Retirement of Mark Harding, Managing Director, Showsec

After over thirty-five years of service Mark Harding has decided to retire from his role as Managing Director of Showsec. The Board of Directors would like to congratulate Mark, on behalf of the company, for all he has achieved for both the company and the industry. 

Mark has been Managing Director since 2002. During his tenure, the company has delivered outstanding quality and growth, and from what was once a family-owned business, Showsec has become an internationally recognised market leader. 

Following a decade of part-time Security and Crowd Management experience, Mark began permanent operational employment with the company in 1995.

An advocate of industry regulation, he has promoted the work of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) serving on many working groups including that of an invited member of the SIA Strategic Forum. In a continuous drive for improvement in industry standards he presided as Chair of the United Kingdom Crowd Management Association (UKCMA) for 10 years until 2019. Mark also chaired the group which reviewed the British Standard for stewarding and was instrumental in the creation of the National Occupation Standards and qualifications for the industry. 

His desire to create an educational structure in the industry is evident throughout the company with the introduction of a bespoke Management Development Programme in partnership with a leading university which has produced over seventy-five operations managers with tailored Crowd Management and Security degrees.

Mark leaves a diverse legacy after a truly successful career, that of a regenerated company post pandemic with strong professional and ethical values and the ongoing desire to improve, develop and flourish. 

We wish Mark well with his retirement, into which he will step with immediate effect.

A further announcement will be made on Monday 27th February in respect of the new leadership of Showsec.