Interview with Bülent Yilmaz, Safety Employee 2021 Part 1

Since May 25, 2021, it is official: Bülent Yilmaz is Security Employee of the Year 2021. With an impressive 64 % of the total of more than 31,000 votes cast in the online voting, Mr. Yilmaz clearly won the election.

In the run-up to the award ceremony on June 11, 2021, at the annual general meeting of the Bundesverband für mittelständische Sicherheitsunternehmen e. V. (BVMS) in Berlin, we talked to Mr. Yilmaz about the Security Employee of the Year award.

Mr. Yilmaz, what was your first thought when you heard that you had won the 2021 Security Employee of the Year award?

When I received the news, I was very happy. At the first moment I thought that I had done everything right: I have been working in this profession for 19 years and have met a lot of people since then.

I would like to thank all my supporters and I am proud to receive an award like the Security Employee of the Year Award and to represent my company, Pond Security Service GmbH.

How did those around you react to your win?

People were happy for me. Everyone was proud that their support ended with my victory. They congratulated me with great joy and all of them are still sharing their joy with me.

What do you say about the high turnout (over 31,000 votes) for this year's Security Employee of the Year election?

From the high turnout, you can clearly see the trust and interest of people towards serious and reputable institutions that organize such elections.

*Note COREDINATE: The jury for the election of the Security Employee of the Year 2021 consisted of representatives of BVMS (Klaus Bouillon, 1st Board Member), Wiley Publishing (Steffen Ebert, Editor-in-Chief) and COREDINATE (Michael Kulig, Managing Director).

What do you particularly appreciate about your job as a security employee?

I value our profession very much. We perform our duties unobtrusively, contribute to social order and maintain safe lives. Security guards work day and night and often under adverse conditions: when others are asleep, our work begins, and when the daily routine begins for others, we only finish our work.

The Security Worker of the Year competition shows how many people throughout Germany practice this profession. Therefore, also on behalf of my colleagues who have been working in this profession for many years, I would like to thank companies and institutions such as COREDINATE, the BVMS and the Wiley publishing house for the recognition.

What does the 2021 Safety Employee of the Year Award mean to you?

The 2021 Safety Employee of the Year Award means a lot to me. With the award, I have the trust and pride of my work colleagues and also of my employer Pond Security ServiceGmbH won. I have been working for the latter for 20 years.

What social relevance do you think the Security Guard of the Year Award has?

There are many people who work as security guards, whether in shopping malls, large companies, hospitals or refugee shelters. Wherever help is needed, we as security guards are there with great commitment. In recent years, our profession has become very important in society.

The Security Employee of the Year award clearly shows the importance of security companies for society. It is nice to see that we deserve and receive the recognition we deserve.

I would like to express my sincere thanks for the 2021 Security Employee of the Year Award and wish my participating colleagues the best of luck and recognition at work and from their employers.