34 minute read
books reviews
from TWSM#12
When the morning bell rang in Italy, you heard, “It’s the postman, you need to sign.” It had become my worst nightmare.
Guido Rabà is an Italian entrepreneur who, at the end of 2010, decided to leave his home country to move to the Isla Margarita in Venezuela, where he built a new life, both on a professional and personal level.
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ws What were you doing before the move?
gr In the last twenty years, I owned a construction company, a business that at first worked in refurbishing and, in the last seven to eight years in building luxury properties. It was a prosperous business. ws What made you decide to change? gr In an end-of-year meeting with my accountant, she told me, “Guido, this year went well; our turnover increased.” “That’s great,” I said, “but be honest with me; how much have I earned for myself and my family, net?” She said, “Well, after everything, 24,000 euros!” At that point, I thought there was something wrong. At the end of 2010, I gave myself a month and warned everyone that I was leaving to see if Margarita Island was for me.
ws What are you doing now?
gr In April 2011, after being on the island for only four months, I started a tour operator business called ItalCaribeClub. We work in two ways: we organize holidays in Venezuela and now also in Cuba and Panama; and we help and support people interested in following in my footsteps, who then move here.
ws What investment did you make?
gr I arrived with basically no money, but was lucky enough to create something like ItalCaribe Club. From the beginning, this business has produced income. It’s clearly not great by European standards, but here If I earn 100 euros on one trip, I am earning half the monthly wage of a clerk.
ws Are you happy now?
gr This is the hardest question. On a professional level, I’m very happy. I live with much less stress. I have the time and resources to do the things I love and I wake up in the morning with a lot of energy.
03 A pensive Stefano Bartoli 04 Dad Stefano with two of his kids (Stefano and Lorenzo)
and the building that houses the restaurant and a kiosk. We offer 135 cabanas and 180 parasols for an accommodation capacity of about eight hundred units. The restaurant is open everyday, both for lunch and dinner. The kitchen is wellknown and serves traditional dishes and some that are a bit more exotic. It attracts outside customers as well as guests. My three sons manage and work at the kiosk, a place for young and slightly older people, that serves aperitifs, cocktails, and cold drinks. There’s live music, and evenings there are a delight.
ws How many employees do you have?
sb We are a big team, beginning with family. In addition to my former wife Daniela and myself, there are our three sons, my new partner Alessia, and our son—Alessia’s and mine. There are also twenty-three others on staff, including cooks, waiters, lifeguards, and attendants. They are all exceptional people, motivated and energetic. My staff also has two guys from Bangladesh, a Polish gentleman, a Lebanese fellow, and a Moldovan lady.
ws You were a chemist for a good part of your life, and now you’re managing a beach resort and a succesful restaurant. What is Bagni Alberoni’s turnover?
sb I still remember my first day. I was serving coffee when I accidentally hit a treebranch, cutting my head, spilling the coffee in front of customers, and scalding my hand. Then came the time a section of the ceiling fell onto the restaurant floor; and finally, a large woman broke a chair and fell head over heels onto the floor. That made me stop and think. The job was completely new to me, and I want to single out Bepi, a senior worker, hired by the previous owner, for helping me so much, especially in the beginning. At present, our turnover is about 500,000 euros a year, but there are many expenses.
ws What’s the secret of your success?
sb I worked hard and believed in it. We bit the bullet when it was necessary. We thrived during some fantastic periods, and kept working. Our guests experience peace and the freedom to enjoy their holidays. Children play when and how they want. There’s room for everybody. I dislike restrictive rules. Guests must feel at home.
ws Old vinyls hang on the walls, photos of singers like Giorgio Gaber or Frank Zappa playing naked on the toilet; and Prodi’s interview to Enrico Berlinguer. What does all this have to do with you?
sb It's still me, even after many years. I loved the Rolling Stones. I met Gaber and we talked for hours. Those things are a part of my life.
I see an image of a timenaut in my mind that around the year 2000 came on a trip to Venice and never left. Why? What did you find here?
sb Myself.
I had wanted to leave the chaos of Madrid and return to my roots. The loss of my boy was the final push I needed.
Luis Montalvo is a Spanish entrepreneur who began as a messenger boy until he opened his own business. The stress of owning a company, but above all the tragic loss of his son, prompted him to return to his roots and create a leisure center in memory of his child, Luis Miguel.
ws What were you doing before this change in your life?
lm I began in the delivery world as a messenger when I was young. One day my ex-wife was laid off, and with her dismissal compensation I was able to set up my own business. At the beginning it was difficult, a loan wasn’t an option, so I had to sell my car and motorbike to pay my employees, but then things started to work out.
ws Why did you make the change?
lm I’ve always had a deep connection with the village where I grew up. It has always been a place of solace and relaxation; and after such a stressful situation, it was the only place to find relief. In 1998, my son was diagnosed with cancer and passed away two years later. During his illness, we talked about how much we loved karting. I promised him that once he was better, I would build a track for us. It never crossed my mind, at the time, that it might provide income.
ws What sort of investment did you make?
lm We had to start again from scratch. I mortgaged all my assets, my two houses as well as those of my brother and my nephew, and assets of my family, who supported me 100 percent. We knew that we needed 800,000 euros to get started. I also received funding from the EEC. Overall, the entire project cost us two million euros.
ws Are you happy now?
lm Now I work where I live, and that gives me time for my family. I’m very happy, if you can measure happiness. Often, happiness doesn’t depend on what you have, but in enjoying time for yourself, earning money to get by, and doing something you really love.
05 The beach resort and the waves All photos are by Roberto Benzi, Milan, Italy.
I worked for three years as a Special Constable (a volunteer police officer), which provided a good foundation for the career I wanted.
Lamorna Trahair has had a varied career since leaving school. She initially wanted to study Medicine, but University rapidly fell in her list of priorities. After many miles sailed, and being named among the “Top 35 Women Under 35,” she joined the Police Force.
ws What did you do before changing careers?
lt I was working for the Round-the-World Yacht Race as a race officer and I set up, as one of four founding directors, an adventure travel company. We developed what turned into a very successful company, running multiple events worldwide and raising over £1 million yearly for charity.
ws What pushed you to shift gears so dramatically?
lt Joining the Police had always been something I considered, but other opportunities arose. Once I decided it was time for a change, though, I mentally reviewed the previous jobs I'd had and identified the aspects I'd enjoyed most in each.
ws Why did you choose this profession?
lt I could enjoy the advantages of a “portfolio” career as well as the benefits of stability in having just one employer. It was also a career that involved less travel abroad, but still involved interaction with a wide swath of society. It also promised an element of excitement.
ws What type of investment did you make for this career change?
lt The move involved some initial sacrifice. I’ve had to curtail my expenses, but I see this as necessary to pursue the career I'm so passionate about. The biggest investment for me personally, though, is that of the intensive training period.
ws Are you happy?
lt Absolutely! I've always felt that being able to respond to the generic question, “So, what do you do?” with pride and enthusiasm is the best measure of job satisfaction. There’s a moment of silence when a middle-aged woman approaches. “Sorry to disturb,” she says with a strong Veneto accent. “But I want to testify that Stefano has made a great contribution to this area. What he’s done is not only for himself, but for all of us who have been coming here for a long time. New activities are available; streets are clean;, dodgy people have moved on; and the community is much more content.” Some curious onlookers approach, nod, add a few details, and basically fly the flag of the Bagni Alberoni very high. Stefano Bartoli slips away with his private thoughts. His modesty has silenced them all. But in doing so, he has answered the question I didn’t even ask.•
KEYWORDS
➜ Culture Integration ➜ The real industrial revolution will begin from the distribution ➜ The cost of 3D printers will go down ➜ Instant access is attractive ➜ Need of a new professional role By ALEX DI MARTINO
Love Making
Creativity is probably the most innate and fundamental feature of life. And life – to continue – needs creativity. We create other human beings. We create things and we constantly try to improve them. And this is the spirit of the 'makers' – they love making things.
THE MAKERS MOVEMENT
Making things has recently become a movement in various countries and a crusade that may be a modern iteration of the Industrial Revolution. A growing number of people around the world are driving consumer, social and economic change that is impinging on established business models in manufacturing and technology.
MEET A MAKER MANIAC
To explore this phenomenon, I had a conversation with Massimo Temporelli. Massimo is a physicist, and a historian of technology.
ws What is the difference between the makers phenomenon and simply having a hobby and building a bookshelf or knit-
ting a scarf at home? mt What is happening reminds me of what happened with computers. Back in the 1970s, only a few people, whom we called geeks, had access to and could handle computers. They were really hackers who were taking computers apart to see what else could be done with them, aside from boring calculations. Now computers are everywhere, and nearly everyone interacts with them on a daily basis, whether it's a mobile phone or a computer at work. Just as hackers paved the way to personal computing, makers are now building the foundation for digital fabrication, a system allowing more and more people to make things for themselves.
ws What are these “things,” and why are
3D printers are important? mt Consider objects that we use every day, like a cup, a glass, a pen. 3D printing represents a milestone for this process. Take, for example, a sunglasses designer. You may get bored with the frame you have and want a new frame for the summer. With 3D, you will use the designer website to purchase and download the design in the form of a 3D printing instruction file for your 3D printer, and print the frame at home. This will clearly revolutionize the current business model in terms of business cycle, distribution, stock, and so on, which will result in a much lower cost for the consumer.
ws Are we talking about another Industri-
al Revolution? mt The real revolution will begin with distribution. Simply imagine what impact this could have on raw materials, industrial stock, transport, and energy. Skipping and partly decentralizing these processes will have immense repercussions.
ws Will I still go to stores to buy food and
clothing? mt Yes. At the moment it is hard to know what will happen to certain consumer items, but there are some experiments currently underway with food items, and there are already certain shoes that can be printed.
ws What materials are available for print-
ing now? mt Nylon and ABS wood which is a paste of wood. But there will be more materials available in the future, and the cost of 3D printers will go down, as usual in these cases.
ws The Internet has also allowed sale and distribution of rare or “restricted” items, like rare books, stamps, drugs and sex toys. Do you think that 3D printing will
contribute to this as well? mt makerlove. com is a site offering downloadable innovative designs for sex toys. One can then print them at home, avoiding the possible embarrassment of buying these items in a sex shop. ws Instant pleasure? mt The immediate access to an item is very attractive, as with downloadable music or film. You listen to a song, you like it and you can have it immediately. This will happen for more and more goods.
ws And the world of work? How will it
change? mt Initially there will be three areas affected. A designer or architect will print prototypes himself, saving time and closely monitoring the final design. Then a new kind of professional consulting will be needed, as with the Internet, to advise companies in adapting to these business changes. Finally, electricians, plumbers, and other traditional artisans will be able to recycle their old skills, developing new products and new skills to bring new technologies to our lives and our homes, such as intelligent heating or water management systems.•
By MARTHA TINTIN
From Kosher to Veganism
Progress in many areas has become synonymous with diversity. And so it is in the food services arena. With employees from many cultural backgrounds and religious faiths, companies need to emphasize variety in the kitchen so that dietary options will be available in the dining areas, accommodating all the preferences and needs of their workers.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN FOOD SERVICES
Today, custom meal choices are found in all sorts of hospitality and foodservice operations, including corporate dining, schools, supermarkets, quick service restaurants, and even sports and entertainment facilities. Gary Prell, Vice President of Culinary Development at Centerplate explains: “Thousands of people are brought together for meetings of all kinds—social, business, religious or educational. And they all share something, namely breakfasts, lunches and dinners.” Meeting planners and employers who want to keep their guests, delegates, and employees attentive and responsive know that “the provision of food and beverage is critical. It's very hard to pay attention when hungry or thirsty,” says Prell. Several decades ago, vegetarian meals or fruit plates were provided upon request for individuals who were uncomfortable eating meals heavy in protein. At the time, little thought was given to the preparation of such meals. “Today, however, is much different,” says Prell. “People have much different tastes and preferences, and more sophisticated palates. And we are, as a society, much more susceptible to food allergies, and so value personal choice with regard to the foods we eat and beverages we consume.” What may have begun as a fruit plate has transitioned into vegetarian meals and beyond, he explains. “Typically for a large conference, we expect between 7 and 8 percent of the guests to request custom meals, so serving a fruit or vegetarian plate will no longer suffice. There are simply too many diverse requests and needs to satisfy, the most common including diabetic, gluten free, lactose intolerant, low sodium, vegetarian, Indian vegan, Kosher and Halal.” Says Prell: “Our chefs take great pride in paying the same attention to quality, creativity and presentation in the preparation of custom meals as of the main meals. It's still about using great ingredients, handling them with respect and cooking with passion. They will purposely connect the custom meal to the main meal by coordinating the presentations and using similar ingredients so no guest feels singled out.” Finland was the first country to offer free school catering to all pupils, initiating this practice in the late 1940s. Anu
Kokko, Director, Marketing and Offering Creation at Fazer Food Services explains. “Our company operates in staff and student restaurants and schools in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark where eating habits are similar. Today, our food options are broadening beyond lunch to include breakfast, coffee breaks, meetings, healthy snacks, and Take Away services. These are all important items; Take Away services, for example, are very helpful to employees in their everyday lives, enabling them to buy food portions, fresh bread, desserts, cakes, etc., for themselves and their families.” According to many surveys, lunch and coffee breaks are very important to business as they allow coworkers to have breaks together, which promotes a better work spirit and reduces stress. This, in turn, benefits the whole company. Today, according to Kokko, Scandinavian area people tend to request a lot of vegetables and want to control their protein intake, since as weight control is becoming increasingly significant.
THE LAST WORD TO THE (MICHELIN) STARS
The way of eating has changed. “In our case, we deal with all kinds of clients and requests. So instead of trying to satisfy them one by one, we fixed our menu so that everyone can find what he is looking for,” says Matias Perdomo, head chef at Milan’s Al Pont de Ferr. “We are a traditional ‘osteria’ from the outside; inside we’re a highly innovative restaurant, offering a menu and a tasting menu divided into sections: our tradition, innovation, panoramic view, and madness. We like to play, so to speak. In every little section you’ll find both traditional tastes and innovative techniques That’s our way of focusing on people’s changing tastes and demands.” Nowadays, customers want innovation in form but consistency in culinary style. They want a traditional and clean taste. Chef Perdomo claims his “Approach is getting an amazing response because we offer customers the chance to try creative food with a taste they already know from tradition. On the other hand, we also offer traditional food with a shape and presentation that you really don’t expect.” Pedro Subijana, chef-owner of San Sebastian’s Akelarre agrees with his colleague. “Ways of eating are changing, especially for private and informal occasions. Of course, there are still exceptional dinners at high-end restaurants, but it’s a minority of people who now do that. Most prefer informal eating places like tapas bars, where you can have a quick bite and a nice wine. This is primarily due to the economic crisis, but also because the younger generation doesn’t like fancy or formal environments.” What is expected of a place like Akelarre? Quite simply, the best! And it should be unexpected and fun--and served with good wine. “Our staff,” says Chef Subijana, “is perfectly conscious of different dietary needs, and we have options available for all of them, as well as for allergies and food intolerances, which today are more common.” Clearly, the menu for employees eating out for pleasure is completely different from what they eat in the company’s canteen. Subijana notes that “food served in company dining halls is always criticized, and people always ask for a lot at a very low cost. Special diets are relatively manageable, but a thorough consciousness and acceptance of special needs is key, as lack of awareness often results in someone feeling rejected. Luckily, as soon as one knows the requirements of a specific diet, one can adapt multiple menus. Both kitchen and front-of-house staff need to have a wide knowledge of different diets to be able to standardize menus as necessary,” concludes Subijana. Things seem to differ at the other end of the world. According to Chan Yan Tak, head chef at Hong Kong’s Lung King Heen, there hasn’t been a big change. He explains: “Cantonese cuisine is simple and always uses less oil and less salt to maintain the real taste of the food. People believe that Cantonese meals, such as steamed fish and stirfried vegetables, is healthy. So the only change we’ve seen is that people today ask for a lot of organic products.”•
KEYWORDS Culture Integration ➜ Vegetarian meals and beyond ➜ Take Away services help employees with their everyday life ➜ Alternatives for different dietary needs
SOME HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS TO KEEP IN MIND
The World Cancer Research Fund offers a health checklist that employers and employees should always keep in mind: • Keep in shape. Scientific evidence shows that excess weight and obesity are significant risk factors for several types of cancer. • Exercise daily. Suggestions include walking (at least part way) or biking to work and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. • Limit your consumption of highcalorie foods and sugary drinks, such as prepared meals, snacks, desserts, and sweets. Replace sugary drinks with water. Consume fast food in moderation. • Choose most of your calories from the vegetable food group. Eat least five portions of fruits and veggies. Include cereals and legumes in each meal, and limit the use of bread, pasta, pizza, and rice. • Limit your consumption of red meat to ideally less than 500g (about one pound of beef, port, lamb, goat) a week, avoid fatty sections. Emphasize poultry and fish; avoid cold cut, or cured, meats, canned meat, and sausage. • Limit your consumption of alcoholic beverages to a maximum of 2 units a day. (One unit equals a glass of wine, for example.) • Limit your consumption of salt and avoid legumes and cereals contaminated by mould. To flavor foods, use herbs, lemons, balsamic vinegar, and spices. • Obtain required nutrients by dietary means. High consumption of supplements can affect the risk of cancer, and in some cases increase it.
Best Practices in HR Management Unusual Job
By MARTHA TINTIN
The Chocolate Factory
From Willy Wonka, the eccentric chocolatier brought to life by children’s author Roald Dahl in 1964, to the never-ending media fixation, we are constantly reminded of the magic of chocolate. Delicious and with real benefits for mind and body, chocolate is also a medium. And many now dedicate their life to creating art with it.
The background needed to enter the field seems to vary from art to culinary schools, as Christine Taylor, director of Choccywoccydoodah in England explains,: “My team of artists and sculptors are all required to have art degrees in illustration, design or sculpting. I am not interested in their experience, just in their potential to create beautiful things from chocolate, once trained to understand chocolate as their medium.” All of her chocolatiers are trained in-house and she deliberately employs people who can be trained by her and start with a clean slate. The training, however, can also be culinary, as Natascha Schwarzer, director of the Barry Callebaut Academy in Switzerland explains. “It is different in every country. I started with a 10-month baking and pastry college course in Canada, but knew I wanted to live and work in Switzerland as they are known for their pastry and chocolate. I was fascinated by the product and did a bunch of private courses in chocolate showpieces, pralines etc., throughout my apprenticeship and now career.” Another great way to break in is to work for the chocolate giants, like Lindt. This will give you the chance to visit cocoa plantations, take technology courses and deepen your knowledge and skills. Ernst Knam, German maitre chocolatier who has worked with Italian cuisine institution Gualtiero Marchesi says, “The very best thing is to learn the art of patisserie, ideally through apprenticeships that exist in countries like Germany, France and Switzerland, where you have one day of work in a patisserie and one day of school where you learn theory. This lasts for three years, and every six months there are exams.” Carma Chocolate Academy focuses on professionals and offers further educational courses, Schwarzer explains. “The academy offers Level 1-4 courses, which start at the very beginning: where does cocoa come from; how does it become chocolate. It then moves on to the skills needed to work with chocolate, and finally to the creation of hollow figures and ganaches/truffles, decorations, etc. For more advanced professionals, we offer recipe technology courses, special bon-bon courses, sculpting, showpieces, desserts, for both buffet and a la carte, pastries and gateaux; and currently there’s a very new course on design and presentation, as well as on how to make ‘healthy’ or ‘special,’ as in glutenfree, chocolate desserts. All courses focus mainly on chocolate.” In Italy, there are also options for those who want to become chocolate sculptors at the Italian Master Chocolatiers Academy, as Mirco Della Vecchia, maitre chocolatier and founder of the academy explains. “The academy organizes 3-month courses for aspiring professional sculptors, as the art of sculpture is difficult to learn, and you need to assess properly whether people are prepared or not. After that, it just takes hard work and passion.” There are also professionals such as Christina Tantsis, creative director at Sisko Chocolate in Australia, who claims, “When it comes to chocolate sculpting, the best way to learn is through
master classes hosted by MOF chocolatiers. Most culinary schools would have such master classes.”
NO REAL SKILLS NEEDED
Being a chocolatier doesn’t require particular practical skills, says Christine Taylor. “Patience, the ability to work in a team, and independent and original thinking are required. One needs to enjoy chocolate, eat cake everyday, understand the importance of creating a gift as a statement, and take pride in what the job entails, whether it’s washing up or baking for Whoopi Goldberg.” Schwarzer and Della Vecchia are likeminded. According to both, there are no inherent skills. One must be creative, passionate about chocolate, and patient. Della Vecchia adds: “Sculpture requires many hours of work.” According to Ernst Knam, other important “soft skills” include respect, punctuality, and an artistic flair. “It also helps to speak many languages!” It should be added that an understanding of gravity and pressure points is critical. “An eye for design is essential for a visually pleasing piece, but without the basic knowledge of chocolate’s limitations and how far you can push it, your design may not be structurally possible,” adds Tantsis.
EVERYBODY LOVES EATING CHOCOLATE, AND MAKING IT Maitre chocolatiers can’t find many disadvantages working with chocolate, since they’re all driven by passion. But the disadvantages described by many
KEYWORDS Unusual Job ➜ Creative outlet ➜ An eye for design is essential ➜ Take pride in what the job entails ➜ Days are very varied
include the time-consuming nature of the work and the difficulty in estimating the time needed to finalize an original design. Also, chocolate, “unlike wood or ice, is very expensive,“ says Della Vecchia. And the work doesn’t always pay well. The advantages, on the other hand, are many. “It’s my creative outlet. I love creating pieces for clients, knowing that it has a special meaning for them, or that it’s for a special occasion and will be enjoyed with colleagues, friends, or family,” says Tantsis. According to Schwarzer, everything is an advantage when working with chocolate. “You make people happy. You can be creative and see your results.”
IT’S A BEAUTIFUL AND DIVERSE DAY
Days are never the same; that’s what you hear from many maitre chocolatiers. “When we are shooting our television show, it’s a full day in front of the camera, sometimes at work, sometimes on location,” says Taylor. “Then there’s the day-to-day running of the business. Other times, I am working closely with my team to get the new season’s collection designed and underway. I am also very strict about looking at most emails and correspondence that come into the company.
At least once a week, I'm on the shop floor, meeting customers, chatting, and getting a sense of whether or not we’re moving in the right direction.” There are marketing shots, recipe preparation, teaching, and organizing events. “I have my dream job, and for me there is no typical day, but great variety where I can use my creativity and skills differently each day.” For Della Vecchia there also is no typical day, but a typical week, often filled with travel. “Flying somewhere in the world, encountering new people and new customs, adjusting within the first two days and then leaving with a sculpture that, on average, takes ten working hours for three to four days, depending on the difficulty—that’s typical.”
A LOT OF HARD WORK, BUT ALSO REWARDS
According to Knam, the most rewarding experience is watching the eyes of a child as he enters his lab and sees the chocolate fountains. That’s when he asks if he can dip his finger into it. “Their eyes become so bright and so big--that’s the best part. It’s like being in the Chocolate Factory movie.” Since chocolate is beneficial for the mind, it is no surprise that maitre chocolatiers are emotional. “I love hearing the oohs and aahs when people walk into the studio,” Tantsis says. “I love hearing people discover something new, something they have never seen before.” As a boss, Taylor finds the people rewarding. “My staff, who have all come to me from different walks of life, some through a tricky journey, are loyal, proud of what they do, and in love with each other. And my customers, many of whom are as maverick as the Doodahs, are great. Many are quite emotionally involved with the company. We give love and joy, then get it back in waves. Who wouldn't find that rewarding?” Della Vecchia’s perspective is practical. He thinks that the most rewarding aspects are the ability to travel and see the world, and he enjoys the fame that comes with the job.
A LAST CUBE OF ADVICE
Whether you want to be the next maitre chocolatier, own a patisserie, or work with chocolate for pleasure, here is some advice. “Keep playing with chocolate,” says Christina Tantsis. “Get comfortable with it and then start the creative process. Be your own person and create a style that reflects you.” Ernst Knam reminds you to “keep in mind that it’s a very demanding job. You are forced to stand for many hours when creating designs. Also keep in mind that, although it’s a profession that will never die, chocolates are still luxury goods. We’re not making bread!” Mirco Della Vecchia, who seems to have a much more pragmatic approach, advises you to do a good assessment of your ability, patience, and commitment before spending money on courses. He adds: “If you think you’ve got what it takes, do a course. Learn sculpting first, since once you know the technique, you can use it to create art.” Finally, “Whatever the question is, chocolate is the an swer,” declares Taylor. • -
By MARTHA TINTIN
Mercenaries
Nowadays, with an increased number of former conflict zones, we are seeing a growing trend of people undertaking new career paths as private security officers, sometimes referred to as mercenaries.
The word “mercenary” should be used discriminately to describe those who work in the private security industry. Simon Chesterman, Dean of the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law, says, “Though the term ‘mercenary’ today means motivated chiefly by the desire for gain, until around two centuries ago, mercenaries were very much the norm in European armies. Indeed, the Pope is today guarded by a contingent of Swiss mercenaries first retained in 1506.” A male executive at G4S, a British multinational security services company, who prefers to remain anonymous, explains, “They are not soldiers, but private security officers who work in a wide range of support tasks, generally for governments, commercial organizations, and/or for humanitarian organizations, such as the UN. Their key operations are to complete defensive activities and not offensive. True, they may be armed; but if they are, it’s for defending their customers, and not for offensive, military-style activities.” In reality, mercenaries have been outlawed in many countries, South Africa being the first to do so. Contractor companies now use different names. “In Britain and the US, it is unproblematic to hire a contractor to go to Iraq and do the laundry in the barracks, or hire perimeter security officers. But what do these people really do? Although illegal to use mercenaries in war action, they’re often hidden behind other job descriptions, so that those said to be perimeter security officers might in reality be leading military actions,” Chesterman concludes.
TO DO LIST
The range of tasks that are carried out by private security officers can significantly vary. “The extent of their ventures can be anything from protecting individuals and property belonging to a range of customers as well as providing guards; their job may be to provide risk assessment and protection of individuals going from place to place, also known as journey management. That would be one end of it,” says Chesterman. “Another would be to secure facility management, which includes activities like protecting the proximities of a location that could be situated in a desert somewhere, for example an embassy.” This is not all, as another set of tasks and activities includes, for instance, mine-clearance work or mine- action work, which consists of looking for, and then destroying, all stored armaments, such as mines, bombs, and/or guns. However, these professionals do not defuse bombs. That job requires specific military experts. Private security officers carry out this activity in zones where there has been a conflict, and the conflict is now over. “Generally you won’t find these officers where there is a full-blown war. It is normally afterwards, because it is after a conflict that a country needs to be put back on its track and return to normality. So these employees need to ensure that life in such an area can get back to normal,” says the official. “For example, we worked in Cyprus, where there’s a huge amount of minefields, for over ten years. Our people’s job was to help remove mines from those areas.” Those at G4S have also worked in an airfield in Afghanistan, as the executive recounts. “We were a mixed team of international experts and local mineclearance officers, and we were clear-
Statistics show the 10 most dangerous jobs of 2013
1Skyscraper window cleaner
2Helicopter cable worker
3Alligator wrestler
4Lion tamer
5Mine worker
6Target girl
7Lumberjack
8Fisherman
9Landmine remover
10 Construction worker
ing the Bagram airfield. We have also done operations in Southern Iraq. There were teams of international and local experts whose job was to clear the multiple areas where mines were planted, trying to reduce the risk that mines present, allowing companies to be restored and rebuilt, and restart their activity. This then helps to get the economy up and running.”
SKILLS AND TRAINING
The tendency is often to employ people with previous military experience, he explains. “Generally, this means people that have operated on a number of tours, which means that, for example, they have been down to Iraq or Afghanistan or elsewhere. What we want is maturity to do a job that’s primarily defensive. We want people mature enough to think and then act. The average age of our employees is about thirty-five, and our workforce consists of mainly British or Commonwealth soldiers who have proved themselves in operations before.” This is not a simple job that can be done by any Tom, Dick, or Harry; and the people entering this line of work need to have previous operational experience. “The last thing you want is people learning on the job. You want people who have been to complex environments, understand how to behave, and understand their skills. Everything is then seasoned with a high level of competency as well as a high level of integrity and a good level of teamwork,” says the official. As far as training goes, there is nothing specific. All that is provided by the company is what is defined as incountry training. As the interviewee explains, “Clearly, every country and every situation where they’ll be operating will be different; therefore, we provide local culture training, but generally we expect people to be competent at that particular skill before they come to us.” In order to become a private security officer, there is no specific path to take, no particular studies or degree needed by someone choosing this professional career. “One doesn’t need a degree, but operational experience in the military,” claims the executive. The selection process is fairly comprehensive and follows multiple steps. “They have to undergo medical examinations. They are then interviewed, their references are thoroughly checked, and we also run a criminal check, to make sure there is nothing there.” On the management side of business, where people work from the company’s headquarters, sometimes G4S does some headhunting. “We have a fairly good network of people. But for the operational side, we rarely use that. We publish advertisements in sector magazines or go through reassessment services to make sure we get the best people.” However as the activities vary, the process changes. “For example, if one is going to be in mine-clearance work, one must show relevant and significant experience in that line of activity. However, if one wants to be a normal private security officer, one needs to apply to the companies or go to reassessment fairs. Once this is done, they are going to be interviewed; their references and previous experiences are going to be reviewed; and if that person is considered to be experienced enough, they’ll be hired.”
THE ISSUES
According to Chesterman, there are a series of issues to keep in mind. First, due to an extreme lack of regulations in the market, “the Montreaux document, initiated by Switzerland and ICRC, has tried to establish guidelines for compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights. But they’re still not sufficient, and many others are fragmented and completely unsuccessful.” In his opinion, this is due to the fact that governments might not be interested in regulating the industry, because oftentimes they use private contractors for their military actions or in war zones. Another issue is accountability. As Chesterman explains, “During the latest war in Iraq, the second highest number of casualties was of contractors who to the outside wouldn’t appear as, for example, British or American soldiers. Using contractors means tolerating people using lethal force. It is naive to think that all military officers have morals, as it is naive to think that contractors are all immoral. However, it is one thing is to give the power of life and death to people who represent the authorities of a country, and another to give it to common people, in this case private military contractors. That’s a completely different story.” Last, but not least, is legality. Chesterman notes that “It is frequently asserted that private military companies operate in a legal vaccum, but this is simply not true. In theory, at least, they’re subject to the law of the land where they are operating; but in practice these companies operate in places with weak, not to mention dysfunctional, legal systems.”
MONEY-WISE There is no average salary, and it is really hard to figure out how much these professionals are making a year. The executive says, “As for the pay, it is really hard to provide an average because there are too many factors to consider. It depends on the job and on how much experience one has in the job. And then it also depends on how one carries out that specific job, as well as on the risks entailed in doing it.”•
KEYWORDS Joining the Company ➜ Two centuries ago mercenaries were the norm in European armies ➜ Need for people who have been to complex environments ➜ Using contractors means tolerating people using lethal force
G4S
G4S plc is a British multinational security services company headquartered in Crawley, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest security company measured by revenues and has operations in around 125 countries.
