2025 Winners’ Summaries
Outstanding In-House Security Manager/Director
Rudy Neefs – TD SYNNEX
Rudy Neefs is the Senior Director, Corporate Security EMEA & APJ at TD SYNNEX, with over 40 years of global security leadership experience. He has built a resilient, business-aligned security program across 50+ countries, covering enterprise risk, resilience, investigations, and crisis management. Recognised for his strategic vision, Rudy leads a diverse international team, driving engagement with executives and stakeholders to embed security as a true business enabler. His credentials include MBA, CPP, PSP, PCI, CPOI, ISP, and CISM.
Judges praised Rudy Neefs for his strong strategic profile and clear impact on business outcomes. His focus on partnerships and cultural change proved particularly compelling, as he successfully aligned key stakeholders through collaboration rather than imposition. Rudy’s multidimensional approach—spanning crisis management and beyond—has enhanced both resilience and organisational value. By transforming security into a global business enabler, he has harmonised standards and secured executive-level engagement across the company.
Outstanding Security Team
Security Team – STIB-MIVB
Every day, the 330 security officers of STIB safeguard over 1.1 million passengers and 11,000 employees in Brussels. Present across stations, trams, and metros, they prevent incidents, respond in under eight minutes, and ease tensions. Combining human expertise with advanced technology, they work closely with the police and emergency services. Through rigorous surveillance and enhanced ticket checks, they have reduced fare evasion while ensuring the continuity of public transport and strengthening passenger safety and confidence.
Judges commended the security team at STIB-MIVB for their exemplary integrated security model, which combines a strong on-the-ground presence, advanced technology, and effective collaboration with security services in a complex urban environment.
Outstanding New Security Product
AI-driven Security Screening – NineID
NineID has fundamentally transformed pre-entry security screening for high-security locations. Key achievements include accelerating the screening process by over 100 times, cutting verification time from an average of 40 minutes to less than 20 seconds; standardising security and compliance by replacing inconsistent, manual checks with a rigid, fully auditable digital workflow; elevating site security from a reactive, at-the-gate process to a proactive, pre-emptive system that identifies risks before they arrive; and empowering security personnel by automating tedious administrative tasks, enabling them to focus on genuine threats and high-value security functions.
Judges highlighted NineID’s AI-driven security screening for its clear, measurable impact and innovative use of AI and hybrid verification models. The solution addresses a critical operational challenge, significantly reducing screening time while eliminating human error. Highly relevant for ports and high-security sites, it delivers strong market value by enhancing compliance and elevating overall security performance.
Outstanding Security Partnership
Az Sint-Lucas & Volkskliniek Gent
During a unique large-scale AMOK terror exercise, AZ Sint-Lucas’ internal security service demonstrated exceptional preparedness and flexibility. Through rigorous preparation, strategic role allocation and decisive communication, they managed to control a complex threat realistically and calmly, including an unexpected second perpetrator and fake media. Their approach not only increased the safety and confidence of employees, but also provided valuable insights for the organisation and external partners. This progressive partnership with the police, fire brigade and medical services positions AZ Sint-Lucas as a leading example in crisis management within the healthcare sector.
Judges applauded the partnership between AZ Sint-Lucas Hospital and Volkskliniek Gent for its sector-leading, multidisciplinary approach that brought together hospital and police forces—an achievement rarely seen in practice. By moving beyond a tabletop exercise to a fully executed collaboration, the initiative delivered lasting improvements in crisis preparedness, operational coordination, and stakeholder trust. The valuable relationships and lessons learned set a new benchmark for security collaboration in the healthcare sector.
Lifetime Achievement
Paul Robrechts
Paul Robrechts over the course of his lifetime has achieved high recognition for being a corporate security director, university lecturer on security, volunteering for various security industry associations, serving as a mentor to dozens of students and professionals, and building and leading a well-recognised European security consultancy and engineering practice, RT Consultancy.
Judges recognised Paul Robrechts for his decades-long, structural impact on the security industry in Belgium. With an exceptionally broad career marked by integrity and ethical leadership, he has consistently set high standards in a sector where these values are not always guaranteed. Beyond leading his company, Paul has dedicated himself to supporting stakeholders, industry networks, and professional associations—always with remarkable modesty. His enduring contributions have helped shape the evolution of the security profession.