Career changes have been the turning points in Security Manager Henri Rikander’s life
Henri Rikander works as the Security Manager for the city’s education services, but the road to his current role has been far from straightforward. Yet every previous career path and personal interest has proved useful in his work as a Security Manager.
This former police officer – and the first Associate Professor of Police Law in the Nordic countries – has lectured and trained audiences nationwide. Last year, 1,300 employees of the City of Tampere took part in his training sessions.
– I call myself a travelling preacher. People expect an academic researcher, a security or occupational safety manager, or a police officer to show up and speak. It’s quite enjoyable when the stereotype falls apart, and the audience realises I’m actually all of those things.
A childhood dream left behind
Henri Rikander graduated as a police officer in 2007. It had been the dream job of both a young child and a young adult, but enthusiasm and the desire for something new led to the first major turning point in his career.
– I began studying and realised I really enjoyed it. After completing my Master’s degree, I found research fascinating and applied for doctoral studies. At the same time, I also completed teacher training.
Since graduating, Rikander has been involved in several national projects on educational institution safety.
– When I dive into a topic, I get the feeling that I must write about it. That’s how my book on school safety came to be. Last autumn, a second edition was published – much thicker than the first, even though the font size is smaller. I’ve gathered more knowledge through everyday work and by reading other literature, Rikander says with a smile.
His career motto has been to do things in a way that allows his expertise to be applied elsewhere too.
– I wrote my doctoral thesis on the use of force by the police and on violence encountered by the police. I received the title of Associate Professor of Police Law in 2021, when I was already working for the city as Security Manager.
Life as continuous learning
Reading and writing are Rikander’s way of thinking. He has produced over a hundred academic articles, books or professional publications.
– When I notice a question that doesn’t yet have a clear answer, I address it by writing – and that way, I get the matter neatly wrapped up.
Earlier, Rikander aimed to read one doctoral thesis per week, but time no longer allows it. Every book he reads ends up on his own shelves, and his home library keeps expanding.
– At home I have a main library, a side library and a working library. I buy every book I read, because I underline key parts on the first reading. When I compile the reference lists for my books, every source mentioned can be found on my own shelves.
– One of the turning points in my life, alongside the career changes, was realising that life is continuous learning.
Rikander enjoys being able to read academic journal articles in advance as a peer reviewer. The articles arrive for assessment without any indication of who has written them.
The beauty of the work lies in its unfinished nature
Each service unit within the city’s education services has its own safety teams, and Rikander praises the good work they do. Every building has developed its own safety culture shaped by the staff who work there.
– As an expert, I need to identify the safety culture of each school, for example, recognise the areas that need development, and offer them the steps through which to progress. Depending on the need, I can be a trainer, a facilitator, a sparring partner, an encourager or simply someone to talk with.
The city has dozens of school buildings, day-care centres and libraries, and Rikander cannot visit them all. Important training channels therefore include, for instance, principals’ meetings and webinars, the content of which Rikander tailors according to need.
Rikander also serves as Occupational Safety Manager, which means he can address topics such as wellbeing at work. He is also familiar with crisis and trauma psychology.
Henri Rikander is the first Security Manager in the education services, which has allowed him to shape the role based on his own experience and expertise.
– My work for the city is unfinished – and that is the beauty of it, that it will never be completely finished. What matters most is safety and the continuity of operations, Rikander says.
Henri Rikander
- Security Manager for the city’s education services for 4.5 years
- first began working for the city in 2001 as a youth worker
- police officer, academic researcher, lecturer and non-fiction author
- favourite places in Tampere include the Metso main library and the surroundings of the Tammerkoski rapids
- enjoys writing and reading professional literature, as well as training at the gym
- Wow! Reads only non-fiction. The greatest entertainment value for them comes from the Terra Cognita series of Finnish-language non-fiction books, which always offer something new and interesting to read.
