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".
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.
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: