At Paladin Security, we believe the best way to create a strong team is through employee development and our promotion-from-within philosophy. Through our development programs, an employee can plot their own career path within our organization, lending stability to our workforce. In our bi-weekly feature, Paladin Then & Now, we’re showcasing some of the amazing and inspirational stories of our employees rising through the ranks. This week, we’re featuring Jason Lynagh, Director of Southwestern Ontario.
Jason Lynagh – Director, Southwestern Ontario
Jason, you just were promoted to Director for Southwestern Ontario. What was your path like to get there?
“I began as a casual security officer working in healthcare security. Following that, I moved into a part-time, then full-time officer role, then became Zone Supervisor, followed by Field Manager. After that, I transitioned into the office and became a Client Service Manager, then Branch Manager, before becoming Director of the region.”
So, you’ve seen it all! When you first started, were you aware of Paladin’s promotion-from-within philosophy?
“When I first started with Paladin, I was transitioning to the company during the acquisition of CareCore, who primarily did healthcare security. At the time I was focused on my pursuit of a career in policing and didn’t know much about the organization. It wasn’t until I began to immerse myself in the company that I became more knowledgeable of the various opportunities that were available to frontline staff.”
How long after you realized your opportunities did you decide Paladin was where you wanted to grow your career?
“I think one of the turning points for me was after I had attended the JMTP (Junior Management Training Program) at our corporate office in Burnaby. Connecting with the executive team and learning directly from them really opened my eyes to the possibility of Paladin being a career option for me. At the time I can recall the disappointment of policing not working out as planned but looking back at what I have accomplished and the folks that I get to work with on a daily basis, I couldn’t think of somewhere I would rather want to be.”
Have you had any mentors along the way?
“There were a number of people who helped to progress my upward movement. I think that there are countless people within the organization that are able to provide you with their perspective, and the great part is that you can take pieces from each of those connections to create your own approach that hopefully one day you’ll be able to share with the next individual working towards moving up.”
You mentioned you started in the field as an officer. What was the transition from the field to the office like?
“The transition from field to office was relatively seamless. Having done so from the Zone Supervisory team in Toronto, where we would work very closely with the CSM (Client Service Manager) teams, strong rapports were already developed. The appropriate time was taken to ensure that with transition, the role and expectations were understood and people made themselves overly available for quite some time to assist with questions or anything that was unusual that popped up.”
What is your favourite thing about working for Paladin?
“I think my favourite thing about working for Paladin would have to be either the teamwork or the innovation which typically go hand in hand. Teamwork in the sense of our internal teams as well as our customers that we provide our services to. Being part of Paladin provides you with the opportunity to connect with some incredible people and work closely with them, whether they are based in your branch or across the country. The passion that we all share is almost contagious. In regards to innovation, being able to brainstorm and think outside of the box to provide practical solutions through collaborating is a unique part of our organization that I believe separates us from our competitors in the industry.
What piece of advice would you give to someone looking to move up within the company?
“I would say not to be intimidated by putting your name out there. Having the confidence to apply for different opportunities or speak to the individuals in the different roles within the organization will help to steer you in the direction you want to go. The great thing about Paladin is that since we have so many different avenues, the options are really limitless in terms of where you can go. Between all of the different branches of the company, whether it be Paladin Technologies, Paladin Risk, Concord Parking, or Paladin Security, you have options to find the role that not only works well for the company but the role that works best for you as a member of the team.”
Hello I want to work as a security guard