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NEC Group CEO appointed
CBE for services to economy
Paul Thandi, CEO of NEC Group, has been
appointed a Commander of the Order of the
British Empire, CBE, for his services to the
economy through his successful 13 year
leadership of the venue.
Thandi was appointed NEC Group CEO in
2007 and has since steered the organisation
from Birmingham City Council ownership to a
£307m management buy-out backed by private
equity group LDC in 2015. Three years later, by
investing in the business, its teams and offer,
while growing the turnover and profit
significantly, Paul was able to realise another
investor – Blackstone Private Equity Group –
the world’s leading investment firm, which has
enabled the growth journey and development
of the Group to continue.
Thandi is committed to creating opportunities
for the next generation and has championed a
range of apprenticeship and development
programmes while at the NEC Group.
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Martyn’s Law gets PM’s
backing, while Manchester
presses ahead
Security minister Brandon Lewis has said that prime
minister Boris Johnson and home secretary Priti Patel are
“100% behind” implementing Martyn’s Law, and that his
department are working to improve security measures at
public venues and spaces. Lewis has convinced the
government to announce the regulations at the end of the
month.
The minister’s assertion comes days after Manchester
City Council announced that, in absence of mandated
legislation, they would be implementing the principles of
Martyn’s Law through tighter licensing criteria for venues.
Martyn’s Law, named after Martyn Hett, who was killed
in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017, would see tighter
‘airport-style’ security measures put in place at venues,
such as metal detectors and bag search equipment,
alongside the implementation of counter-terrorism
training for all security personnel to improve the
identification of suspicious behaviour and packages.
Local Authorities will be obliged to assess town squares
and main roads for measures they can introduce to
prevent attacks. Writing in the Mail on Sunday, 12
January, security minister Lewis said that “we are working
quickly to come up with a solution that will honour
Martyn’s memory and all of those affected by terrorism.
“I am pleased that last week [7 January] Manchester
City Council announced new licensing rules, but we are
committed to going further and making Martyn’s Law a
reality for all public venues across the UK.”
Figen Murray, Martyn Hett’s mother, has been the
driving force behind the campaign and has welcomed the
speed at which the government is moving to get the law
passed through Parliament.
Talking to the Mail on Sunday, Murray said: “I know for a
fact it will save lives, and families will be saved the
heartache we have gone through,’ she said.
“It’s ridiculous that there are regulations for venues on
how hot the food needs to be and how many toilets there
need to be, but nothing to do with planning for terrorist
attacks.”
www.conference-news.co.uk
News
Entrepreneurs
Circle, an
educational and
motivational
business
network, has
contracted five
events with ICC
Birmingham and
the Vox. The
event hosts
1,500 delegates.
Speakers include
Peter Jones,
David Walliams
and Piers
Morgan.
17/01/2020 16:16