The ASC are sad to announce the passing of John Benton, its first Chairman. John started at Chubb Lock & Safe and later becoming responsible for their Western Hemisphere business. Later he joined the Stratford Safe Co owned by Walter Runcimen. At about the same time Runcimen acquired John Tann the oldest safe maker in the UK where John became Managing Director. He was also a Director of Killby-Tann Security – a jointly owned company with Killby & Gayford.John gave his support and experience to many organisations such as British Standards (Bsi) where he chaired the Committee on Secure Enclosures, also the American Association for Industrial Security (ASIS). He was a member of the Editorial Committee of the ‘Journal of Security'. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and also he was made a Freeman of the City of London for services to Financial Institutions.
Following a spell with Schroder’s the Banking giant John turned to Consultancy and it was in 1991 he, together with Mike Cahalane and Mike Collier set up the ASC, an organisation which represents the interest of Independent Security Consultants. Initially with just seven members it now, some 25 years later, has over 200 members. John, the first ASC Chairman, served five years in that position. He was instrumental in many ways, helping to form the ASC, and his links with the political world lead to him introducing early patrons Lord Nicholas Bethel and Sir Rhodes Boyson.
After a fall on Christmas evening,Johnwas admitted to St. Mary’s Hospital Paddington where he died in the early evening of Thursday 16th February at the age of 91, having contracted Bronchopneumonia. Our thoughts are with his wife, children and grandchildren.