Celebrating Ten Remarkable Years of Paul Evans’ Transformative Leadership at Carlisle Support Services

A look back at Paul Evans’ decade of leading with integrity, shaping a people-first culture, making purpose-driven decisions, and proving that business can be both successful and human.

We’re celebrating a defining moment of a decade of steady, determined leadership that has quietly remade what Carlisle is. Think less trophy case and more a patchwork of small, human choices from visits to late-night shifts, a stubborn belief in fairness, to a readiness to try new things with people at heart.

When Paul Evans first walked through Carlisle’s doors in 2015, the company was fragile, revenues had fallen, and the road ahead seemed uncertain. Yet he didn’t arrive with grand speeches or silver-bullet strategies but offered a steady hand, a listening ear, and a belief that if you look after your people, everything else will follow. Interestingly, what has followed since has been a decade of transformation, not just a list of shiny stats and impressive numbers. It presents a story of growth, values and everyday courage – the kind of leadership that changes how people feel about going to work, how clients feel about trusting the supplier and fuelling the spirit that runs through Carlisle today.

Here’s a glimpse of how Carlisle rebuilt itself from the inside out:

1. From Crisis to Comeback! A purpose-led turnaround

When Paul joined, we can say that Carlisle was at a crossroads. There were stories about losing contracts and a company that had shrunk and struggled. Paul, in his early days, led the crisis into the light by rebuilding trust, stability, and purpose. By emphasising people, purpose, and values over short-term solutions, we grew from a £30 million organisation to over £170 million in revenue, achieving 119% turnover growth in the past five years. Alongside financial growth, we have maintained one of the strongest client retention rates in the industry based on trust, consistent delivery, and values‑led decisions.

2. Making ‘Family’ mean something

We’d often see him repeatedly returning to one idea that people must feel they belong to something better than a pay packet. Since day one, Paul treated Carlisle as a ‘family’ to create connections, dignity, and a voice for those on the front line. His belief has shaped how staff members treat one another; service anniversaries are remembered, and colleagues have become friends. Managers at Carlisle check in not because they have to, but because they care for their teams. Over the years, the idea of belongingness has grown into a shared heartbeat – the one that continues to define our values.

That sense of belonging has since evolved into structured wellbeing initiatives and pastoral care partnerships, ensuring ‘family’ is a lived experience. This is reflected in our strong colleague engagement results as our 2024 Net Promoter Score (NPS) shows a +15.21 recommendation rating and an average happiness score of +7.3, which are clear indicators that Carlisle continues to be a great place to work.

3. Real Living Wage and fairer ways of working

One of Paul’s proudest legacies we count is the commitment to fairness. Under his leadership, the company became a champion of the Real Living Wage across contracts and introduced practical changes ensuring colleagues were rewarded properly for their contributions. From implementing Stream so staff can flexibly access their wages even before pay day and removing subcontractors in 2024 – he has made bold decisions to give every team member a fair opportunity, value-led choices and a sense of ownership to drive the principles.

We have been a Recognised Service Provider under the Living Wage Foundation since 2014 and have worked to implement consistent pay increases to help staff stay ahead of ever-increasing living costs. We now have 98.2% of hours paid at Real Living Wage Pay rates or above, proving that fairness is a journey continually invested in.

4. Growth Without Losing Our Soul

Carlisle’s story over the past decade is also one of remarkable growth from 1,500 people to more than 6,000, from a handful of clients to some of the UK’s most iconic brands and venues. We expanded into a sustained development model in terms of turnover, services, clients, and colleagues. But the real achievement lies in how the company grew: with heart. We thoughtfully choose partnerships and opportunities that align with our values. Carlisle would be a good example of growth deliberately shaped around people-first policies and recognition. Every expansion, every new contract, every milestone has been shaped by one question: ‘Is this good for our people too?’

5. Career Ladders and Pathways for People

Internal promotions, new training pathways, and sector-based development have turned Carlisle into a place where frontline roles lead to long-term careers. Paul has always believed in giving people chances and helped the firm to create new career pathways through learning and development (L&D) programmes, apprenticeships, and established routes where front-line talent is given a chance to become leaders., Around 58% of our salaried roles were filled by internal candidates last year. Paul believes that we, as ‘Sector Based Experts’, are here to create meaningful opportunities and a culture built on trust and belief. New leadership academies, mentorship programmes and accredited qualifications, as well as Women in Security programmes, continue to strengthen this upward mobility, ensuring tomorrow’s leaders are well developed.

6. A New Innovation Culture: From Innovation Lab to Challenge Innovation

Curiosity has always been a part of Carlisle’s DNA. Paul believes innovation shouldn’t live in boardrooms – it should start on the front line. What began as the Innovation Lab soon evolved to include Challenge Innovation, a space where imagination knows no limits and hierarchy takes a back seat. Where every voice is heard, and every idea has the power to spark a change – it’s a movement built on vision, courage, and the belief that great ideas are born from real experiences that hold the power to shape safer, smarter, and more human ways of working. The Innovation Lab has become a flagship event, a source of bright and practical change for Carlisle, and it proves that innovation thrives where every voice gets a room.

7. Recognition Really Matters

While the awards shelf has grown heavier from ongoing national awards, industry honours, to ‘Security Company of the Year 2025’ and ‘Women in Security Frontline Security Officer of the Year’, what truly matters to us is the applause that happens quietly. The handwritten notes of thanks, the internal ‘Superstar’ and ‘Lifesaver’ awards. The simple, heartfelt ‘well done’ in-person means much more than an appreciation email. Carlisle has formalised recognition too via structured reward frameworks, long‑service celebrations and peer‑led appreciation programmes, ensuring gratitude lives in the everyday. Paul often says recognition is one of the most powerful forms of leadership.

8. Purpose and Planet Driven

Under Paul’s leadership, Carlisle found its ‘why.’ The company’s purpose now beats at the heart of everything it does, whether creating a safer, fairer workplace or more sustainable places for people to work. Sustainability for us is not just a programme, it is embedded in our operating principle, infused into contracts, supply chains and colleague training as we work towards a better future. In our most recent ESG report, we have set out clear goals on carbon reduction, inclusion, social value leadership and SBTi commitment as a deliberate long-term plan to operate responsibly. Not only has the latest Innovation Lab driven better collaboration and significant improvements across our contracts, but it has done so in a carbon-neutral manner. Having worked with a sustainability partner, we were able to retire 27 Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) into a Winder Power Project, preventing 27 tonnes of CO2 emissions from being released into the atmosphere.

9. Meaningful Partnerships Built on Trust

From rail and events to healthcare and education, Paul and the Senior Leadership Team have built deeper partnerships by offering more joined-up services and by being accountable. We have come a long way, and now the company holds one of the highest client retention rates in the industry – an extraordinary 98.5% that highlights our market leadership. We now proudly partner with the majority of the UK’s Train Operating Companies in rail, iconic venues, and critical national sectors. This loyalty didn’t come from contracts; it has come from trust and service excellence, perceiving our clients as ‘Partners.’

Today, these partnerships span long‑term multi‑service frameworks, co‑designed innovation plans and shared social value goals that further strengthen collaboration and mutual growth.

10. Leadership that Stays Visible, Humble, and Human

Paul’s story is about rising from front-line shifts to board decisions – all threaded with small, human acts such as visiting sites on a rainy day, a cup of tea on platform pylons, night-shift conversations, the renowned ‘Season’s Greetings’ biscuit tin drops, and surprise Superstar visits, to name a few. That visibility can be seen repeatedly in our InTouch magazine and his interviews; he leads and shapes decisions grounded in the lived reality of front-line work.

He is the leader who never forgets his roots and is always there for people to listen and guide.

The Next Chapter

As we mark an admirable tenth year of Paul Evans in November 2025, Carlisle feels both stronger and more personal than ever before. It’s a business built not on boardroom slogans, but on people, purpose, and pride. The evidence lies in our policies, services, awards, training, and culture that choose people in the hardest moments.

As Paul often says, “We just keep trying to be a little better than yesterday.”

The next chapter will see even greater innovations, stronger partnerships, deeper ESG action, evolving services and countless more stories of stronger career pathways, L&D and leading together. As we look ahead, we will write the next chapter with curiosity, care and the people who make Carlisle their working home.