Mum of the Year Finalist Claire Regan
Cool, calm and collected, mum of three Claire Regan is blazing a trail for her fellow women within the male dominated security industry.
Claire Regan is a history maker. Last year, she became the first woman in Ireland to pass the rigorous professional examinations in the security industry. “I didn’t even know I was the first woman until after I’d done them,” says Claire, humbly.
“Maybe there would have been more pressure if I’d known. There were other women who did it a few weeks after me and we were all studying at the same time. I just happened to do it first,” she insists.
Claire not only broke the mould, but she’s a keen advocate for helping the next generation of young women join and excel in the industry too. “One of the girls was 20 years younger than me and I pushed her to go and do it, and her career is just jumping ahead because of it.”
The CSSM (Certified in Security Supervision & Management) examination was awarded by International Foundation for Protection Offi cers (IFPO).
A leader in every sense of the word, Claire has never seen herself as a pioneer within the security industry. “I just see it as me doing my job, doing what I love,” she says. “It was a natural progression, there was nothing forceful about it. This is my next step and I’m going to do it.”
The busy mum of three girls, Caoimhe (21), Ciara (12), Charley (four) is now involved in the operations for private security provider Manguard Plus and has a very demanding, but enjoyable role. Claire is keen to banish the stereotype of security simply being for big burly men. In fact, she believes women are even more suited to the industry and is actively trying to attract more females to the sector. “90 per cent of the work in security is not physical,” she says. “It’s how you approach the situation and how you use your voice that’s the key aspect of a good security officer. If you can’t do that, you’re in the wrong place,” she insists. “Women are suited to the role because often we can be calmer and a bit more logical.” While Claire is now firmly on the management side of things, she did her time working on the ground at events in her 20s. “I did a few race meetings and hotel parties. I enjoyed it to be honest. The role of a security person is often misunderstood. It’s very much a personable role. Especially with events. You’re dealing with people coming from a good day out. You’re dealing with happy people for the most part and there is a bit of buzz about it; it’s fun. And you’re there protecting their safety.”
Claire’s experience of providing security has been a positive one, but what about times when scenarios are more high risk? “In those situations, people never work alone,” she stresses. “I know of some women in those situations who would be better than a man, but I think the fear aspect is not an issue because when you’re in it, you can see the backup you have. Someone who’s looking from the outside might just see a woman standing there on her own, but she knows she has another woman on the side and possibly four men on the inside”. In addition, Claire believes that women get afforded more respect within the industry too. “I think if people are confronted with a woman no matter what the situation, they do take a step back and speak a little bit more measured, whereas I think men get a lot of abuse. I think women do better in the role and I think they are given greater respect.”
Away from the busy world of security operations, Claire is very active in the local Naas, Newbridge and Portlaoise musical societies. She acts, directs, mentors the next generation, and gets stuck into all aspects. It’s a family affair as her three girls are involved in music and drama too. In fact, the stage is where she and her husband Bren first met and where he proposed to her in front of a live audience. “I’d played princesses and queens in past years, but that year in the Panto, I was playing a leprechaun. So, I had my hair backcombed and a football stitched to my shoulder, sitting on the stage singing away and he walked up through the audience and proposed,” she recalls. “It was fabulous. Everyone knew except me.”
Her three girls are hugely proud of their mum, and they can really understand the important impact Claire has made, even if she is humbler about it. “They are so proud of me, to see your mum becoming the first woman to do something… they were so supportive and I’m very lucky.” WW
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