Auror welcomes Andrew Kouimanis as VP of Partnerships and Innovation

Auror’s leadership team continues to attract top talent from around the globe, as Andrew Kouimanis joins as the new Vice President of Partnerships and Innovation. Andrew is a highly experienced and respected global AP/LP professional. He has 20 years’ experience in the industry, most recently as the Head of Corporate Safety & Risk at Coles Group, one of Australia’s largest retailers.

Andrew shares why he’s joined Auror, what he’s most looking forward to and why he’ll be jet-setting straight out of Australia as soon as international travel allows.

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Hi Andrew - so, what brings you to Auror?

The culture is one thing. Having experienced the culture at Auror, you can really feel the team approach and customer partnership ways of working from the outside in.Collaboration is another, it being a key driver of successful and meaningful change. I particularly enjoy when people say, “It can’t be done, it’s never been done before” and then you go about it together as a team and deliver an amazing outcome. Bringing to life innovation and building strong connected eco-systems through collaboration is high on the agenda. 

I’m delighted to be working with a high-performing team at Auror that has already achieved so much around the world. But as always, there is more to do and I look forward to sharing my learnings and experiences. 

You’re also a huge advocate for better mental health practices in the workplace, is that something you’ll be carrying on in your role at Auror too?

I have a real passion for mental health in the workplace and I want to extend this to our partners and industry in my role at Auror. It’s okay to not be okay. I believe there is no better way to lead a team than with a mindfulness approach that focuses on empathy and gratitude. We deal with a lot of difficult situations in AP/LP and it's important that people are supported.

What do you see as some of the biggest challenges facing AP/LP?

The ability to focus on what matters the most. AP/LP Leaders often have plans that they’re being dragged away from because of crises or security incidents - perhaps even global pandemics…! The last 18 months have seen this more so than ever before, but that’s come at the cost of developing and landing innovation and technology that builds long-term growth and success for retailers. Interruptions are always going to be there, but you need to come back to your plans and land them. With the exponential rate of change in our industry, retailers that don’t leverage best in class technology will be putting pressure on shareholder returns and playing catch-up for years to come.

What other challenges do you foresee in the future for the industry?

The sophistication and organization of crime gangs is going to continue to be a massive challenge moving forward. If collaboration is not improved across the retail industry,  organized networks will continue to become smarter and faster than the network of AP/LP teams. It takes a network to defeat a network.

Tell us something not many people know about you.

I like to follow Formula 1 motor racing all around the world. One of the reasons is the innovation in Formula 1 and the commitment taken to win. It’s a team effort, not just an individual one. Each year I follow F1 to different parts of the world and Monaco would have to be my favorite race. As soon as international travel from Australia normalizes, you will find me at a race - who wants to join me?

You’ve mentioned the importance of innovation a couple of times - why is that significant to you?

It’s at the heart of everything I do. If we want retail to be safer, more secure and return better value to shareholders, it has to be through innovation. I deliver innovation at pace and I am committed to moving the AP/LP industry forward. When you have a world class team continually delivering and improving an already remarkable product like Auror, customers and law enforcement partners will always be in the best position to win.