Jorgen Philip-Sorensen CBE MA: an obituary

19 Jan 10

The Sørensen family’s involvement in the security industry can be traced back to 1901, when Marius Hogrefe started the Swedish guarding company Kjøbenhavn Frederiksberg Nattevagt.

For his part, Jorgen Philip-Sorensen was asked to take control of Securitas’ UK business back in the mid-1960s, having been handed the title of managing director.

In 1968, these operations were joined with the company’s other UK concerns to form an independent subsidiary by the name of Group 4 (Total Security). It was the birth of a security giant, and the beginnings of a beautiful friendship on these shores between Jorgen and an industry which he not only loved but skilfully nurtured in its most important, formative years.

Come 1974 and the Philip-Sorensen family turned the company over to Sven and Jorgen. Barely seven years later, the brothers agreed to split the company into two. Sven took charge of the Securitas operations based in Sweden, while Jorgen assumed outright control of the company’s UK-centred European activities. This company was then renamed Group 4 Securitas.

The 1980s: continuing to build

Philip-Sorensen continued to build Group 4 throughout the 1980s. Expanding beyond Europe, the company established a business in India in 1989, starting with 1,400 employees.

That move was a prelude to advances in other far-flung areas, among them Bangladesh, in the late 1990s.

Throughout the decade, Group 4 built up a major share in the Indian subcontinent’s security services market.

In 1990, the company turned to the United States, acquiring American Magnetics Corporation and its specialisms in the access control arena. Group 4 also moved into Eastern Europe, signing an agreement with the Hungarian Government to provide security services across the country.

The following year, Group 4 captured a leading share of the Belgian market with its acquisition of IMS, at the same time actively strengthening its position in the UK by dint of becoming the first private sector company to be awarded a prison management contract.

Falck – which had branched out into the wider security marketplace – and Group 4 expanded steadily throughout the second half of the 1990s before joining together to challenge the growing strength of Securitas AB on the world’s security services scene.

The companies targeted rather different markets, however, which heightened the interest of their eventual merger.

Emergence of Group 4 Falck

The two companies eventually joined to form Group 4 Falck in May 2000, with (then) Editor of Security Management Today, Tom Reeve, interviewing Jorgen about this move in the summer of that year.

This new company became the world’s second largest security services operation and, as part of the merger agreement, Jorgen was named company chairman. The company retained Falck’s listing on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange.

No time was lost in Group 4 Falck declaring its intentions to become Number One in the world, with the acquisition drive forged by Falck continuing into the new century.

Jorgen Philip-Sorensen eventually retired as chairman of the Board at Group 4 Securicor (now G4S) in June 2006, having led quite superbly a company which his grandfather started way back in the 1930s. At that point, he became President Emeritus.

He held a number of directorships for commercial and charitable entities, including Ecover International BV, Skagen Food A/S, Danish Yacht A/S, Skagen Harbor, Dormy House Hotel, Sorven Holdings Limited, Cotswold Conference Centre Limited and the Foundation for Liver Research.

Tribute from the Trade Association

Speaking today about what is a huge loss to this industry, BSIA chairman Stuart Lowden commented: “Philip Sorensen was one of the great figures of our industry over many decades. His lifelong commitment to the improvement of standards in conduct and training, and his deeply held belief in the development of his people, were shining examples to all. His business foresight was acute, his entrepreneurial ability second to none.”

Lowden added: “Philip would often recall the time when he started in the industry, selling patrol services back in the day and carrying them out himself at night. That grounding provided the basis for what became the Group 4 international security empire. He was generous to a fault, and certainly the UK’s private security industry has much to thank him for, not least the Sorensen Centre at Skills for Security’s headquarters.”

In conclusion, Lowden explained: “Jorgen Philip-Sorensen will be sorely missed by his many friends and colleagues around the world. On behalf of the Association which he supported so strongly, I offer sincere sympathy and profound condolences to his family and friends.”

Architect of the modern security industry

Jorgen Philip-Sorensen served as chairman of the BSIA from June 1985 until June 1987, and as chairman of the original Guard and Patrol Section while he was managing director of BSIA founder-member company Factoryguards.

Paying tribute on the G4S corporate website, Alf Duch-Pedersen (chairman of G4S plc) and Nick Buckles (CEO, G4S plc) state: "Philip was undoubtedly the architect of the security industry as we know it today, and was instrumental in creating G4S - an organisation which has become one of the world’s leading companies and largest private employers – touching the lives of millions of people along the way and, ultimately, chairing an organisation which employees 590,000 people."

The tribute continues: "He was a founder and senior member of UK and international industry associations and a driving force behind industry development and regulation. He was also a remarkable businessman and an inspirational leader who, even when his health was suffering, played a significant role in the global security industry and always took time out of a very hectic schedule to chat to his colleagues and employees around the world."

Duch-Pedersen and Buckles add: "Philip's philosophy that the front-line employees are the most important part of the organisation and the key to service delivery and business success are at the heart of our business strategy today. He will be sadly missed, and our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time."

Jorgen Philip-Sorensen: a great man and an industry legend

Skills for Security's chief executive David Greer said: "Philip Sorensen was an outstanding leader of the security industry, and directly responsible for creating numerous industry standards over many decades. His dedication to training and development of his staff never waned, and serves as an example to us all."

Greer continued: "Here at Skills for Security, we owe Philip an enormous amount of gratitude, as he was the benefactor of The Sorensen Centre which is going from strength to strength in providing excellent training services and facilities, a quality in which he so richly believed."

In conclusion, Greer explained: "Philip will be greatly missed by his friends and colleagues. On behalf of Skills for Security, I would like to offer our sincere sympathy and condolences to both his family and friends during this difficult time."

Echoing the words of Duch-Pedersen, Buckles, Stuart Lowden and David Greer, on behalf of everyone at SMT Online, info4security.com and UBM Live’s Security Portfolio, I would like to offer our sincerest condolences to the family, friends and industry colleagues of a truly great man who, more than anyone else, helped shape and define the fabulous industry in which all of us now reside.

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