Talking to Wilma Kruger, VP Security Management Systems, about her career before joining Menzies is trickier than you might expect…like everyone who has ever worked for national government, there are some stories from the early part of her career that she can’t discuss. But she has plenty to say about other parts of her working life and the journey that brought her to her current role at Menzies Aviation.

Wilma joined the South African police force after finishing school and completed her basic training and was soon called up to work for the Department of Defense.

It was from that role that her mentor and former manager invited her to move to a telecommunications company, investigating cable thefts, scams and other criminal activity. “My career has always been shaped by strong people who have mentored or managed me,” explains Wilma.

A chance connection led to her interviewing for a job at Menzies. “I joined the team in Johannesburg in 2008 and set up an investigations team within the security department,” she says. “I quickly spread my wings and began carrying out audits on other stations and even completed the first ISAGO audit. And then I was sent to India to carry out an investigation – and that’s when my Menzies career took off.”

As the airlines outsourced more and more security activity to the handling companies, Wilma was in the right place at the right time, and with the right support, to be able to broaden her experience. “Managers sometimes test you before supporting and rewarding you, and you are only as good as your last mistake,” she says, before adding that she likes a challenge.

Wilma has travelled the world while working for Menzies and is just back from Pakistan where she’s been helping prepare our new joint venture for a successful start-up. “I was lucky to be able to go to Dubai to undertake the professional security manager qualification in 2010 and then moved to London in 2013 as General Manager Network Security. It’s been a lovely journey, and I’ve seen new countries and cultures. On my first day in London my colleague asked me if I’d like to go on an adventure – and I feel as if I’m still on it.”