Running security operations is complex work. You need district managers who can develop officers, maintain client relationships, and navigate the unique pressures that come with keeping people and property safe.
But here’s the challenge: most leadership training programs don’t understand the security industry’s specific demands.
Securitas North America was facing this reality across their operations. Their district managers needed targeted skill development to drive both employee and client engagement, but traditional training felt disconnected from their day-to-day challenges. Generic leadership modules couldn’t address the dual responsibility of officer development and client satisfaction that security leaders face every day.
The leadership team needed something different. They wanted a solution that could integrate with their existing training while delivering the practical leadership skills their district managers actually needed. At the same time, Securitas North America needed a development program that scaled beyond the frontlines to leaders across the organization, regardless of role or location.
Securitas North America partnered with Growthspace to solve this with precision skill development. AI-driven expert matching connected their district managers with experts who understood their world and could provide guidance that translated directly to security operations.
The results? Their best client retention in three years, a 10.8% increase in employee retention, and 97.5% of participants recommending the program to others.
When you match security leaders with experts who understand their unique challenges, real business impact follows.
The challenge: When leadership training doesn’t speak security
Most leadership training treats all industries the same. But security leadership has its own pressures, its own client dynamics, and its own unique challenges. You can’t develop effective frontline leaders with generic corporate training that doesn’t understand the dual responsibility of officer development and client satisfaction.
“We needed a path to equip our district managers with the skills they need to further drive employee and client engagement. This was important for our continued success and a key component of us scaling great leadership.” — Melissa Wigger, Region Vice President of Human Resources
What Securitas North America needed:
- Expert-led skill development that addressed real operational challenges
- Development that integrated with their existing training content
- Leadership pipeline building that started at the frontline level
- Solutions that could scale across their complex organizational structure
The solution: Targeted skill development that creates measurable impact
“Growthspace really gave us the ability to pair skills-based coaching with our targeted training content, meeting leaders where they are, and focusing on the skills that matter most in creating measurable impact in real time.” — Antonia Elliot, Vice President of Talent Development
What made Growthspace stand out:
Precision skill development that meets leaders where they are. The platform’s ability to integrate with existing training content while delivering targeted coaching that addresses specific leadership challenges in security operations.
Building a leadership pipeline from the ground up. “We’re intentional about building a leadership pipeline that starts strong at the frontline by giving district managers targeted coaching. Now we’re not only strengthening their current impact, but we’re building our bench for future leadership roles across the organization.” — Antonia Elliot, Vice President of Talent Development
Cultivating coaching culture for complex environments. Antonia continues, “Embedding a coaching culture early ensures that future leaders grow with the skills, confidence, and mindset to succeed in a complex client-focused security environment.”
The impact: Business metrics that prove development ROI
Measurable business impact across key metrics
The numbers tell a convincing story. Securitas is seeing measurable impact across the metrics that matter most.
“This year we’ve seen the best client retention that we’ve had in the last three years. We’ve had 97.5% of participants say they would recommend the Growthspace coaching program to others. We’ve also seen a 10.8% increase in employee retention versus the same time last year. All of this signals the positive momentum and impact this program has had on our region.”
— Melissa Wigger, Region Vice President of Human Resources
Key business outcomes:
- Best client retention in three years
- 97.5% program recommendation rate from participants
- 10.8% increase in employee retention year-over-year
- Positive momentum and measurable impact across the North Central region
What moved the needle for Securitas?
The Growthspace differentiators that delivered real impact:
1. Precision skill development integrated within the flow of work
- Targeted skill development paired with their established training programs
- Met leaders where they were rather than starting from scratch
- Created measurable impact in real-time embedded in the day-to-day of work rather than theoretical future benefits
2. Leadership pipeline building from the frontline up
- Intentional development starting at the district manager level
- Building bench strength for future leadership roles
- Embedding a coaching culture early in leadership development
3. Development that understands security operations
- Coaching that speaks to the unique pressures of security leadership
- Recognition of the dual responsibility for officer development and client relationships
- Focus on proactive rather than reactive leadership approaches
4. Personal, conversational development experiences
- Coaching that feels personal rather than transactional
- Conversation-based approach rather than traditional training
- Balance of affirmation of existing strengths with highlighting growth opportunities
Real people, real development
When expert matching creates lasting transformation
“My experience with my Growthspace mentor felt personal. It wasn’t a traditional training, but more of a conversation, and it gave me a lot of reassurance about some of the things I was doing well and gave me some other opportunities to grow as a leader. I worked on leadership development and leading from a place of proactivity rather than reactivity. And I was able to grow from an officer to a district manager.”
– Paris Burts, District Manager
Key performance improvements observed:
- Enhanced proactive leadership approach
- Improved supervisor training capabilities
- Stronger collaboration with peer district managers
- Increased confidence in team development
The ripple effect: How developed leaders develop others
“Growthspace has changed how I show up for my team. I’m way more collaborative and I’m able to be there to assist them whenever they have any opportunities for growth. I’m able to share my experience with Growthspace with them and show them how it’s helped me step up as a leader.” — Paris Burts, District Manager
Management perspective: Elevated leadership in action
Jason Thomas, Area Vice President, observed Paris’ transformation:
“Since the Growthspace program, some of the changes that I’ve seen in Paris have really been elevating his leadership. Stronger frontline leadership definitely contributes to achieving our business goals at Securitas. Our frontline leaders are the closest ones to our clients. They’re also the ones teaching, training, and developing our core officers out in the field.” — Jason Thomas, Area Vice President
Precision skill development with Growthspace builds leadership that drives business results
Securitas North America’s story shows what’s possible when you invest in leadership development that actually fits your industry. By pairing targeted coaching with their existing training and focusing on the real challenges security leaders face, they’ve built something that works: district managers who can develop their people while keeping clients happy.
The results speak for themselves: better client retention, higher employee retention, and leaders who feel equipped to handle the unique pressures of security operations. For organizations looking to develop frontline leaders who can drive real business impact, Securitas North America’s experience proves that industry-specific expertise makes all the difference.
Ready to see how precision skill development could build your leadership pipeline? Book a demo to discover what’s possible when targeted coaching meets organizational impact.
