Making an Entrance is the podcast for the global entrance solutions industry—where security, architecture, automation and technology meet at the threshold of every building.
If you specify, manufacture, install, design, service or invest in entrance systems, this is your front-row seat to the people shaping the future of the industry.
Hosted by Steve Dickinson, an international industry leader with more than four decades of executive experience, each episode features candid conversations with the CEOs, founders, innovators and entrepreneurs building the businesses behind the world's doors, gates, loading systems and access technologies.
These are the stories you won't find in a press release.
From humble beginnings to global market leaders, guests share the pivotal decisions, leadership lessons, successes and setbacks that shaped their organisations—and the industry itself.
But Making an Entrance isn't just about how companies were built.
It's about where they're going next.
Every conversation explores the forces reshaping the sector—from sustainability, regulation and digital transformation to artificial intelligence, automation and the changing expectations of customers and society.
Whether you're leading a multinational business or running a specialist local company, Making an Entrance brings you the ideas, insights and conversations opening the doors to the future.
Steve Dickinson’s guest on this episode is Michael Menzel, founder and recently retired Managing Director of Docking Solution & Service (DSS).
The conversation enters the specialist world of the loading bay—the point where warehouses, vehicles, equipment and people meet, and where productivity and safety must work together.
Michael has spent the past thirty years working in this field. He founded DSS within the Novoferm Group and grew the business—and its mydocking brand—into one of the leading European players in its sector.
Topics covered in the episode include:
Michael’s early career and his route into loading technology
The creation and development of DSS
The complexity of the interface between the vehicle, the building, the equipment and the people
What happens when productivity and safety compete
How loading-bay risks can be reduced through better system design
The intelligent warehouse and the emergence of Physical AI
Why customers should become part of research and development
Leadership, retirement and what ultimately matters
29 Jul 2026
Christian Hasenest, CEO, Novoferm Group
Steve Dickinson's guest in today's episode is Christian Hasenest, CEO of the Novoferm Group.
He is a dynamic, modern executive steering one of the absolute cornerstones of the global entrance solutions market. With a strong foundation in business administration, his career has been defined by driving commercial excellence and premium brand leadership across some of Europe's most respected industrial organizations—including BTI, Kärcher, and the Fischer Group.
In April 2025, Christian took the helm as the Chief Executive Officer of the Novoferm Group. He is currently leading a highly strategic evolution of the business, unifying a powerful international network into a coherent, high-performance global entity under the vision of 'One Novoferm.'
Topics covered in the show include:
Hands-on leadership on the road
The DNA of premium global brands
The strength of the Novoferm network
Market trends in tech and sustainablity
AI in entrance solutions
Coherence and unity: The One Novoferm vision
The art of strategic alignment and modern leadership
Engaging a global workforce, and aligning the entire team with a vision for a dynamic, unified group.
26 Jun 2026
Javier-Pérez-Sánchez, Novoferm Alsal
Steve Dickinson's guest on today's show is an international commercial leader with a strong technical background and deep experience across the Spanish, Portuguese, and South American markets. He graduated from the University of Cantabria in 1989, in the beautiful northern Spanish city of Santander.
Making an entrance today is Javier-Pérez-Sánchez, Managing Director of Novoferm Alsal, and President of FIMPA, the Spanish Federation of automatic door installers and maintainers.
Topics covered in today's show include:
Javier's roots and early influences.
The evolution of Novoferm-Alsal.
The Southern European vs Northern European Dynamic.
Expanding across borders to South America and Northern Africa.
The invisible infrastructure and regulation of entrance solutions.
Technology, smart access and AI.
The evolution of leadership and employee expectations.
If you enjoyed the show and want to be among the first to hear future episodes, don't forget to subscribe to 'Making an Entrance' on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
12 Jun 2026
Erik Klomp, Novodoor
Steve Dickinson's guest in today's episode is Erik Klomp, founder and CEO of Novodoor.
Erik is a Dutch entrepreneur who lives and works out of Istanbul, operating at the very extreme end of the global entrance solutions market. His company, Novodoor, doesn't just sell doors; they secure some of the largest, highest-stakes infrastructure projects in the world—specializing in complex fire door installations for international airports and mega-developments, primarily across the Middle East.
What makes him unique is that he has constructed a truly global supply chain, stitching together products from Germany, Italy, Spain, South Korea, and the United States to deliver a unified solution to his clients. He is also a man who knows a thing or two about endurance, having successfully completed the gruelling Dakar Rally.
Topics covered in the show include:
The Dakar Rally mindset
Global sourcing: The unified platform in action
The reality of mega-infrastructure projects
The challenge of global coordination
Feedback from the frontline to suppliers
The high stakes of fire door compliance
The global life, and the meaning of partnership
If you enjoyed the show and want to be among the first to hear future episodes, don't forget to subscribe to 'Making an Entrance' on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
22 Feb 2026
Anders Majland, Novoferm Denmark
Steve Dickinson's guest in today's episode is Anders Majland, Managing Director of Novoferm Denmark, and Regional Manager for Novoferm in Scandinavia. Anders graduated from Syddansk University in Southern Denmark, began his career in advanced electronic control systems, and for the last two decades he's held senior positions in the field of entrance solutions with two of the industry's leading companies: Nassau Doors (now part of Assa Abloy) and since 2012, the Novoferm Group (a member of Sanwa Holdings).
Topics covered in the show include:
The Scandinavian market
The main challenges faced when doing business across borders
Anders' leadership style
The 'invisibility' of the entrance solutions market
Social, regulatory, and environmental trends in the Scandinavian market - including the impact of European fire safety standards
Key technological changes in the industry, including AI and modular building methods
The impact of social, regulatory and technological changes on leadership
Please remember to subscribe to our show and leave a rating on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you found this episode.
27 Dec 2025
Michel Akoum/Novoferm France
Steve Dickinson's guest in today's episode is Michel Akoum, President and CEO of Novoferm France. Michel was born in Lebanon, rose from the ranks of R&D engineers in Paris, before quickly moving into export sales and general management. For the last two decades he held senior positions in the field of entrance solutions with two of the industry's leading companies.
Topics covered in the show include:
The company Novoferm France and its place within the Novoferm Group, and their parent company, Sanwa Holdings
Advice he would offer to current graduates of his alma mater, the Ecole des Travaux Publics, Paris
One thing he would do differently during his career at Novoferm
Michel's leadership style
Current social, regulatory and technical trends in the French market
Key lessons learned during a long career
Please remember to subscribe to our show on Apple, Spotify or wherever you found this podcast.
18 Dec 2025
Ali Ihsan Güneş, FGI
Steve Dickinson's guest in today's episode is Ali Ihsan Güneş, the co-founder of FGI, an exciting family-owned business based in Sakarya, Turkiye- 125 km east of Istanbul. Together with his brother, Gunay, and other members of the family, he built his business, not once, but twice. His origin story is one of the most traumatic imaginable.
Topics covered in the show include:
The company FGI, and the markets it serves
Contrasting styles and roles of the two founders
Their overall journey into the industry
The devastating earthquake of 17 August 1999
Perspectives from Ali's roles as Chairman of the Advisory Board at Sakarya Business School, and Vice President of the Turkish-German Chamber of Commerce
Trends in social, regulatory and technology - including AI
If you enjoyed the show and want to be among the first to hear future episodes, don't forget to subscribe to 'Making an Entrance' on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
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