TDSi announces retirement of Managing Director John Davies

Integrated Access Control and Security manufacturer TDSi announces that its Managing Director, John Davies, will retire from his role at the end of 2024. TDSi's existing senior team will continue to operate the business as usual under the leadership of Thibaut Galland, Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the United Kingdom at TDSi's parent organisation, Vitaprotech.
 
Davies joined TDSi in 2003, leading a management buyout of the business in February 2005. In 2019 John oversaw the next chapter of TDSi’s journey when it joined Vitaprotech, a leading International group of premium security providers of solutions in access control and management, smart monitoring, and perimeter intrusion detection.
 
As part of the wider security industry, Davies is also a hugely respected and well-recognized figure, offering his expertise for the benefit of others outside of TDSi by representing both the BSIA and Worshipful Company of Security Professionals for many years. Along with TDSi’s ongoing product developments, most recently with the launch of GARDiS hardware and software and an ever-expanding suite of access control integrations, Davies has overseen large TDSi projects in notable sites around the world including major infrastructure projects for the Royal Thai Navy, Brunei Telecom, Shanghai Metro, China Petroleum Corp and China Coal.
 

Frequent contributor to asmag.com

 
Davies has been a consistent and reliable subject matter expert for asmag.com and its former paper magazine counterpart, a&s International, sharing with us his knowledge about the industry.
 
In a 2021 interview, Davies mentions the importance of security systems integration and the use of access control data to optimize buildings. "There is more use of open RESTful API protocols for ease of integration for access control to other systems, and the recent PSIA development of the PLAI Agent looks interesting, bringing ease of integration between access systems of different manufactures,” he said. “Access systems … control the flow of people into all areas of a building and this data can be used to ensure that the lighting and heating are maximized for minimal environmental impact. The data can also be used to ensure that the right amount of space is being contracted by an organization to ensure that there aren’t empty floors or departments as we return to a more Hybrid work environment post pandemic.”
 
During COVID, Davies explained how access control could be used for contact tracing, for which TDSi had a solution. “Access control keeps detailed records of movement through controlled doors, so it can help if an employee has tested positive for covid-19 (or has a suspected infection), by providing details of other people that were in the vicinity and may have come into contact with them. The TDSi solution does not test if somebody is infected, but rather relies on this information being provided by medical testing or diagnosis. However, once this has been established, the TDSi Track and Trace solution allows an organization to see which secured access points the person has used over a defined period of time,” he said.
 
In fact, asmag.com had the opportunity to meet up and speak with Davies in IFSEC Southeast Asia in 2017, where he commented on TDSi’s involvement in Asia: “Now we're concentrating a lot on the LRT and MRT projects. That's our expertise. We've been involved in metro projects in China since the mid-2000s. We want to replicate that success here in Malaysia,” he said. “Most metro systems are part of that country's critical mass infrastructure, and unfortunately in the world we live in, critical mass infrastructure is always a potential target for terrorists, so there's a need to secure access to the operations side of critical mass infrastructure.”
 
Upon the announcement of Davies' retirement, Thibaut Galland commented, "John leaves TDSi with a fantastic, growing team of industry professionals and a strong senior leadership group, all of whom are committed to developing the great foundations left by John to ensure our future success. The whole team at TDSi would like to express their gratitude for John’s incredible leadership, dedication and support throughout his years here. John’s passion and commitment over the course of his 21 years at TDSi have been central to the success of the business.” Indeed, John Davies will be missed in the security industry.