The French Romantic writer Victor Hugo once said: "He, who every morning plans the transactions of the day and follows that plan, carries a thread that will guide him through a labyrinth of the busiest life." We think he could almost have written the quote for our Senior Operations Coordinator Ihtishaam (Ihti) Mahmood.

Ihti was promoted to the role of Senior Operations Coordinator in December last year, and is responsible for all aspects of overseeing the control room and for rostering all of 4 Site Security’s officers. This is no mean feat in itself and, when we interviewed Ihti about the importance of planning and organisation in his role, impressively, he was working five months ahead of himself.

“I know who is off and when they are off and can plan very far in advance,” says Ihti. “This gives clients the confidence of knowing that their sites are well staffed and secure. Not only this, it gives us the flexibility to deal with any short notice client requests, and any sickness or unexpected personal issues can be covered. Our clients tell us that they really value this, as well as the open and accessible communication I have grown with them: it builds trust and leads to positive business relationships.

“It also means that we have the knowledge and information about our people, and the goodwill of our teams and clients, so that we are prepared for any changes that need to made, such as if we are mobilising new sites or supporting ad hoc requests like providing cover for election day.

“I have worked on the front line of security as an officer myself. I know how important it is to create great working relationships with our officers, and for them to feel valued. Planning our rosters so far ahead gives them peace of mind and allows them to plan ahead for holidays and family time. It lets them know we care and enables us to accommodate requests for important personal commitments or appointments.

“They really appreciate and are motivated by this, so we have strong teams. They rely on us, and we rely on them for a high quality of service to support our company vision, values and reputation. They know that I am just a phone call away for requests or any questions, and that I will always work with them, never against them.”

Being ahead of the game means that Ihti can also support compliance by looking at whether any licensing or training courses need renewing well in advance.

Ihti says that his planning skills extend to his home life. His calendars are meticulously organised to encompass his family commitments and time together, which are so important to him.