Continuing our Inspiring Leaders series, we spoke to Jason Hillier, Sales Director at Frontline Security Solutions, an affiliate of Chubb Fire & Security Ltd. Jason has been with Frontline for over 15 years, and many at Frontline know him as an extremely hard-working and passionate person, but where does he get his drive from?

Growing up, my mum was a single parent, and, at times, she struggled to put food on the table. Money was tight for us as a family, but we had each other, and were given all the love and encouragement we needed to get by. I enjoyed going to school but as soon as I was able to, I found a job and started working. From the age of 14, I’ve always had a job. I started as a butcher’s boy and then I worked in a supermarket – all while still at secondary school. As soon as I finished my last year at school, I started to work full-time and became a removals man, part of a team that helped people move houses. Soon after, I made my way into the security industry. I started an apprenticeship as an engineer for a local company in Canterbury that specialised in intruder alarms. I’m 51 years old, but I still remember my first day like it was yesterday. We were working in a village called Wingham, just outside of Canterbury, and my boss told me to install an intruder panel on the wall of the property we were working in. He gave me a screwdriver and a box and said screw that, there. And that was my first day. It taught me a lot about getting stuck in and having a go.

Jason with his wife and kids

I had a great career at ADT, but in the early 2000s, I was ill and had to leave work for a bit. Once I had recovered and was ready to return to work, I joined an integrator based in Kent. That was enjoyable and helped me relaunch my career. I was there for about 18 months, and then I was picked up by Frontline because of my success. My career has always been organic. I didn’t go to university. I’ve got some grades from school, but I wouldn’t say they’re high flying. I’ve always had a drive and determination to work hard. That comes from not having much money growing up, and it’s spurred me to try and achieve as much as possible in my career. As a dad, I want the best for my children, as any parent does. I didn’t want my children to have the same challenges I had growing up, so perhaps that is why I’m so driven. It shows that if you are determined and passionate then you can achieve great things, and anything is possible.

I trust my team completely. I’m not a micro-manager. I encourage and empower the team, so they learn as they go. As long as we achieve the end goal, that’s the main thing. Frontline and Chubb are organisations that will nurture and give the right people opportunities to grow and succeed. When I’m recruiting, I always look for people with the right attitude. I do look at grades and qualifications, but it’s not the be-all and end-all for me. I believe that everybody deserves a chance. That’s certainly how my career has developed.

Quick-fire questions

I’d have to say Chris Masters, the former founder of Frontline. Just seeing how he interacts with people daily is genuinely inspirational. He treats people the right way and always brings the best out of them, which goes a long way.

My star sign is Capricorn. As I mentioned, I’m a Christmas Day baby, and I’m true to my sign traits of being hard-working, ambitious, loyal, and supportive. Plus, I’m passionate, particularly about Frontline. I love the business and want to see it succeed in its journey with Chubb.

Oh, that’s a tricky one. So, I’ve got a few, but a franchise that springs to mind immediately is James Bond. I do love my James Bond. All the films are brilliant; I can’t just pick one. Each has something different. Loads of action, interesting characters, plot twists – they’ve got it all. If I could choose another one, I’d say Wild at Heart with Nicholas Cage. That was a good one.

Blue. I’m always wearing blue. However, I have now introduced black to make things a little more colourful – but blue is such a lovely colour!

Number one. I’m the eldest in my family, and my mum always refers to me as the ‘number one son’.

That’s tricky. Immediately I would say anywhere with my wife and kids. I’ve got four children, two older and two younger, and if I could get them and my wife, so we’re all together, that is my happy place. That could be doing anything – at home, making pizza, out on the beach, or on holiday somewhere. My second happy place is riding my motorcycle on the open road. It is such a great escape and helps me to switch off from everything going on in my life – for the simple reason that you have to concentrate on riding entirely! You can’t think about anything else. I think it’s crucial for everyone to find a place where they can relax, switch off, or let off steam!