Industry News
Another year of collaboration
for F1’s Bottas and Abloy
» FINNISH FORMULA ONE DRIVER
Valtteri Bottas will continue as Abloy UK’s
brand ambassador for 2020, following a
very successful year of partnership.
Bottas, who placed second in the 2019
Formula One World Championships, was
selected as Abloy’s spokesperson thanks
to his trustworthiness, technological
pioneering and innovative approach – all
core beliefs of the security experts.
The partnership has already seen him
front Abloy’s ‘For Trust’ campaign, which
celebrated the brand’s 110-year heritage
while defining a strategy to continue to
pioneer and innovate in the security sector.
A highlight during the year was Valtteri’s
appearance at Abloy UK’s stand at IFSEC
International 2019 - the pinnacle of the
security conference calendar - where he
hosted a Q&A on the collaboration, as well as
having plenty of fans take ‘selfies’ with him.
Now, Abloy UK is looking towards
another successful year with Bottas on
board, as it seeks to roll out its vision on
the future of security and access control
solutions.
Jari Toivanen, Abloy OY CEO, said
“We want to continue our growth in the
international market, and we trust that
working with Valtteri Bottas supports our
goals in the best possible way.
“Trust-based values, a continuous desire
to develop and Finnish roots are the assets
that unite us and Valtteri. They also perfectly
sum up the message we want the Abloy
brand to convey. We share the same values
with Valtteri and are always in it to win it.”
Valtteri Bottas said: “The first year of
working together really showed me how
respected Abloy is as a brand. However,
the many people that I’ve met and got to
know at various Abloy events are the true
highlights of this cooperation.
“The desire to win and the pride we feel
about our roots are the things that unite
me and Abloy. In this collaboration we
walk side by side to the same direction,
always moving forward.”
www.abloy.co.uk
INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURAL
IRONMONGERS
ANNOUNCES NEW CHAIR
» PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
and nurturing new industry talent are
among the top priorities of the new
Institute of Architectural Ironmongers’
(IAI) chair.
Deborah Cannon was announced as
the new national chair at the IAI AGM
at the Hallmark Hotel, Gloucester on 7
March 2020.
Deborah has been closely involved in
the Institute for several years alongside
her current role as customer support
team leader at dormakaba. She was
previously secretary and then chair of the
IAI Southwest branch until 2018 when she
became the national vice chair of the IAI.
Since completing her GAI Diploma in
2012, Deborah has gone on to complete
the Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS)
Diploma and become a Registered
Architectural Ironmonger (RegAI).
“With so many new products and
technology constantly coming into the
market, ironmongers need to have their
finger on the pulse,” said Deborah. “As a
RegAI, I know first-hand the importance of
keeping up to date with the industry’s latest
standards, regulations and legislation.
“It’s imperative that we continue to
learn and grow as professionals to keep
giving customers high quality technical
advice. We’re encouraging architectural
ironmongers to continue both professional
and personal development through
attending IAI branch meetings.
“We also want to offer our support to
those individuals just starting out in this
sector and encourage them to become
a part of the ironmongery community.
These meetings offer a wealth of CPD
presentations and opportunities to network
with other industry professionals.
“I am passionate about the Institute and
its members, and with the forthcoming
organisational change under One Future
Vision, my primary focus will be creating
a strong foundation to build on, with
members at the forefront. I want to ensure
a smooth transition that makes a positive
difference for our membership.”
Samantha Thatcher will be joining the
IAI team as national vice chair.
Samantha is the office manager at SDS
London and became chair of the IAI South
East branch in 2019. After completing the
GAI Diploma in 2017, Samantha went on
to win the Promising Ironmonger of the
Year award at the 2018 IAI Awards and is
also a RegAI.
www.gai.org.uk/IAI
MAR/APR 2020
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