Careers at BSI Group

MISSION

The British Standards Institution (“BSI Group”) seeks to protect consumers by establishing technical standards on a wide a range of products and services, and supplying certification services to business across multiple sectors.

FOUNDING STORY

BSI Group was founded in 1901 by Sir John Wolfe-Barry as the Engineering Standards Committee, the world’s first national standards body.  The Company adopted the its now iconic kitemark in 1903, which has since become an important consumer quality marker around the world.

During the 1920s, BSI Group extended its standardisation practices and became the British Engineering Standards Association in 1918.

Its standardisation guidelines spread to Canada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand during the 1920s.

BSI Group later adopted the name British Standards Institution in 1931, having received a Royal Charter in 1929, and in 1942, it was recognised by the British Government as the sole organisation for issuing national standards.

Throughout the remainder of the twentieth century, BSI Group published standards for an increasing range of markets, notably including  standards for air pollution, nuclear energy, schools and office furniture, and the carrying of live animals by air.

The Company also played a key role in establishing global management systems standards, including for quality, the environment, and health and safety.

In 1998, a revision of the Company’s Charter enabled it to diversify and acquire other businesses, at which time the organisation was renamed BSI Group.

Today, BSI Group is a leading standards and certification business, employing more than 4,700 members of staff and serving around 84,000 clients across 193 countries worldwide.

Business model of BSI Group

Customer Segments

BSI Group serves a wide range of organisations and businesses across multiple sectors, ranging from large globally recognisable brands to small businesses.

The Company primarily serves customers across the following sectors:

  • Healthcare, including public and private hospitals and medical facilities, medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and other healthcare organisations;
  • Food and Consumer Goods, including food and drink producers, consumer goods manufacturers, food packaging companies, and food service businesses;
  • Construction and Built Environment, including construction and real estate development companies, architectural practices, and smart city specialists;
  • Aerospace and Automotive, including automotive manufacturers, aerospace engineering companies, aviation and airline companies, and space and defence organisations;
  • Energy, including energy producers, power transmission companies, utility companies,
  • Banking and Financial Services, including banking institutions, insurance companies, and financial services organisations; and
  • IT and Telecommunications, including telecommunications infrastructure companies, network operators, information technology companies, and other industry specialists.

According to its most recent annual report, BSI Group provides services to around 84,000 clients across 193 countries , reaching all continents.

The Company’s states that its client base includes 50% of the Fortune 500, 84% of the FTSE 100, and 81% of the Nikkei 225.

BSI Group includes a number of high-profile organisations among its customers, including GSK, Devon County Council, Network Rail, Balfour Beatty, O2, and Capgemini.

Value Propositions

BSI Group provides value to its clients in the following ways:

  • Standing and Reputation – BSI Group has a long established reputation around the world as a provider of reliable services, and is a trusted provider of regulatory frameworks across a wide range of industries;
  • Personnel and Leadership – BSI Group employs a large workforce comprising more than 4,700 talented and well-trained employees, led by a team of experienced executives, that give it a competitive advantage;
  • Experience and Expertise – BSI Group has a proven track record dating back more than one hundred years of demonstrating pertinent skills and core values, employing industry specialists that provide specific insights and training;
  • Products and Services – BSI Group offers a unique range of services – including certification, training, product certification, and compliance – that help to set it apart from competitors around the world; and
  • Delivery Network – BSI Group offers services to a broad customer base cross 193 countries, operating via specialised business streams and out of 87 offices worldwide.

Channels

BSI Group serves its clients directly through its internal sales and service channels.

The Company organises its sales and distribution operations across four core delivery channels: Knowledge for standards development services; Assurance Services for product and systems certifications, Regulatory Services for certification of medical devices, and Professional Services for consulting services.

The Company organises its sales personnel across these channels.  BSI Group’s sales personnel operate out of 87 offices spread across 31 countries in the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East.

BSI Group additionally serves its clients indirectly via a network of partners, third party consultants, and trading standards bodies.  The Company works closely with these partners to ensure that its quality standards are maintained.

Customer Relationships

BSI Group works closely with its clients with a view to establishing a lasting relationships.

The Company consults with clients over an extended period in order to ensure that its clients implement appropriate standards that help them to perform better, reduce risk, and achieve sustainable growth.

The Company also employs specialist personnel that deal directly with clients across various industries to ensure that they receive high quality training.

BSI Group operates a website at www.bsigroup.com, through which it provides information that can be accessed by clients on a self-service basis.

This includes information on the Company’s services, its standardisation and certification guidelines, the industries that it serves, its various operating locations, its management, and its partners.

The Company also  publishes contact information, through which customers can get in touch with personnel trained to handle complaints and enquiries.

On its website, BSI Group also hosts a media centre, through which it publishes company updates, press releases, blog posts, and presentations for its clients to peruse.

It is additionally able to communicate directly with customers through its various social media accounts, including with  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+.

Key Activities

BSI Group is one of the world’s largest certification bodies.

It provides a range of certification, compliance, training, and consulting services to companies and organisations across a wide range of sectors.

The Company organises its operations into four delivery channels: Knowledge, through which the Company provides standards development services and information solutions; Assurance Services, through which the Company provides systems certifications, product certifications, and training; Regulatory Services, through which the Company provides systems and product certification for medical devices; and Professional Services, through which the Company provides consultancy and supply chain solutions.

BSI Group serves a global client base via a network of offices spanning the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East.

Key Partners

BSI Group works closely with a network of partner companies and organisations that support its core certification and standards work.

The Company’s partners can be organised broadly into the following categories:

  • Supplier and Vendor Partners, comprising suppliers of tools and equipment that the Company uses in the delivery of its core services, as well as various third party vendors that support the Company’s corporate operations;
  • Standards Partners, including international standards bodies, certification organisations, and industry associations across various sectors that help the Company to develop and implement effective standards and certification frameworks;
  • Research and Testing Partners, comprising a range of testing laboratories and specialist science organisations that assist the Company in thoroughly testing products to ensure that they meet industry standards;
  • Consulting Partners, comprising independent consultants that assist the Company in drawing up certification guidelines and implementing standardisation regulations; and
  • Affiliate and Distribution Partners, comprising various businesses and outlets that market the Company’s services, as well as organisations that deliver and distribute the Company’s standards on its behalf.

BSI Group notably partners with a number of standards bodies around the world, including the European Committee for Standardisation, the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation, the International Organisation for Standardisation, and the International Electrotechnical Commission.

Key Resources

BSI Group’s business model depends on its ability to provide reliable certification and standardisation services to a global customer base.

As such, its key resources are its intellectual properties – notably its catalogues of standards, books and publications, and training resources,  its personnel – notably its industry experts and certification professionals, its network of partners – including standardisation bodies around the world, its distribution and affiliate network, its network of offices, and its IT and communications infrastructure.

Cost Structure

BSI Group incurs costs in relation to the development and implementation of its standardisation and certification guidelines, the creation of its literature and training resources, the implementation of training schemes, the testing of products and services, the operation of its office network – including occupancy and utility costs, the procurement of third party services, the management of its partnerships, the payment of salaries and benefits to its employees, and the development and maintenance of its IT and communications infrastructure.

Revenue Streams

BSI Group generates revenue through the development and sale of certification services, standardisations guidelines, and other related services.

The Company derives its revenue under sales and service contracts agreed directly with clients through its four core operating channels: Knowledge, Assurance Services, Regulatory Services, and Professional Services.

In its annual report for 2018, BSI Group recorded total annual revenue of GBP 511.9 million, up 8% on the GBP 473.0 million recorded by the Company in 2017, with an operating profit of GBP 56.5 million.

The Company’s Assurance Services channel accounted for the bulk of the Company’s annual revenue, alone generating GBP 277.4 million for the year.

Our team

Dr. John Hirst CBE,
Chairman

info: Dr. John Hirst (“Hirst”) has served as Chairman at BSI Group since joining the Company in October 2018. He leads the Company’s Board of Directors and oversee the implementation of its overall strategy. Hirst also hold s number of non-executive directorships, including at Marsh UK, Ultra Electronics, and Anglian Water Services. Hirst began his career as an accountant at F. S. Rowland and Co. in 1973, and in 1977, he joined PricewaterhouseCoopers as an auditor. Between 1991 and 1998, he held senior executive positions at ICI Group, including spells as Chief Executive Officer at ICI Autocolour, Group Treasurer, and Chief Executive Officer of Performance Chemicals. In 1998, Hirst was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer at Premier Farnell and prior to joining BSI Group, he served for seven years as Chief Executive at the Met Office.

Howard Kerr,
Chief Executive Officer

info: Howard Kerr (“Kerr”) has served as Chief Executive Officer at BSI Group since joining the Company in 2008. He is responsible for leading the overall strategic direction of the Company and serves as its key decision maker. Kerr began his career in 1980 as a management trainee at Associated British Ports. Between 1984 and 1994, he held a number of management positions at Inchcape Group, including spells as sales manager and shipping manager at Inchcape Middle East, business development manager at Inchcape Pacific, commercial marketing manager, general manager for marketing. Prior to joining BSI Group, Kerr held several roles at SHV Holdings, including spells as operational assistant, Managing Director of World Gas Thailand, Project Director at SHV Gas, Chief Executive at Calor Group, and Senior Vice President at SHV Gas.

Craig Smith FCCA,
Group Finance Director

info: Craig Smith (“Smith”) has served as Group Finance Director at BSI Group since joining the Company in August 2011. He oversees the company’s various financial management functions, including the activities of its accounting, tax, and internal audit units. Smith began his career with Coats Viyella PLC, where he held a number of financial positions between 1985 and 1997. In 1997, he was appointed European Finance Director at Paxar, a role he held for more than four years. He was appointed to the same position at Sun Chemical in 2002, and in 2003 joined Huntleigh Technology PLC as Group Finance Director. Prior to joining BSI Group, Smith served for more than three years as Group Finance Director at Management Consulting Group PLC.