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General Assembly of the BVMS in Düsseldorf 2025

Picture of Ricarda Schmidt Ricarda Schmidt : May 19, 2025

Farshad Safari stands between Lars Müller (left) and Michael Kulig (right) with his award for “Sicherheitsmitarbeiter des Jahres 2025” and holds the trophy in his hands.

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COREDINATE also supports the security industry through association work. To this end, we are, among other things, a member of the BVMS, the Federal Association of Medium-Sized Security Companies (Bundesverband mittelständischer Sicherheitsunternehmen e. V.). In addition to the important decisions made there—which we help shape as a voting member—we also serve in two other roles. Our managing director Michael Kulig is a member of the Board of Honour (Ehrenrat) and regularly presents the award for "Security Employee of the Year".

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The BVMS Annual General Assembly – Almost Like a Family Reunion

This year, COREDINATE received a certificate honoring 10 years of membership in the BVMS. For us, that means a decade of voluntary association work in support of the entire industry. Criticism of conditions in our field is certainly justified and important—but it remains just theory unless it’s channeled into constructive action. That’s exactly what associations like the BVMS exist for— and we’re proud to play our part.

Over the years, people get to know each other better—and by now, the event feels almost like a family reunion. The association places great importance on personal connection, which is why the well-thought-out program—starting the day before—creates the perfect environment for meaningful encounters and reconnections.

Lars Müller and Michael Kulig stand in front of a screen showing the word 'Ehrungen' (Honors) during the BVMS General Assembly, leading the official awards segment.

Lars Müller and Michael Kulig lead the awards segment of the event.

The presentation of the award for "Security Employee of the Year" is one of the highlights of the event each year. The BVMS not only provides a fitting setting—its president also sits on the three-person jury that selects the finalists. Also on the jury are the editor-in-chief of the trade magazine "GIT" and COREDINATE's own Michael Kulig. The final decision, however, is always made by the general public, as the voting is conducted via social media.

A person inserts a ballot paper for the “Security employee of the year 2025” into a ballot box. Other people wait in the background.

What can you win in the "Security Employee of the Year" competition? First and foremost (and most importantly), the recognition our industry so urgently needs. Every year, outstanding performance and a critical contribution to public safety are delivered—often without attracting much public attention. Our award is committed to changing that.

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Of course, the winner of the competition can also count on the recognition of their peers (as a role model!) and their employer.

On top of that, there are more "tangible" rewards: a €500 gift voucher, a custom trophy, and an official certificate. Naturally, the winner is also invited to stay overnight at the event location and to join us for a celebratory lunch.

So yes—it's absolutely worth taking part!

Farshad Safari Takes the Title for 2025

This year’s competition was a particularly thrilling race. Two participants pulled ahead early in the voting and kept the suspense high right up to the final moments. But in the end, the result was clear:

With 31.3% of the votes, Farshad Safari secured the win.

Farshad Safari hält die Trophäe für den „Sicherheitsmitarbeiter des Jahres 2025“ in den Händen und blickt in die Kamera.

Farshad Safari with the award for Security Employee of the Year 2025

Even in the Security Employee of the Year competition, the saying holds true: “Nothing comes from nothing.” And the accomplishments of this year’s winner are impressive—something Michael Kulig also emphasized in his speech.

In the security industry, responsibility typically increases with the value of what’s being protected—and we can probably all agree: A human life is the most valuable asset. As site manager of a state-run accommodation facility, this year’s winner is responsible for over 450 lives, plus his 20-person team.

At his workplace, he enjoys the highest level of respect. He leads his team with warmth and empathy, and their shared activities often go far beyond working hours. That he also has everything under control professionally is confirmed by regular quality checks from both his employer and regulatory authorities—with consistently excellent results.

And when it comes to emergencies, he clearly knows what he’s doing: together with his team, he evacuated all 450 residents during a large-scale drill involving police and fire departments—in an astonishing 5 minutes. He had been allotted 12.

Especially in event security and wherever large crowds gather, things can go wrong quickly—as past tragedies have shown. That’s why it’s all the more important to place such responsibilities in professional hands—be it at events or in refugee facilities. In this context, we consider the 2025 award to Farshad Safari to be well deserved.

Gratulation durch Michael Kulig: Farshad Safari ist Sicherheitsmitarbeiter des Jahres 2025

Farshad Safari receives the trophy from Michael Kulig, Managing Director of COREDINATE.

Presenting such an award is truly an honor and a pleasure—but it also means having to turn down other worthy participants. To soften that a bit, we introduced 2nd and 3rd place awards a few years ago. After all, every applicant demonstrates exceptional dedication—and we want to recognize that appropriately.

2nd place this year goes to Stefan Kristof for his outstanding performance on the job. In addition to a certificate, Mr. Kristof receives a high-quality multitool from Leatherman.

3rd place was awarded to Pano Bonatsos, who impressed with his strong commitment and ultimately earned a significant share of the public vote. Mr. Bonatsos receives a rugged Stanley thermos as his prize.

Congratulations to both of these outstanding finalists!

The following animation shows the distribution of votes:

You could imagine taking part in our competition? Then submit your application as soon as the 2026 phase begins.

Stay tuned – we'll make sure to announce the next round to the public in good time!

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