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About SWCRC

Meet the Management Team

At SWCRC, we have a small but effective team to spread cyber resilience across the South West comprising of two-full time staff members, and a roster or volunteers from around the region.

Steve Shepherd

Chief Executive Officer

As the CEO of the South West Cyber Resilience Centre, I lead our mission to enhance the cyber resilience of businesses and organisations within the South West region. Building on my extensive background as a UK Law Enforcement Cyber Protect Officer, I now steer the Centre in its strategic direction, fostering partnerships and collaborations to safeguard our community against cyber threats. I'm committed to delivering impactful cyber security education, support, and solutions, ensuring that our stakeholders are equipped to navigate the evolving digital landscape securely. Additionally, as a co-author of the D.O.G Online Safety Books, I continue my passion for promoting online safety, empowering users with the knowledge and tools to stay safer in the online world.

Joseph Ross

Chief Technology & Finance Officer | Head of Cyber & Innovation

As the CTFO, Joseph is entrusted with the comprehensive responsibility of maintaining the SWCRC’s cyber resilience. This includes selecting and implementing appropriate technologies and conducting extensive training for employees and volunteers on cyber safety best practices. Additionally, he oversees the annual certification process for Cyber Essentials Plus, ensuring the organisation meets stringent cybersecurity standards. Financially, he manages the company's operations, including policy development for expense claims. In his HoCI capacity, Joseph is responsible for the operational output, providing cyber resilience expertise to regional organisations, managing all volunteers, and ensuring compliance with police vetting requirements. Furthermore, he acts as the academic liaison, fostering relationships with universities and integrating current research into the center’s practices.

Office

Local multi academy trust client, Somerset

Mark and his team took the time to meet with us several times, at no cost to ourselves, to talk through our requirements and answer many questions about how we could increase our security. The information provided was invaluable in helping us to assess responses and appoint a provider who we trust will be strong in this area. We can’t recommend their services enough, I would encourage anyone who is not quite sure where to start to get in touch.

Current member

I joined because I work with a lot of businesses so wanted to point them in your direction, and also share important updates with businesses & my colleagues. It also keeps me aware of not clicking on links etc - reminders are very useful!

Claire Brooks, MI

I didn’t know what I didn’t know about network security. The guys I was speaking to were very clear. Shortly after the completion of the work I did receive a very comprehensive report. The main thing for me was that it was very clear… the impact on  my business of having the testing was really reassuring. It’s safe, and my customers are protected or as protected as they can be. Would I recommend? Yes, absolutely. It’s a huge reassurance to have that stamp of approval.

Our advisory group is exceptionally well-networked within the business community of the South West, and its members are expert in their fields. They help us to understand the characteristics and needs of different sectors. We work with them to ensure that our activities meet those needs, and are as widely publicised as possible. At this time, we are not seeking additional advisory group members, although we expect that the group’s composition will develop as we embark on new initiatives.

Advisory Group

Gary Carr-Smith

Advisory Group Lead, South West Cyber Resilience Centre

Gary is a former Merchant Navy Deck Officer and a retired Fire Officer having served in Avon Fire & Rescue Service for over 28 years, retiring in 2015. He has been a volunteer with Avon & Somerset Constabulary since 2016 as a role player within the Initial Training section and joined the SWCRC as a volunteer in 2021 as coordinating lead for the Advisory Group.

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Joe Abdulgani

Assistant Principle, Weston College and University Centre Weston

Joe is current the Assistant Principal for Curriculum – Creative Media, Digital and Project Management for Weston College and University Centre Weston. Joe has worked within Further and Higher Education for the past 18 years starting as a assessor and lecturer. As a recognised Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Joe has lead multiple programme developments, most notably that of Degree Apprenticeships working in collaboration with employer partners.

Dee-Anne Bruce

Dee-Anne Bruce

Strategy & Policy Advisor, Kaze Consulting

Dee-Anne has extensive experience in managing complex operations, leading multi-disciplinary teams, pioneering strategic policy change and achieving sustainable transformation. Dee-Anne is passionate about helping organisations with business challenges, transforming ways of working and embedding positive change results. Dee-Anne is also a co-founder of the Womens Cyber Circle - inspiring, empowering and supporting women to thrive in the cyber profession.

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Sam Holliday

Development Manager, Federation of Small Businesses

Sam Holliday has been a Development Manager for Britain’s biggest business representation group - the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) – for more than 10 years. He covers the Bristol, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire and Bath areas as well as working as part of the wider South West FSB region. In his role, he supports and advises FSB members with a variety of issues, arranges events and local networking and represents the FSB with local stakeholders and the media to ensure that the small business voice is heard. Prior to joining FSB, Sam was a newspaper editor originally in his hometown Tamworth in Staffordshire before moving to the South West in 2005 where he headed up the Bath Chronicle newspaper series for seven years and led his team to a number of regional and national awards.

Robin King

Robin King

South West Cyber Security Cluster

Robin is an experienced, sales-focussed business manager with a specialism within the Technology and Security markets. He has held senior roles within a range of companies, bringing together the skills of highly experienced teams to lead solutions and services into a range of public and private sector markets, notably the Defence and Security sectors in both the UK and overseas. He has a particular interest in cyber security, retains senior relationships relevant to the UK technology-based innovation market including those with Government, the System Integration and Prime Contractor communities and with several Academic institutions. Robin has represented the interests of the UK SME sector within UK and International trade organisations to include UKTI, UK Council for Electronic Business (UKCeB), UK ADS Group (as a member of the Defence Small Medium Enterprise Committee) and the internationally recognised Transglobal Secure Collaboration Program (TSCP) with interest in securing supply chain interoperability. He was an invited member of the UK Prime Ministerial Trade Delegation to the US to represent UK SME Cyber Security interests. Amongst other activities, Robin is a trusted advisor to a number of cyber security businesses as they establish market presence within the specialist sectors of defence and security markets with a particular interest in Industrial Control System provision for Critical National Infrastructure.

Tom Marshall

Tom Marshall

Commercial Operations Manager, Business Cyber Centre

Tom is the business development manager for the Business Cyber Centre (BCC), the UK's first business-led cyber centre. Tom has a strong background in commercial and residential property, as well as working with start-ups and micro-SMEs through to large corporates and MoD primes. As lead for the BCC, Tom is focused on mobilising the physical premises whilst establishing the commercial strategy for the BCC as a start-up business.

Vince McConville

Vince McConville

Innovation & Growth Specialist, Innovate UK Edge SW

Vince is an Innovation & Growth Specialist providing support to technology focused innovative companies across the SW as part of the Innovate UK EDGE programme. Previously he was the Digital Futures Sector Lead at the Heart of the SW LEP, and prior to that he ran his own Business Consultancy specialising in helping businesses with Technology, Digital & Web. He has also worked as a director of a bespoke software development company & internet marketing company. Vince is also an experienced business advisor having worked for Business Link & on various business support programmes such as Connecting Devon & Somerset, Superfast Business, Superfast Cornwall, and the Heart of the South West Growth Hub.

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Ian Royle

Head of Resilience Risk, HSBC

Ian is currently the Head of Resilience Risk at HSBC. Over a 45 year career in Financial Services, Ian has worked for Lloyds Bank, Citigroup, Barclays, JP Morgan and, for the last 3 years, HSBC. During that time, Ian has worked in a branch serving customers, in Finance, Technology development, Technology audit, Risk and Control and Cybersecurity, working across all three lines of defence. Prior to joining HSBC, Ian was the EMEA Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for JP Morgan Chase. Ian lives in the New Forest and is keen to leverage what he has learned during his career to support businesses in the South West.

Paul Smith

Paul Smith

Chief Information Officer, Amnesty International

Paul is currently the Global Chief Information Officer for Amnesty International, the world’s largest Human Rights organisation. He has over 20 years’ experience in senior technology roles, having lead teams internationally for organisations with up to 3,000 employees, 40,000 volunteers and 10 million supporters - operating globally with revenue up to $1B. This experience cuts across numerous and varied sectors, technical domains, cultures and geographical regions, worldwide - including Defence, Construction & Engineering, Government Services, Expeditionary Infrastructure, Aviation Solutions, IT & Communications, Dispersed Contingency Operations, Equipment and Systems, Worldwide Power Generation, Global Disaster Relief, Global Logistics, Direct Marketing (multi-vertical), Not-for-Profit Maritime Search and Rescue and of course Human Rights.

Andrew Yearsley

Andrew Yearsley

Chief Technology Officer, Bishop Fleming

Andrew is Chief Technology Officer at Bishop Fleming, a UK accountancy firm that providing a comprehensive range of services across a wide range of sectors. A large portion of Bishop Fleming’s client base are SME’s based in the South West. Andrew's perspective is that getting involved with SWCRC is a great way to help keep these clients secure, which ultimately helps with Bishop Fleming’s own Cyber Security.

Membership is FREE so join today to receive your welcome pack and access to all of our cyber security advice and resources.

Want to improve your cyber resilience?

Our management board is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the centre, making sure that we serve the needs of the local business community.

Non-Executive Board Members 

Board members are drawn from leading companies with a strong interest in the South West region, and invariably have a strong desire to protect the regional economy. They contribute financially or in-kind to the running of the centre, and help ensure that we provide practical and useful support. We are always on the look out for the right candidates who wish to join us; if you think that you might be one of them, please contact us to arrange a conversation.

Craig Sharp

Craig Sharp - Chair

Vice President UK Government, Cyber Security Solutions Division, Leonardo

As new technologies emerge and cyber threats continue to increase, Craig understands the importance of building cyber resilience and supporting his local region. He’s proud of his work supporting the South West Cyber Resilience Centre to enable organisations within the South West to safeguard their business, their supply chains and their partners from current and emerging cyber and security threats. Craig lives in Somerset with his wife and three boys, and can often be overheard in the office relaying the importance of ensuring the local tea room in Cornwall has the same knowledge as the likes of big organisations when it comes to protecting against and preventing cyber and security threats. He has a wealth of experience within the security and defence sectors, having worked for the likes of Marconi, BAE Systems, Thales, Selex and Capita before joining Leonardo for a second time in 2017. Craig's current role at Leonardo is as Vice President in the UK Government portfolio for the Cyber and Security Division. He leads on projects into central government including the Police and Border Force user communities. By becoming a board member for the SWCRC in December 2021, Craig aims to utilise the Cyber and Security knowledge, skills and resources within Leonardo to collaborate and share information with the SWCRC where applicable.

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Chris Nelson

Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire

Chris Nelson was first elected as Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in May 2021, then again in 2024. After growing up in Leeds, state educated, Chris joined the Army at 18, attending Sandhurst. He retired as a full Colonel, having served operationally in the First Gulf War and on the streets of Northern Ireland. His senior staff roles embraced tri-service programme and resource management, operational equipment requirements, budgets, work force planning, IT, training, recruitment, and estates. He gained two degrees and multiple academic and professional qualifications during his time in the Army. Following his military service, he had a career in business, helping to provide state of the art training facilities to police forces around the world, finishing off that second career as Vice President International Business Development for a US company in Atlanta, Georgia. His third career as a politician includes time as a Borough councillor in Cheltenham, Member of the County Police and Crime Panel and Chairman of a very busy parish council. A passionate believer in the virtues of volunteering and public service, he is privileged to have supported his local community whenever an opportunity has presented itself. As PCC for Gloucestershire, Chris has introduced a zero-tolerance approach to Anti-Social Behaviour; sorted out the budget and secured funding for around 400 extra police officers/staff; tackled male violence against women and girls; reduced the cost of rural crime; mitigated scam calls; and improved Gloucestershire Constabulary’s 999 and 101 service. Working with his fellow Commissioners in the South West, he is Chair of the Prisoners Building Homes Programme, an innovative scheme that reduces reoffending and provides much needed affordable homes. Building on his experience helping the Constabulary to exit ‘Special Measures’ (something he inherited at the start of his first term of office), he has now become Joint National Lead for Performance within the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners. He is also Joint National Lead for Local Policing, in line with his focus on Neighbourhood Policing and tackling Anti-Social Behaviour. Craig's current role at Leonardo is as Vice President in the UK Government portfolio for the Cyber and Security Division. He leads on projects into central government including the Police and Border Force user communities. By becoming a board member for the SWCRC in December 2021, Craig aims to utilise the Cyber and Security knowledge, skills and resources within Leonardo to collaborate and share information with the SWCRC where applicable.

Dave Thorne

Temporary Deputy Chief Constable, Devon and Cornwall Police

Dave joined the Devon and Cornwall police in 1999, and progressed through the ranks before being appointed as Assistant Chief Constable in South Wales Police in 2020, with the Specialist Crime portfolio. He returned to Devon and Cornwall Police in March 2023 as Assistant Chief Constable with responsibility for Crime, Justice and Vulnerability. Appointed Temporary Deputy Chief Constable in July 2023, David is Chief Operating Officer, responsible for delivering policing performance across the 4,000 square miles of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. He also supports the Chief Constable in leading the Force around organisational culture, promoting values and ethics and holding responsibility for upholding professional standards across the Force. David initially qualified as a teacher in 1993, teaching physics and outdoor education, both in the UK and abroad and has also worked as a mountain leader and kayak instructor. David, a father of five, is a keen mountain biker and enjoys skiing.

Paul Coles

Paul Coles 

CEO of the South West Business Council

Paul left BT after 31 years, as BT Group’s English Regional Director where he was responsible for developing strategic relationships with combined and local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, business, education and community organisations to focus on the success and growth of the UK’s regional and local economies. In this new phase of his portfolio career Paul is working with a company called “Advalus” as a senior consultant in the area of technology and innovation, especially 5G, Cyber and Internet of Things. Paul is based in the South West and sits on the following external boards: • Heart of the South West LEP • Tech South West Advisory Board • Member of the Court of Bristol University • Board Member of Surf Life Saving GB • South West Cyber Resilience Centre

Andy Giles

Cyber Threat Intelligence

Andy currently leads cyberthreat intelligence integration with banking businesses at a major international financial services firm. Spanning a 22+ year career in intelligence and security, Andy has led technical assurance, compliance, risk, security architecture and intelligence capabilities in the military, defence industry and financial sectors. In the financial sector, Andy has also worked with major UK domiciled financial institutions at a cross sector collaboration cybersecurity resilience initiative to support UK Financial Regulator industry resilience goals, where he led on strategic project definition and execution. Andy has also led the design and implementation of security policy infrastructure and consultancy service automation within a high-profile UK based financial services firm, where he provided transformational thought leadership in strategic information security management. When not at work, Andy enjoys reading international relations, mountain biking, walking and general fitness.

Angela Hicks

Angela Hicks

CEO, the Hive

Angela Hicks is CEO at the hive- which offers 1-1 business advice and training, workspace/meeting space, and a welcoming business community for small businesses across North Somerset. the hive is purpose led, not for profit and well connected. Since 1987 they have helped thousands of businesses start up and grow. Angela joined what is now the hive when it was a small community business support project 36 years ago. Under her leadership it became the North Somerset Enterprise Agency which has a long history of delivering successful business support programmes on behalf of the UK Government. In 2008, spotting a need for flexible workspace for the small businesses they were helping, Angela set about securing £3.6 million to build a BREEAM excellent, energy efficient purpose built managed office facility for the area. With a great deal of support from the team, volunteer board and other stakeholders the hive opened in 2014. the hive is now the home of small business support in North Somerset and continues its green credentials by being carbon neutral with targets to become net zero by 2030.

Giles Letheren

Giles Letheren

CEO, Delt Shared Services

After a first career as a production manager for live entertainment (Boyzone, East17, Lee Evans to name a few), a second career as a magician and escapologist, Giles accidentally become a Chief Information Officer. In this role he was responsible for not only Information Technology but Top Secret paper filing systems and a British Post Office located, bizarrely, in the middle of Washington DC. At this point 'cyber security' was the domain of very geeky basement dwellers but after meeting the former Russian Spy, Victor Sheymov, Giles decided it might be exciting to learn more. His subsequent career has been on both sides of the Atlantic, in the public and private sector, spanning a range of leadership roles in local and national government, technology, project management, operations, management consulting and support services. Whilst living in the States he collected both an MBA and a lot of speeding tickets, before relocating to Cornwall. A winner of the Institute of Directors Director the Year award and Visiting Lecturer at Marjons Business School, Giles is Chief Executive Officer of Delt Shared Services, a publicly owned support services company with a mission to 'Help People Do Amazing Things'.

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