Each month we turn the spotlight on the leadership teams in our portfolio to find out what drives them, who inspires them and the biggest lessons they’ve learnt.
This month, we’re delighted to welcome Peoplesafe’s CEO, Naz Dossa, to our first In Focus. Peoplesafe is a global consolidator of personal safety and environmental, health and safety software products and services. Through its core lone worker protection products, Peoplesafe offers 24/7 protection, 365 days a year for employees of NHS trusts, local authorities, housing associations, utilities and major corporations who work by themselves or are at risk.
Naz has been CEO since February 2020, where he has been instrumental in driving consistent growth, expansion into Europe and North America and implementation of best-in-class systems.
Q: Which one rule do you expect your employees to abide by?
I have had the privilege of working with some great coaches and mentors throughout my career, and my teams will tell you that I have a set of non-negotiables, but I won’t list them all here. If I had to pick one – high personal standards at all times.
Q: What motivates you?
A threefold answer here; my family is my primary source of inspiration, pushing me to excel and set a positive example. I am driven by a commitment to excellence in all my professional endeavours, ensuring my teams and I deliver outstanding results. Additionally, I am passionate about creating a workplace culture where employees feel valued, engaged and excited to come to work.
Q: What are you most proud of in your career?
Well, it’s not over yet so I’ll hold on answering that!
Q: Who do you admire / who inspires you?
I admire and take inspiration from the sporting world as they are always striving for elite levels of performance. I am a Liverpool fan and it’s topical so Jurgen Klopp has achieved so much, but I have admired the way he had done it and how he took half a City with him on the journey.
Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt?
That you never stop learning both personally and professionally.
Q: What do you think makes a good leader?
Let me quote Jack Welch here: “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others”.
Q: Why did Peoplesafe choose ECI as your investment partner?
ECI have a great reputation in the market and this was backed up by everyone I spoke to. I also liked their approach to portfolio companies and how supportive they are to driving growth. They are also very good at drawing on their experiences and network to help in key areas. 4 years in, I would be saying exactly the same if someone asked me the this question.
Q: What do you do to relax?
My wife loves to travel so that’s certainly up there. Closer to home, it’s trying to improve my golf game.
Q: Night in or night out?
A night out……just.
Q: Favourite film?
Shawshank Redemption. Without a doubt, one of the greatest films of all time.
