everyone wins”

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EDI WEEK 2022BIDVEST NOONAN P. 21Describe your Bidvest Noonan journey: I’ve been employed as a Business Sector Director with for 18 months and, in that time, although there have been some signiﬁ cant acquisitions that have seen many changes, one thing has struck me, that is driven from the leadership team, which is to live our Credo of People First. I feel that I can not only be myself, but that Bidvest Noonan gives me a platform to hopefully inspire and motivate other people who may be going through similar stages of their life that I have walked in the past. What do you enjoy about your job? My job is varied and challenging and gives me the opportunity to work across various parts of the business. As the Business Sector Director for Transport and Data Centres, I work within the business development team to help generate new business and opportunities and growth. I get the opportunity to develop existing contracts and ensure we are always the Partner of Choice for our Customers, along with developing innovative new business opportunities. I work closely with our operational teams to deliver exceptional levels of service delivery and meet great people who consistently deliver exceptional services to our clients. I love the ﬂ exibility of my role from networking with prospective clients to spending valuable time with existing customers. Why is ED&I important to you? I have felt, witnessed and felt the struggles to overcome bias. I’ve worked in environments and businesses where I’ve felt ‘it’s not ok to be me’. This cannot happen in this modern day and, working for a business that is fully dedicated to ED&I, as Bidvest Noonan is, means that we can drive it in all that we do as it is all our responsibility. A very simple, yet powerful quote by Jesse Jackson, which I ﬁ rmly believe, is “When everyone is included, everyone wins”

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P. 22 EDI WEEK BIDVEST NOONANWomen are celebrated for their achievements Aoife Kane is Interact’s Operations Director and currently lives in Longwood Co Meath. Here she shares her story I am a single mother of three boys and I have worked in a range of organisations in my career. I started in banking, in the mid-2000s when my sons were young I availed of a two-year career break to be at home with them and when I returned to work after my career break I felt like I wanted a change so I took a chance and ended up embarking on a career in technical facilities, and I have never looked back. I was promoted to Operations Manager for a small maintenance company for two years before joining Interact. Describe your Bidvest Noonan journey. Bidvest Noonan acquired Interact in March 2021 and when the news broke of the acquisition it felt daunting but also an exciting challenge we were undertaking. Once we moved to the Bidvest Noonan Aoife Kane is Operations Director for Interact and based in Dublin. She shares her understanding of ED&I in Bidvest Noonan

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EDI WEEK 2022BIDVEST NOONAN P. 23Head O ce in Swords I had the opportunity to get to know some amazing people who work in the organisation and have become great colleagues. I feel now, over a year on, very much part of the Bidvest Noonan Team. Working in a male-dominated industry I believe women are celebrated for their achievements and equality is of utmost importance to Bidvest Noonan. The opportunities for progression are plain to see within the organisation and is clear from the number of sta who have had longstanding careers within Bidvest Noonan and progression. What do you enjoy about your job? My job is fast-paced, varied and challenging with no two days the same. The focus is always on the client experience and quality e cient delivery of technical works. Whether it is supporting our mobile technical team, or our Helpdesk Team, the people are certainly the key for me. I enjoy the collaborative culture we have within the Interact team and believe that this translates to an exceptional service to our clients. Why is ED&I important to you? As people are the key in any successful business, I believe equality diversity & inclusion within an organisation is of utmost importance. Collaborative working is based on varying opinions, experiences and knowledge that combined can result in an extremely successful team culture. I look forward to the future embracing the Equality Diversity & Inclusion policy within the business and building on this within Interact.

ED& Week Magazine 2022

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