My name is Humberto Pimentel and I’m the Vice President of Operations for ASP Security. As the Vice President, I plan to build relationships with our stakeholders and delegate operational efficiencies based on your strengths. I look forward to working closely with Dean and the entire ASP team on finding creative ways to deliver outstanding customer services, grow our business and reduce our spending so we can use our budget effectively. With the creative abilities and dedication of all whom I have met thus far, I can see us doing great work. One of the reasons I accepted this position is the welcoming company culture, which made me eager to join the team. I hope I get to meet all our employees in person over the next few weeks when I visit our clients. Prior to working with ASP Security, I held senior general management roles in the security and financial industries. My personal interests include listening to all genres of music and catching a live show when a great band is in town. I’m happy to share more about my role here at ASP Security, and want to learn how I can best support you.

The following new hires joined our head office in Q2 and Q3 of 2022. Please join us in welcoming them to the ASP family!

Rob Alidina

We would like to share with you all the appointment of Rob Alidina to the ASP/ ICTS family. As of August 29, 2022, Rob joined us in the capacity of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and holds all accompanying responsibilities with a specific focus on immediate, short- and long-term fiscal guidance and planning, acquisitions, monetization of proprietary technologies, and finance.

Rob Alidina is an accomplished strategic finance executive with extensive financial and operational experience in a multitude of industries including telecommunications, industrial and consumer goods, retail, and pharmaceuticals. In addition, he has been exposed to ownership structures that include large and small-cap publicly traded organizations (including multinationals domiciled in the United States), along with privately-owned firms. His diverse skills transverse across the finance and accounting realm that span financial reporting, planning and analysis, audit, treasury and risk management, supply chain and operational finance, capital budgeting, as well as tax planning. His passion and business acumen has translated in sustainable profitable growth in various organizations including manufacturing, serviced based industries, as well as the wholesale and distribution segments of the markets. Rob’s leadership skills have allowed for the opportunity to facilitate strategy and business transformation, change management, and ensured finance is a valued business partner to the business’s he’s operated.

Rob has held senior finance roles and his advancement led to being a Chief Financial Officer at two division at United Technologies including Carrier as well as Chubb Fire and Security. His most recent role was the CFO for Olon Industries. Rob graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in accounting and a minor in finance. He subsequently completed his Master of Business Administration from McGill University in finance and international business with honors. In addition, Rob holds his professional license from the order of the Certified Professional Accountant of Canada.

For many people, public speaking instills a dreaded, irrational fear. Just the thought of it makes their blood pressure rise. But public speaking is no different than playing an instrument at a concert. If we didn’t know how play it and hadn’t practiced the music, it would be a disaster. So, when people tell me they have a fear of public speaking, I always ask – have you practiced?

My first time in front of an audience, I was on panel discussion. It was a blistering hot day in July, and it felt like it was 50 degrees Celsius backstage. I peeked out, and the room was packed. I felt very, very unprepared, and I was a trembling, nervous mess. To make matters worse, I had sweat stains under my arms – super embarrassing, right? I survived the experience but vowed to never be unprepared again.

After thinking about the event, my main take away was the need to practice. I started telling personal stories in front of my friends as if I was speaking in public and asked for their feedback, which I took in stride. I also embraced my nervousness and accepted my speaking cadence. While I’m never going to be a professional speaker, I can get up in front of a room and that is ok. I’m also never going to play in an orchestra. So set realistic expectations.

In terms of what to say while speaking in the public, I am a big believer in positive body language and being polite, even if am disagreeing with someone when on a panel. A lot of public speaking is about understanding your audience, reacting to the audience, and being confident.

Avoid looking at your notes and make eye contact with as many people in the audience as possible. Looking at the folks in the back of the room helps to project your voice. Most importantly, being friendly and positive helps create a connection with the audience and gives an air of confidence.

I also like to include personal anecdotes because I know the stories inside out. Before going on stage, I always write a couple of words in my notes to remind me of different stories I could tell, depending on the how the audience is reacting. An amusing story or two can be extremely helpful when you see the audience starting to get restless and a little pizzaz is needed to reaffirm the connection.

Finally, expect the unexpected. For my second public speaking event, the room was super air conditioned, and I was freezing. It felt like I walked out on to the stage as stiff as a board because I was so cold. But I did way better than the first time.

We have all heard the old saying “change is the only constant in life” and we know that to be resilient, both personally and professionally, we have to face change head on and get to the other side.

The world rarely stands still. Change blows through our lives, sometimes like a breeze, sometimes like wind and most recently like a storm.

Covid-19, and its “variants” turned our lives upside down and as we begin recovery, we are now facing organizational change as we experience role adjustments and leadership and contract change. Many of us have also experienced significant change in our personal lives, such as loss of a loved one, marriage, divorce, promotion, childbirth, health, or financial issues, etc.

We are often uncertain as to whether the changes in our work or personal life will be for the better. The harsh reality that we all must face is that change will never end until we experience that final life-ending change, and even then, life will go on without us.

Change can be challenging for everyone to one degree or another, but just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean it’s bad. Here are some tips to help you better navigate change and adapt with ease.

Accept the Change

Understand that change is a natural part of life, both in and outside of the workplace. By learning to accept that change is a natural occurrence, we can more quickly adapt when it happens. Remind yourself that many of the best opportunities in life show up when we are open to change.

Stay Positive

A positive attitude is essential. Maintaining the ability to view a potential change with a positive attitude is integral to your ability to adjust rapidly. Focus on what could be made possible because of this change.

Get a Fresh Perspective

Getting an outside perspective from friends or family members outside of your home or workplace can have a powerful effect on how quickly you adapt. These conversations can help you realize how rapidly other workplaces change as well. They may be able to be offer advice on how to better cope with the changing environment.

Focus on What You Can Control

When you’re in the midst of a change, the feeling of having no control can often emerge. This sense of powerlessness can set the mind reeling on an emotional downward spiral. But in reality, even in the direst situations, we have some degree of control. The important thing is to try to focus on the things that you can control. This shift in mindset, away from what you can’t control, can leave you feeling happier and more fulfilled.

Practice Good Self-Care

The anxiety and stressors that often surround change can have a direct impact on our bodies and emotional state. Our mental well-being can suffer. That’s why it’s essential to get adequate sleep, exercise regularly, and eat a healthy diet. Attending to your physical well-being is more important than ever. A well-rested and balanced body can better handle the roller coaster of ups and downs that come with change and subsequent transitions.

Set New Goals

Setting a new goal can help to renew your purpose and give you the clarity of focus. It can bring a new mindset shift that directs your energy and propels you forward. Instead of worrying about the change, you can focus on the actions that will move you towards your goal. As you advance toward a new beginning, take stock of what you need to accomplish those goals and identify opportunities that will help you move forward. This can have a powerful impact on your energy and state of mind.

Stay Connected to Coworkers

To maintain your productivity and workplace success, it’s important to stay connected to coworkers as your work environment is evolving. Speaking with coworkers regularly can help you stay plugged in to what’s happening around you.

Become good at asking questions, because the more you know about what is going on in your current workplace, the more confident you will feel. Talking to others can help you maintain your positivity, boost your spirits and increase your energy.

Support Others

Sometimes the best antidote to change-related worry is to stop focusing on yourself and start helping others. Ask yourself: How can I best support a family member, friend or co-worker who is feeling anxious about a change in their life or work?

Answering this question and taking action can help soften the edge of your own change issues while providing greater purpose and meaning to your life.

Learn to Love to Learn

Technology is always changing! It seems you just become accustomed to one procedure, and you must suddenly adapt to a new one. New policies are also being established every day. And let’s not forget the new government regulations that often make our jobs harder. Adapting to change is critical to success.

Achievement-oriented people know that to be able to excel in all they do, and live their lives to full potential, continuous learning must be a lifelong process.

Learning new skills should be constant, no matter how much experience you may have and no matter how old you may be. Focus on the sense of accomplishment you feel when you have learned any new skills or gained knowledge on any topic.

See the Opportunity

With every change comes great opportunity. It may not feel that way at first, but people who can maintain their composure during times of transformation can often find new avenues for growth and advancement. Look for areas where you can gain skills while at the same time strive to understand the new playing field that’s emerging.

Be Patient

Finally, be patient with yourself and others. Adapting to change does not occur overnight. Keep a positive attitude and focus on the benefits and new opportunities change can bring. If it’s a change in your personal life, view adapting to it as a challenge. Just be sure to expect a few bumps in the road along the way. When you experience stages of resistance and uncertainty but are then able to assimilate change and finally conquer it, you will experience an enormous sense of accomplishment, and your self-esteem will be increased.

Adapting to change can take time and patience. We must accept that change is happening; hone strategies for dealing with the unknown; and then shift our behavior to accommodate new situations and challenges.

It helps to have cornerstone beliefs and cornerstone friends and family members to ground us during periods of especially drastic change, but one of the major strategies for adapting to change personally is simply realizing that you can’t avoid it and understanding that you will get through it. You may even find that new and exciting opportunities show up for you when you learn to accept and embrace change.

At ASP, growth and development are at the core to providing the most information possible to anyone of who we are and how we operate. Last Quarter, starting a new role with us, ensuring you are prepared for we announced our Voice of ASP focus groups, which gave a platform for employees from all divisions to voices their needs, wants, critiques, and suggestions in relation to their positions and their development at ASP. This quarter, we had the privilege of presenting this anonymous information to the entire management team at ASP. Our goal is to turn your feedback into real action.

On March 7, 2022, the management team at ASP met, reviewed your feedback, and spoke about how they intend to create meaningful changes that impact the daily lives of ASP employees.

Some of the major points discussed were the following:
• Growth plans across the organization for each role
• More training for employees looking to develop
• Better communication to all employees
• Encouraging more feedback to improve the day-to- day lives of all members of ASP

Our recruitment team knows it is integral for employees to feel that all the promises made during the interview and onboarding process are met. We are committed to provide the most information possible to anyone starting a new role with us, ensuring you are prepared for that next step in your career.

We want to see how we can make the ASP experience even better. We also want to thank all the members of management who took the time to learn more about the needs of their employees; it really showed that there is a heart to this company that strives to be better each day. If you know a person who is interested in:
• Training and development
• Protecting the community
• The importance of safety and security • The value of customer service

Ask them to join our team and be part of the company where Security MattersTM.

Video conferencing is now the norm. Whether connecting with friends or family, or for work, Zoom and FaceTime calls are filling our days. So, it is not surprising that every public relations and communications professional worth their salt has blogs and YouTube videos on best practices. Out of the near bazillion social media posts on how to Zoom like a pro, a few common sense recommendations stood out. These are very appropriate for any ASP related video conferences, including the townhalls and Diversity Committee events.

The first suggestion is to arrive early to establish a connection with the people on other side of the screen. If it is a small group, introduce yourself and break the ice with some small talk. Ask where the other participants are located, what the weather is like, about a sports team or if they have seen your favourite TV show. This is a chance to show you care. If it is a meeting with lots of people like an ASP townhall, being early lets the organizers know that you are taking the meeting seriously and that it is important to you. Also, refer to people by name, and not just because it is polite. We’ve all been in those meetings where there is confusion around who is talking to who. This is especially true in large meetings where there may be multiple people with the same name. The next recommendation is to draw a smiley face on a post-it note and put it next to the camera on your computer or phone. When on a conference call, we tend to look at our own image when we are talking. This means we are not making eye contact with the folks on the other end. The post-it note is a reminder to look at the camera so you are making eye contact with the other people on the call – like we would do in a face to face meeting. The smiley face is also a reminder to smile! Because we are separated by pixels, it is very important to smile and put on a warm, friendly demeanor. Jokes, tone, and subtlety can easily be lost in electronic communication but a genuine smile, is always a smile. Finally, if you are presenting, people have joined the video conference to see you – not a PowerPoint presentation.

A good rule of thumb is that when the presenter shares, the audience cares. Facts and figures may be important, but too many and they become boring quickly. To engage the folks on the conference call, tell stories that are impactful to them. Before getting on Zoom, think about what is important to your audience, and build narratives around their priorities. Ask yourself, what do I want people to take away from the meeting. Three takeaways is a good goal. And the last item is to enjoy yourself because, through digital osmosis, the participants will also enjoy themselves. Good luck and happy conferencing

The best way to get a person’s attention is to tell relevant stories.

It is our pleasure to introduce and welcome the following new members in our team. Please join us in providing a warm ASP welcome to all the new members. We are proud to have you all as part of our team!

Sharifa Akbar

Sharifa Akbar joined us as “Training Coordinator” for the Aviation Security Division. Sharifa, who likes to be calle Sherry, reports to Mr. David Ramlagan – National Aviation Training Manager. In her role, Sherry will be responsible for developing and/or arranging high quality Training Programs which meet all GTAA and Transport Canada specified requirements for our frontline staff in airport security.

She has over four years of rich experience in the field of training development and facilitation. Sherry is certified in Adult Education from Sheridan College and Service Excellence from Ontario Tourism Education Center.

Melissa Shehadeh

Melissa Shehadeh has joined ASP as “Accountant” in the Finance Department and reports to Mr. Paul Parkinson – Director of Finance. Melissa has a Business Administration Diploma with specialization in Accounting from the University of Guelph-Humber.

Before joining ASP, she has worked in the finance and accounting field for over four years in a fast paced and detailoriented work environment. Her experience has helped her develop advanced technical and multi-tasking skills with the ability to learn quickly while maintaining / improving efficiency.