Steve Dickinson's guest in today's episode is Nicola John. Together they discuss what it takes to improve fire door safety across an entire industry.

Nicola shares the experiences and ideas that shaped her career and led to the creation of Fire
Door Maintenance (FDM) Training and Development.

She reflects on her early career in hospitality, where she learned valuable lessons about
customer service, management and leadership, as well as the influence of her family life and
education. She also discusses her first directorship in construction and how she later began
working with UAP as a consultant.

That consultancy work sparked the idea for FDM: practical, relevant training to help people
better understand fire doors and their responsibilities. Nicola explains why effective training
needs to go beyond theory, why understanding a fire door’s lifecycle matters, and how the
industry has supported FDM as its courses and qualifications have grown.

The conversation explores door ownership and the Responsible Person's role, the importance
of demonstrating competence, and the ongoing need for a deeper understanding of the
Building Safety Act (BSA). Nicola also discusses why individuals should take ownership of their
continuing professional development (CPD), and why organisations committed to improvement
invest in developing their people.

Finally, she looks ahead to FDM’s future as part of Allegion and the opportunities that come
with being part of a global group. For Nicola, the purpose remains clear: make a difference,
support professional development and drive higher standards across the industry.

Topics covered in today's show include:

- Why people skills matter in every sector. Nicola’s hospitality experience helped shape her
approach to customer service, management and leadership in construction.
- Why fire door training should be practical. People need useful knowledge they can apply to
real-world responsibilities.
- Why understanding the lifecycle of a fire door is essential. Knowing how a fire door is
maintained and managed helps people make better decisions.
- Why responsibility needs clarity. Door ownership and the Responsible Person's role are key
to effective fire door management.
- Why competence must be demonstrated. Training and development help individuals build,
evidence and maintain the skills their roles require.
- Why professionals should take an active role in keeping their knowledge and skills up to date.
- Why the BSA still needs clearer understanding across the industry. Continued learning can
help people better understand what the legislation means for their work.
- Why strong organisations invest in their people. A commitment to training and development
supports improvement across teams and businesses.
- Why FDM’s next chapter brings new opportunities. Being part of Allegion gives FDM the
chance to learn from a global group and keep growing.
- Why Nicola's goal is to raise standards. FDM is focused on making a positive difference through
better training and development.

Discover more about Fire Door Maintenance (FDM) Training and Development:
https://fdmltd.co.uk/

Steve Dickinson’s guest on this episode is Michael Menzel, founder and recently retired Managing Director of Docking Solution & Service (DSS).

The conversation enters the specialist world of the loading bay—the point where warehouses, vehicles, equipment and people meet, and where productivity and safety must work together.

Michael has spent the past thirty years working in this field. He founded DSS within the Novoferm Group and grew the business—and its mydocking brand—into one of the leading European players in its sector.

Topics covered in the episode include:

• Michael’s early career and his route into loading technology
• The creation and development of DSS
• The complexity of the interface between the vehicle, the building, the equipment and the people
• What happens when productivity and safety compete
• How loading-bay risks can be reduced through better system design
• The intelligent warehouse and the emergence of Physical AI
• Why customers should become part of research and development
• Leadership, retirement and what ultimately matters

Steve Dickinson's guest in today's episode is Christian Hasenest, CEO of the Novoferm Group.

He is a dynamic, modern executive steering one of the absolute cornerstones of the global entrance solutions market. With a strong foundation in business administration, his career has been defined by driving commercial excellence and premium brand leadership across some of Europe's most respected industrial organizations—including BTI, Kärcher, and the Fischer Group.

In April 2025, Christian took the helm as the Chief Executive Officer of the Novoferm Group. He is currently leading a highly strategic evolution of the business, unifying a powerful international network into a coherent, high-performance global entity under the vision of 'One Novoferm.'

Topics covered in the show include:

• Hands-on leadership on the road
• The DNA of premium global brands
• The strength of the Novoferm network
• Market trends in tech and sustainablity
• AI in entrance solutions
• Coherence and unity: The One Novoferm vision
• The art of strategic alignment and modern leadership
• Engaging a global workforce, and aligning the entire team with a vision for a dynamic, unified group.

Steve Dickinson's guest on today's show is an international commercial leader with a strong technical background and deep experience across the Spanish, Portuguese, and South American markets. He graduated from the University of Cantabria in 1989, in the beautiful northern Spanish city of Santander.

Making an entrance today is Javier-Pérez-Sánchez, Managing Director of Novoferm Alsal, and President of FIMPA, the Spanish Federation of automatic door installers and maintainers.

Topics covered in today's show include:

• Javier's roots and early influences.
• The evolution of Novoferm-Alsal.
• The Southern European vs Northern European Dynamic.
• Expanding across borders to South America and Northern Africa.
• The invisible infrastructure and regulation of entrance solutions.
• Technology, smart access and AI.
• The evolution of leadership and employee expectations.

If you enjoyed the show and want to be among the first to hear future episodes, don't forget to subscribe to 'Making an Entrance' on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Steve Dickinson's guest in today's episode is Erik Klomp, founder and CEO of Novodoor.

Erik is a Dutch entrepreneur who lives and works out of Istanbul, operating at the very extreme end of the global entrance solutions market. His company, Novodoor, doesn't just sell doors; they secure some of the largest, highest-stakes infrastructure projects in the world—specializing in complex fire door installations for international airports and mega-developments, primarily across the Middle East.

What makes him unique is that he has constructed a truly global supply chain, stitching together products from Germany, Italy, Spain, South Korea, and the United States to deliver a unified solution to his clients. He is also a man who knows a thing or two about endurance, having successfully completed the gruelling Dakar Rally.

Topics covered in the show include:

• The Dakar Rally mindset
• Global sourcing: The unified platform in action
• The reality of mega-infrastructure projects
• The challenge of global coordination
• Feedback from the frontline to suppliers
• The high stakes of fire door compliance
• The global life, and the meaning of partnership

If you enjoyed the show and want to be among the first to hear future episodes, don't forget to subscribe to 'Making an Entrance' on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Steve Dickinson's guest in today's episode is Anders Majland, Managing Director of Novoferm Denmark, and Regional Manager for Novoferm in Scandinavia. Anders graduated from Syddansk University in Southern Denmark, began his career in advanced electronic control systems, and for the last two decades he's held senior positions in the field of entrance solutions with two of the industry's leading companies: Nassau Doors (now part of Assa Abloy) and since 2012, the Novoferm Group (a member of Sanwa Holdings).

Topics covered in the show include:

• The Scandinavian market
• The main challenges faced when doing business across borders
• Anders' leadership style
• The 'invisibility' of the entrance solutions market
• Social, regulatory, and environmental trends in the Scandinavian market - including the impact of European fire safety standards
• Key technological changes in the industry, including AI and modular building methods
• The impact of social, regulatory and technological changes on leadership

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Steve Dickinson's guest in today's episode is Michel Akoum, the former President and CEO of Novoferm France. Michel was born in Lebanon, rose from the ranks of R&D engineers in Paris, before quickly moving into export sales and general management. For the last two decades he held senior positions in the field of entrance solutions with two of the industry's leading companies. Michel retired from his role at Novoferm at the end of 2025. He is now President du Conseil d'Administration de Mon Logis (Groupe Action Logement).

Topics covered in the show include:

• The company Novoferm France and its place within the Novoferm Group, and their parent company, Sanwa Holdings
• Advice he would offer to current graduates of his alma mater, the Ecole des Travaux Publics, Paris
• One thing he would do differently during his career at Novoferm
• Michel's leadership style
• Current social, regulatory and technical trends in the French market
• Key lessons learned during a long career

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Steve Dickinson's guest in today's episode is Ali Ihsan Güneş, the co-founder of FGI, an exciting family-owned business based in Sakarya, Turkiye- 125 km east of Istanbul. Together with his brother, Gunay, and other members of the family, he built his business, not once, but twice. His origin story is one of the most traumatic imaginable.

Topics covered in the show include:

• The company FGI, and the markets it serves
• Contrasting styles and roles of the two founders
• Their overall journey into the industry
• The devastating earthquake of 17 August 1999
• Perspectives from Ali's roles as Chairman of the Advisory Board at Sakarya Business School, and Vice President of the Turkish-German Chamber of Commerce
• Trends in social, regulatory and technology - including AI

If you enjoyed the show and want to be among the first to hear future episodes, don't forget to subscribe to 'Making an Entrance' on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.