Les Allan Joins CriticalArc to Drive Value and Stakeholder Engagement for SafeZone Customers

Les Allan Joins CriticalArc to Drive Value and Stakeholder Engagement for SafeZone Customers

London, United Kingdom, 29th January 2025 – CriticalArc, the creators of SafeZone® and a global leader in safety and security technology, proudly welcomes Les Allan to its team. Les will enhance customer support and deliver greater value through the SafeZone solution, furthering CriticalArc’s mission of creating safer, more inclusive communities.

With over 50 years of expertise in policing and security, Les Allan is widely recognised for revolutionising campus safety strategies by prioritising people, community well-being, and inclusiveness. At Heriot-Watt University, where he served as Director of Safeguarding Services, Les pioneered a people-centric approach to safety and security, emphasising empathy and accessibility. His transformative efforts reshaped campus safety into a trusted, inclusive service, establishing a model for universities across the UK and internationally.

In his new role with CriticalArc, Les will focus on supporting both existing and prospective SafeZone customers. For current customers, he will work closely with institutions to maximise the value of SafeZone by identifying opportunities for improvement, fostering stakeholder collaboration, and aligning safety programs with organisational values. His expertise will help organisations enhance community engagement, evaluate the value of their safety departments, and deliver impactful safety programs.

For prospective customers, Les will share insights from his own journey with SafeZone, including navigating internal socialisation, securing executive buy-in, managing objections, and expediting the approval process. By leveraging his experience, Les will help fast-track organisations’ time-to-value and support them in delivering safety for all.

Les will also collaborate closely with CriticalArc’s Global Consulting Director, Jason Goodrich, to launch a range of consultancy services designed to help organisations across the UK and globally. These services will empower institutions to better serve their communities, improve operational effectiveness, enhance organisational culture, and strengthen preparedness. The offerings include high-level strategic consulting, cultural assessments, organisational resilience planning, safety and security audits, and tailored action plans to address the unique needs of each organisation. This initiative reinforces CriticalArc’s commitment to fostering safer, more connected communities worldwide.

“Les Allan has redefined what it means to create safe and inclusive communities through his emphasis on empathy and collaboration,” said Darren Chalmers-Stevens, Group COO at CriticalArc. “We are thrilled to bring his expertise to our customers as they seek to elevate the impact of their safety programs.”

A global thought leader in campus safety, Les has earned numerous accolades, including serving as Chairman of the Association of University Chief Security Officers (AUCSO) and being named ‘International Leader of the Year’ at the INTERSEC Awards 2023. His proven ability to foster collaboration, build trust, and inspire positive change aligns seamlessly with CriticalArc’s mission to deliver safer, more inclusive environments.

Commenting on his new role, Les Allan says, “I am passionate about ensuring safety services empower and support communities. Joining CriticalArc is an exciting opportunity to help institutions worldwide unlock the full potential of SafeZone, building programs that truly make a difference and ensuring communities not only feel safe but are safe.”

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Media Contacts

Sienna Kozin, CriticalArc Global Marketing Director,

e-mail sienna@criticalarc.com

 

About CriticalArc

CriticalArc provides SafeZone®, the unified safety, security and emergency management solution that helps large organizations keep their people safe and respond more effectively to critical incidents so they can fulfil their duty of care and mitigate risks. SafeZone fundamentally transforms the ability to manage personal safety, security, and emergency situations so organizations can respond faster and more effectively to protect their most important asset, their people. Through real-time visualization, communications, and response coordination, SafeZone streamlines operations, is easy to use and quick to deploy. For more information on CriticalArc and SafeZone, please go to www.criticalarc.com or email marketing@criticalarc.com.

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For more information about CriticalArc and SafeZone, visit www.criticalarc.com.

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