S2E3 - From Copper to CEO - Andy Fairbanks

This episode is all about experience: in policing, in business and on the front line. We’re joined by Andy Fairbanks, founder and CEO of UK Protection Ltd, the man who took a chance and hired Mark during the Covid lockdowns. Andy joined the police almost by accident, after a chat with two officers at a careers fair. He went on to earn one of the first close protection licences in the country before leaving policing to build his own security business. Today he leads a team protecting retail and high-value sites across the UK, and he doesn’t hold back. In this episode we talk about: - How a careers fair chat turned into a career in policing - Why experience is draining out of frontline policing, and what the Henry Nowak case tells us - AI, robots and which jobs are really at risk, including who’ll clean the robot factory - Why plumbers and electricians could be the next millionaires - Politics, business certainty and the real cost of the National Insurance rise - Andy’s plan to run the NHS like an FM contract, still free at the point of use - The race to the bottom in security and cleaning, and why “pay cheap, get cheap” still holds - Being the victim of your own success, and the officers who held the line during armed robberies If you enjoyed it, please like, comment, share and subscribe. There’s plenty more to come this season. 00:00 Welcome back & introducing Andy Fairbanks 01:30 From police officer to security CEO 01:57 How a careers fair chat led to joining the police 03:05 Close protection and the move into private security 03:40 Falling out of love with policing 04:55 “You don’t make the law, you enforce it” 06:51 The experience gap: the blind leading the blind 07:33 Policing in the age of TikTok 09:25 The Henry Nowak case: what went wrong 13:07 What you can’t learn in a classroom 14:18 The policing doom loop 15:28 Mark Rowley: “We dropped the ball” 17:23 Why are police chasing non-crimes? 19:37 Where’s the common sense gone? 20:35 Why the fun’s gone out of work 21:16 The end of the 30-year career and Gen Z 22:39 Why retention beats recruitment 23:36 Which jobs AI will take first 25:30 Who’ll clean the robot factory? 27:55 How UK Protection uses AI 29:14 Four plumbers, eight electricians, 80 influencers 30:18 The truth about data centres 31:50 Could AI really destroy us? 34:25 Sponsor: Bidwells 36:24 Politics, Covid and business 38:13 The over-promotion problem 40:59 Why business needs certainty 42:52 The National Insurance rise and price conversations 44:49 The race to the bottom 46:34 Is the cost of living crisis man-made? 48:59 Should MPs do six months on minimum wage? 49:57 Should ministers be paid like CEOs? 52:24 The loneliest place you’ll ever be 52:54 How FM has changed in 20 years 55:44 The merger everyone’s talking about 1:00:02 Andy’s plan for the NHS 1:04:15 Cleaning, security and the value of consistency 1:08:11 “We’re risk managers, not guards” 1:10:18 Pay cheap, get cheap 1:12:20 Victim of our own success 1:14:14 Range Rovers, axes and real bravery 1:15:31 Wrap-up & a part two? This episode is sponsored by Bidwells. Bidwells is a leading UK real estate advisor. It works in the sectors that will shape the future: science and technology, sustainability and modern living. It was the first property consultancy in the UK to become a certified B Corp. Its 600+ experts manage over £5.2bn in property assets and advise on more than 4 million acres of UK countryside and coastline. It has been doing this for nearly 200 years and still works with many of its original clients. If you want property advice built for new technology, climate change and the people who use your buildings, visit Bidwells: https://www.bidwells.co.uk #facilitiesmanagement #fmx #bidwells #security #policing #leadership #AI #ukprotection #careers #business Get in touch in the comments below or head to... Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/fmx20\_25 LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-facilities-management-exchange/ Email: [reuben@fm-exchange.com](mailto:reuben@fm-exchange.com)