A world-class pool of security and commercial leaders

Daniel Clarke is a technology leader with nearly two decades of experience developing and deploying emerging technologies. Daniel has experience as both a researcher and developer across a wide variety of fields, including Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Cyber-Electromagnetic operations and Artificial Intelligence.

Daniel has experience working across government, industry and Academia in roles across Europe. In previous roles, Daniel was the head of applied research in two of the UK’s leading AI startups; was the technology manager for autonomous vehicles at Siemens in Munich, and was a research scientist in electromagnetic warfare for the UK MOD’s Defence Science Technology Laboratory. While at Dstl, Daniel deployed to Afghanistan as the Scientific Advisor to Task Force Helmand where he was awarded a commendation for his work. Daniel has a PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Innsbruck in Austria.

As a technology leader, Daniel is interested in both the development of technology, and how it can be effectively deployed to realise real-world value. Daniel is a Lecturer at Cranfield Defence and Security at The Defence Academy of the UK and is an advisory board member for a number of exciting start ups.

Jim Clover OBE is a former HMG leader with 20+ years in OSINT, Digital Forensics and the technical engineering to achieve both. Jim now advises multiple companies at both C-Suite and team levels to achieve the best outcomes in terms of their technology and security deployments. He is also an advisor and due diligence specialist for investment into technical startups.

Anthony Finkelstein is President of City St George’s, University of London. Prior to this he was Chief Scientific Adviser for National Security to HM Government, a senior strategic and operational role that involves leadership of science, research and innovation across the UK's national security community.

Anthony is a Professor of Software Systems Engineering and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He is a Distinguished Fellow of RUSI. He was granted the title of Knight Bachelor in 2022 for public service. He was previously appointed a CBE for services to computer science and engineering. He has successfully exited two tech companies in data and AI.

Dr. Robert Hercock is a Chief Research Scientist in the British Telecommunications Security Research Practice. He served as a member of the Royal Society Science and Industry Committee and is a regular adviser to the Royal Society on AI and Data Science issues.

He has over thirty international publications in AI and security concepts, in addition to over 30 filed patents. His research interests include Cyber Security, AI, Robotics and Complex Adaptive Systems.

A Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET), he is also a Visiting Fellow at the Changing Character of Warfare Centre, in Pembroke College, Oxford University. He also provides independent technical expertise for the UK MoD Defence Science Expert Committee (DSEC) and was a Business Research Fellow at the Santa Fe Institute in New Mexico.

Ben Johnson is CTO and co-founder of Obsidian Security, a SaaS-focused cybersecurity provider in California. Ben is also the President of NGO-ISAC, the ISAC dedicated to the non-profit sector. Before Obsidian, Ben co-founded Carbon Black, an endpoint security company that successfully established the EDR space and was ultimately acquired.

He also was the founding teacher of "Entrepreneurship in Technology" at the University of Chicago. Early in his career, Ben served as an intrusion engineer at NSA and continues his national security mission as an advisor to the FISA Court within the US Department of Justice.

Mr. Johnson also enjoys serving non-profits, advising entrepreneurs, golfing, surfing, and hiking. He is located in Newport Beach with his amazing wife and three incredible sons.

Gaven is an internationally recognised engineering leader with more than 30 years of experience in UK National Security. Until late 2023, he was the Director General for Technology and Chief Technology Officer at GCHQ. In his 7 years as CTO, he was responsible for the research and development of a wide range of critical UK national security capabilities. He led and managed a large and highly-expert technical team based in the UK and overseas. He was accountable for a range of mission-critical investment programmes and for transforming data capabilities across the wider national security community. Prior to becoming CTO, Gaven held a number of technology leadership roles that invested in cutting-edge technology to support GCHQ’s rapidly changing mission. Gaven is now an academic, a technology advisor, and an active advocate for online safety. He is a passionate champion for inclusion in engineering. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2022 and was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 2023.

Eddie culminated his 35-year career in the British Government’s Defence and Security community with his appointment as Chair and CEO of HMGCC. He spent five years there leading a world-class engineering team, focused on the development and integration of high-end technology capability of various kinds.

Today, Eddie helps early-stage British tech companies to grow and scale. He has built a portfolio of Executive and Advisory roles with a number of innovative British tech and cyber security start-ups and scale-ups, especially in London and Oxford. He is Chair of General System, and on the Board at iProov. He is a Fellow of the IET.

Elisabeth is a global security thought leader, focusing on non-military national-security threats such as economic subversion and exploitation of research and innovation. She’s considered one of the pioneering strategists in this area and regularly delivers talks to military, political and business audiences about the West’s changing national-security environment.

Elisabeth Braw is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, focusing on geopolitics and the globalised economy as well as new national security threats. She’s also a columnist with Foreign Policy and Politico Europe and the author of the award-winning Goodbye Globalization: The Return of a Divided World (Yale University Press).

Elisabeth was previously a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington and a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London. She’s the author of God’s Spies, about the Stasi’s church division (2019), The Defender’s Dilemma: Identifying and Deterring Gray-Zone Aggression (2022), a member of the UK National Preparedness Commission, a member of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy’s advisory council (on leave), a member of the Aurora Forum’s steering committee and an adviser to Willis Towers Watson’s research arm. Before joining academia, she worked in the private sector following a career as a journalist. She’s a regular op-ed contributor to the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Times (of London).

Ed has nearly 40 years of experience leading and delivering high value outcomes in extremely challenging environments, both commercially and in the military. He has comprehensive experience of managing and dealing with all types of intelligence, political and malicious risk, confrontation analysis, complex project management, business development and resource allocation.

He has been part of the leadership team that built two successful small businesses and spent 7 years as Chief Resilience Officer at Pool Re, the Government backed terrorism reinsurance scheme. He is a Senior Independent Advisor to the licensee Board of EDF Energy Generation, the operating company for UK’s nuclear industry and to Northcourt, the Nuclear Risk Specialists. He was privileged to command 22 SAS over 9/11 and led British forces in Afghanistan in 2006. Ed has been formally recognised by Her Majesty's Government on six occasions for his service to the nation.

Priya is a senior leader in technology and innovation who was recognised in June 2022 by InspiringFifty as one of the Top 50 Women in European Tech. She is a Venture Partner at Merian Ventures, investing in women-led innovation, an Advisor to Kheiron Medical Technologies, a NED at UK Research & Innovation, the Digital Catapult and Adjunct Faculty at the Ashridge Hult Business School.

Priya used to be a career diplomat, most recently as British Consul General to San Francisco. She sits on the Royal Academy of Engineering International Committee, Tech London Advocates & Global Tech Advocates Advisory Boards and is a TechSheCan Trustee. Priya was awarded an MBE in 2021 for services to international trade and women in innovation.

Tom served as the most senior Homeland Security Advisor to the last four British Home Secretaries. He led cross-government work countering state threats, cyber crime and security, disinformation, money laundering, online harms, child sexual exploitation and terrorism. He also oversaw the domestic operations of the intelligence agencies, CT Police and the National Crime Agency.

During his thirty years working on national security, Tom has played a leading role on international as well as domestic security issues, especially within the Five Eyes community. Tom was also a member of the UK’s Joint Intelligence Committee, the UK's most senior analytical body on national security issues. As a result of his experience in mastering science and technology to achieve better operational outcomes, Tom was asked in mid-2020 to set up from scratch, and at pace, the UK’s Joint Biosecurity Centre, a data-led organisation that brought data science and public health expertise together in one place to spot earlier and more accurately outbreaks of COVID-19. He was appointed OBE by Her Majesty the Queen in 2011 and CB in 2020 for his services to national security.

Jonathan Kewley is an international lawyer, board advisor and tech ethicist. He works with many of the world’s largest companies on M&A and complex projects spanning cyber security, AI, data privacy, and ESG / sustainable Tech development. He co-chairs the Tech Group at Clifford Chance, the global law firm.

Jonathan is a recognised expert in the area of Tech and data ethics, and works with Oxford University, The Alan Turing Institute and American Enterprise Institute to further discussion and research in AI regulation, cyber security and sustainable technology development.

In 2020 he founded a bursary programme at Oxford University to address lack of diversity in tech education, encouraging more women and people from minority backgrounds to study Computer Science.

After a highly commended 20 year service within UK policing, Kevin joined BT in 2012 initially transform its ability to manage risk but within several years progressed to leading and building a $1 billion cyber security business. Kevin left BT in 2023 to further his cyber security career and is now the COO of NCC Group.

Through his 30 year career, he’s developed a truly holistic experience of security with a proven ability as a CISO/CSO, as well as devising innovative commercial growth strategies for public and private sectors. He has achieved this by building brilliant diverse teams.

Kevin’s collaborative leadership has forged close working with the WEF, not for profits, national security, and many industry groups. He has been a driving force behind public-private partnerships across the world.

Simon has 18 years CEO experience building and successfully selling three PE/VC backed, technology-based companies. He grew revenues at image.net and Peach 10 times developing each from a UK base to global, platform businesses with clients and operations in every continent. As well as driving organic growth, he has extensive M&A experience, including initiating, closing and integrating over a dozen acquisitions for Peach in territories including China, India, Singapore, Chile, Spain, Ireland and the UK.

Simon was previously COO of Euromoney Institutional Investor plc, a FTSE 250 company, and Group Finance Director of Zenith Productions.

Mark is a chartered accountant with a background in economics, valuation and business management. He was recently the CFO of an applied artificial intelligence business, based in London and other European cities.

He managed the sale of that business to a large, listed advertising firm.

Before that, Mark was a Managing Director in FTI Consulting's Economic and Financial Consulting practice in London. He provided financial and economic evidence for complex legal disputes and managed the quantum aspects of a number of multi-billion US$ disputes. Analysis often took the form of company or asset valuations and included detailed analysis of liquidity.

Ben Legg is originally an engineer whose early career included British Army Officer, McKinsey strategy consultant, executive at Coca-Cola, before becoming the Chief Operating Officer of Google Europe and thereafter various global technology CEO roles. Today, he has a portfolio career. He is CEO and CoFounder of The Portfolio Collective, a global community of world class portfolio professionals working in the start-up & scaleup ecosystem. Ben also mentors start-up & scaleup founders, helping investors pick winners and supporting Oxford University's entrepreneurial initiatives. He is acknowledged as a thought leader on the Future of Work.

Ben has lived in nine countries and has a massive network throughout the technology industry. He is also the author of the award-winning book: Marketing For CEOs - Death Or Glory In The Digital Age. He is an avid fitness nut, has five children and lives in London.

Vipul brings a track record of over 20 years scaling B2B Data and SaaS businesses in the UK and USA. With hands-on operating experience as a senior executive, he has organised major product initiatives that have created commercial value and supported successful exits.

As an investor and advisor with an entrepreneurial mindset, Vipul now helps startups create enterprise value through their product strategies. Amongst other roles, Vipul is a Mentor with the Silicon Valley headquartered Plug and Play Tech Centre.

Vipul was formerly the Chief Product Officer at OAG and previously Head of Product at Ascend Worldwide. He has also worked with recognised global brands such as Standard & Poor’s and Dun & Bradstreet during his career.

John is a seasoned product leader and advisor with over 20 years of experience in commercialising innovative digital products and scaling businesses across multiple sectors. He has launched and optimised products in the UK and US and led cross-functional teams in technology companies during significant periods of growth.

Drawing from unique experiences and insights on both sides of the startup ecosystem, John brings a comprehensive perspective to early-stage businesses. As a venture capitalist, he has built and advised portfolio companies, while his senior leadership roles at various startups have given him firsthand insight into the strategic, commercial, and operational challenges that early-stage businesses face.

With an MBA from London Business School and an Electrical Engineering degree from Georgia Tech, John bridges technical and business perspectives while aligning diverse strategic viewpoints across organisations.

John is passionate about helping charities and mission driven organisations use technology to solve practical problems and deliver more impact to their communities and clients. He has served as a strategic advisor to multiple early-stage businesses and as a non-executive director for a large UK museum.

Phil is a serial open source technology entrepreneur having led the international business efforts of some of the world’s most transformative (now leading) software firms covering the entire technology stack (silicon chips, embedded/IoT, operating systems, middleware, virtualisation, mobile/cloud computing, big data and blockchain). An open source veteran, he helped many Fortune 1000 companies to embrace new disruptive technologies, often displacing entrenched solutions from competitors like IBM and Microsoft. Phil led the European, USA and Asian businesses for Red Hat, VMware, Santander and Deutsche Telekom - where as corporate cloud entrepreneur he created their global Telekom Public Cloud business unit.