Spencer Marshall, Executive Vice President UK & Europe at Gallagher Security, speaks exclusively to SJUK about the company’s product and innovation roadmap.
“Gallagher has a strong reputation in our industry and a growing presence, which is what attracted me to join the company,” explained Marshall, highlighting why in November 2024, he joined as Executive Vice President of Gallagher Security, a global leader in integrated technology solutions.
In his new role, Marshall is responsible for leading regional operations, developing and implementing leadership strategies and driving growth within the UK & European markets.
He revealed that his past experiences in the industry has helped him hit the ground running.
“I have been very lucky to visit almost every country in Europe in a business capacity, which has helped me to understand the regional requirements,” Marshall said.
“Gallagher’s presence in the high security space, perimeter and enterprise is a great accolade to the team and one that I will look to support and grow in the future. “
Gallagher is a company that lives by its values, as they define every interaction with its customers, distributors and the wider community.
The philosophy of protecting what matters most was born in 1938 with Bill Gallagher and his horse named Joe.
Little did they know at the time, but Joe would be the catalyst behind the idea for the world’s first electric fence.
His persistence to use Bill’s car as a scratching post sparked the creation of an electric circuit which produced a harmless shock whenever the horse rocked the vehicle.
Almost a century later and Gallagher now has a team of over 1,300 people worldwide, with each member proud of the company’s history.
Marshall explained that the alignment of values was another key factor in his decision to join.
“Gallagher has been a family-run, privately owned business for over 85 years, and our ‘think global, act local’ attitude that comes with that freedom is directly aligned with my leadership style,” he said.
“I believe in setting the tone and goals for our team but recognise that everyone has their own way of contributing.
“When your leadership style is anchored in putting people first – customers, partners and especially your own team – it has a way of reverberating back to you. I felt that people-first ethos from Gallagher on day one, and it’s foremost in my mind as I dig my heels further into the role.
“We’re a customer-centric business: to really uphold those values in today’s climate, it means investing in understanding who your customers and partners are, how their pain points vary and what contributions you can make to improve their lives.”
As the security landscape continues to evolve, the need for new solutions to not only enhance personal safety but to enable economic growth and foster social stability increases.
Identifying key regional requirements is an effective way of achieving this, with Marshall outlining the company’s strategic approach in this area.
“Over the past several years, Gallagher has worked hard to ensure that they are committed to supplying solutions that meet regional requirements,” he remarked.
“A good example of this would be our attainment of AACS and NPSA assurance, while additionally becoming GovPass compliant and CAPSS approved in the UK.
“These are the highest standards set out by the UK Government, and we will continue to meet these requirements so that we can continually support the market with our innovations.”
Marshall emphasised that research is a key factor behind Gallagher’s established position in the market. Within the UK, he drew attention to its R&D efforts, highlighting why it’s so crucial to achieving the company’s long-term goals.
“Anticipating challenges is critical to our success. That’s why we reinvest 15% of our annual revenue back into R&D and why we’ve expanded our research efforts into the wider market with our annual Security Industry Trends Report.”
Marshall also noted that these research efforts are what has defined their approach to customer service. “One of our core beliefs is that customers should guide every move we make – research efforts such as these help us keep a finger on the pulse of industry trends and better serve our base.
“For example, this year’s Trends Report tells us that what people are craving most from their security partners is trust; I see our dedication to cementing those kinds of relationships as not only a strategic move, but a sincere one that shows our company values.
“We keep an ear to the ground and prioritise listening – and I can’t think of a more important show of leadership.”
When considering everyone from channel partners to end users, Marshall emphasised the importance of trust.
He believes that without this, Gallagher would not be able to fulfil its ambition of being known as partners beyond security.
“With change in our industry increasing at a speed not seen before, security will become even more influential than was previously imagined, and we want to ensure that our expertise and innovation continue to match our ambition and exceed our customer expectations.”
From making sure people go home safely to their families each night, to enabling organisations to be more efficient, productive and profitable, Marshall added that these are important aspects of the company’s mission going forward.
Looking ahead, Gallagher will continue to focus on cohesion between its regional teams.
Marshall explained that despite being far away in terms of distance, the company stay connected by all pulling in the same direction and working towards common targets.
“We’ve got an interesting roadmap coming in the near future and whenever I discuss the possibilities it delivers with our teams, the excitement is palpable,” he revealed.
“Our team in the UK and Europe feed regional observations like customer feedback and common pain points back into our Head Office team, so while we’re divided by an ocean, we stay connected through our common goals.”
One of Gallagher’s most impressive solutions is the Command Centre, a centralised platform that provides customers with enhanced control of their sites.
It is designed to help manage people, businesses and buildings all in one place.
Marshall explained that customers are finding value in the solution’s adaptability across various sectors. “Right now, our teams are focused on how we can deliver greater functionality to our customers and meet growing expectations for what the system can – and should – do. For example, we know our customers are using Command Centre for everything from health and safety compliance to planning cafeteria menus and more.
“It might sound farfetched, but there’s an unbelievable amount of potential our system can unlock for customers, and our roadmap is laser-focused on how we can deliver more of that value in the future.”
He pinpointed a key USP for the company being the compatibility of access and perimeter into the Command Centre.
As a result, some of the benefits include driving down costs and removing multiple user interfaces for the user.
Marshall believes that this will be vital to maximising the potential of the system and improving user experience.
This year will also see Gallagher build on and strengthen its relationships with key integration partners. This is epitomised by the company’s willingness to host regular Tech Partner Events, in order to explore, innovate and develop their commitment to seamless security integration.
Attendees engaged in technical demonstrations, immersive live sessions and the chance to align on future innovations.
Marshall said that collaborative events such as these are crucial to staying ahead in the industry.
“Gallagher has built a fantastic network of partners across Europe and we will increase this focus over the coming months to ensure that our customers have a world-class network of support.
“With innovation being a key pillar, this will allow us to support our customers across Europe whilst setting new standards for the industry.”
It also provides partners with the opportunity to share feedback and enhance their knowledge on key industry trends. “One of the key areas of feedback given to me by our partners is the exceptional service given by the European team,” Marshall added.
“It’s clear to me that the team is bursting with knowledge about our solutions and the industry across Europe, and is eager to support our channel partners and end users.
“In 2025, we want to ensure that the business in Europe is set up to support our growth expectations and subsequently we will be expanding the team by over 40%.”
This article was originally published in the April 2025 Edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.
