The Olive Group was established in 2001 in London, UK, and specialises in providing integrated risk assessment and risk management, as well as security and technical implementation services, for large organisations, with operations in more than 30 countries. The company has principal offices in Washington, London and the Middle East, with headquarters in Dubai. The company's first major contract was to advise the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the English Cricket Board (ECB) on security issues, and to provide protection for the English cricket team during its tour of the Indian subcontinent in late 2001. For the first four years of its existence, the Olive Group focused on providing protection services, based on the use of personnel with special forces, military and police experience, for organisations operating in high risk environments.

Disaster relief

Other milestones in the history of the Olive Group are recalled by Mr Bance: “We were the first private security company to operate in post-war Iraq. Despite this being a highly dangerous area to work in, it was a major success for us. The other early milestones included the provision of humanitarian assistance in the wake of the tsunami in Indonesia and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, when we worked with relief agencies to mobilise, deploy and protect personnel. These very large projects greatly helped to raise our international profile and to grow. So, we are involved with high risk environments, in which we support the recovery and rebuilding of war zones and disaster areas, by protecting large multi-national companies and organisations that go in there.”

Experience counts

The Olive Group in Abu Dhabi now has two principal business units. The first of these is Protective Services, which continues to represent a major part of the company's activities in providing services the company offered originally for large corporate organisations, including logistical support and training in security methods. This has been expanded to include services for oil and gas companies, such as Shell, Exxon Mobil and Chevron. In mid-2006, the company decided to diversify, particularly into providing consulting design and implementation services for large-scale technology- based projects. This resulted in Mr Bance joining Olive from Capita UK to establish and head a new business unit, known as IS3 (Intelligence Security and Safety Solutions).

At Capita, Mr Bance was Programme Manager for the design and implementation of a closed circuit television camera (CCTV) system for London's congestion charging project in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police. His move to the Olive Group coincided with the appointment of an ex-colleague at Capita, Tim Roberts, who is now responsible for the European business activities of IS3. Mr Roberts was Programme Manager at Capita for the 'ring of steel' initiative that was commissioned to protect London's financial centre from terrorist activity, and to facilitate the work of the emergency services in the event of an attack. 

Mr Bance explains, “The Olive Group's aim is to apply the experiences gained in the UK from dealing with terrorist threats to other situations in other countries. This experience includes the design of intelligence-gathering infrastructure, including the deployment of surveillance cameras, car number plate reading systems, and associated security measures at airports, sea ports, railway stations, and other potentially vulnerable sites, as well as along roads. These systems are linked together by using fibre optics and are connected to central databases and monitoring facilities, providing a secure network and a highly effective system for the Metropolitan and regional police forces and emergency services, in conjunction with the Home Office, and is for the benefit of the public.” 

Mr Bance has established a team of highly experienced individuals providing strategic risk assessments, and who are increasingly working with teams of architects at the design stage of commercial developments to save time and costs, while allowing more design flexibility. Mr Bance continues, “Over the last two years, we have been busy with providing services to several major commercial developments in the Middle East, especially in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar. For example, we designed all the security systems for the entire one and a half billion dollar luxury Atlantis resort development, opened in Dubai recently. We specified and supplied services relating to all aspects of security, from access barriers and surveillance systems, as well as software for collecting, displaying, archiving and recalling security information, to door locking systems and access control.” 

Other examples of recent large-scale development projects include the new Dubai racecourse, a hotel complex close to the Yas Marina Formula One Circuit in Abu Dhabi, and the Tiger Woods golf resort and hotel. Mr Bance continues, “For two years we have been working on specification of security systems for what is intended to be the world's tallest building, the Nakheel Tower. This has been fully designed, although construction has been delayed due to the global recession. At 1.2 kilometres high, this building will be five hundred metres taller than the Burj Dubai Tower, just opened in Dubai, although construction work has been delayed due to the global recession.” 

The big break

Mr Bance considers that the project on the Atlantis development was of major significance to Olive, as “It was the first one that we were involved in from start to finish as consultants to Kerzner International, owners of Atlantis. We were included in the initial design stage undertaking risk assessments and developing risk management strategies, and were responsible for the project management during the construction, delivery and implementation stages, especially for the seventy storey Trump Hotel and Tower. We are still doing some advisory work for the hotel and the enormous surrounding palm tree complex including a water park and dolphinarium. Participation in this project allowed us to build up the IS3 department, and we now have a team of 70 highly skilled staff, and anticipate increasing this number to 200 by the end of this year, so we have been expanding rapidly.”

Olive has been keen to seek new markets for its services, and to diversify into areas other than commercial real estate, including the oil and gas industry. Mr Bance explains, “Last year, we were awarded a $110 million deal for a three year project in Qatar as part of a one billion dollar re-development of a port for the country's gas industry, in the industrial city of Ras Laffan. This contract has helped us to shift our focus from providing consultancy to one of implementing security procedures and systems, and provides us with a very strong platform on which to increase and consolidate our activities in this area.” 

The flexibility of Olive to adapt to changes in market conditions by diversifying into new key business areas is one of its main strengths. Mr Bance believes that it is also advantageous for the company to continue to be privately-owned with a lean management structure, enabling it to avoid unnecessary delays in taking strategic decisions in an entrepreneurial way, while also being capable of creative and lateral thinking. The Olive Group has all necessary documentation and procedures in place to apply best practice principles to all its operations, and the company adheres to internationally-recognised HSSE (Health Safety Security Environment) guidelines. For these purposes, and to harmonise the approach across all of the company's business units, the Olive Group has adopted the Prince 2 Project Management Methodology software. In addition, the company employs specialist consultants whenever it requires an environmental impact assessment. 

Location, location

Since the Olive Group has been involved in the early planning stages of several property developments, and has diversified into other market areas, it has been largely cushioned from the recent downturn in the property market that has resulted from the global economic crisis. A key and persistent problem has, however, been the shortage in personnel with appropriate skills and experience. As Mr Bance explains, “Staffing has always been a challenge, but we are hoping that the financial crisis will help with this as, not only has there been a problem with supply, but also the increasing cost of accommodation has reduced our flexibility to offer competitive and realistic salaries. Prices in the United Arab Emirates have spiralled over the last few years, particularly in those areas where the company is recruiting most, such as Doha and Abu Dhabi. However, prices are beginning to level off in Dubai, and more-appropriately qualified people are applying for jobs. We are hoping this will continue, and that the trend for prices to stabilise will spread to elsewhere in the region.” 

With regard to future plans for the Olive Group, Mr Bance explains, “We intend to continue diversifying into new markets, and we shall also improve the company brand image by placing more emphasis on our capability in the technical security operations area, to emphasise that we can take on large turnkey implementation projects in the industrial sector, offering complete security solutions for national infrastructure projects, for oil and gas installations, ports, airports, and border projects.” To illustrate this, Mr Bance notes, “Toward the end of 2008, we established a new joint venture in India Olive Group India. This gives us a base in Asia at a critical time of heightened terrorist activity there.” A further indication of the company's increased focus on technology is its application of the Secure LocateTM satellite tracking capability for monitoring movement of people, materials and vehicles. 

The company's expansion into India, together with further opportunities for attracting new business there, and in markets further afield, and its ever increasing ongoing work in the Middle East, should enable the Olive Group to continue to flourish and expand, while providing essential infrastructure support to maximise the safety of industry and the general public in high risk environments, in a world that is likely to increasingly rely on such services.