A world-class pool of security and commercial leaders

Co-Founders
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Dean Jones
Dean has a diverse background encompassing specialist military service, corporate advisory, and leadership expertise. With over two decades of…
Dean Jones

Dean has a diverse background encompassing specialist military service, corporate advisory, and leadership expertise. With over two decades of operational experience in complex combat environments, Dean possesses a wide range of knowledge and skills relevant to his current business role.

After a successful military career as a former Royal Marines soldier, Dean smoothly transitioned into the corporate sector. He has established himself as a board-level advisor and an expert in leadership, strategy, and finance. Dean's insights into strategic geopolitical risk, new technologies, and human-machine teaming are highly valuable to commercial organisations.

During his military service, Dean demonstrated exceptional dedication and received notable recognition for his achievements. He was awarded a Mention in Dispatches in 2011 and received a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in 2015 from the Secretary of State for Defence, acknowledging his outstanding contributions in challenging operational environments.

Dean's commitment to personal and professional growth is evident in his educational pursuits. He attended London Business School as a Sloan Fellow and further expanded his strategic understanding through studies at Harvard Business School. Additionally, Dean held the position of Research Fellow at Oxford University's CCW program. Prior to his military career, Dean pursued his passion for professional sport as an Academy player at Swansea City.

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Josh Burch
Josh is a former senior UK national security/intelligence and commercial leader with more than twenty years’ experience delivering high-impact…
Josh Burch

Josh is a former senior UK national security/intelligence and commercial leader with more than twenty years’ experience delivering high-impact solutions, at the highest levels of business and government, tackling the most complex commercial, geopolitical, risk and security challenges.

Josh spent more than 15 years in a range of UK government national security roles, focused on understanding and mitigating global strategic threats from nation states, terrorists and malicious cyber actors. He was Chief of Staff to one of the UK’s most senior national security officials, and before that was Head of the Strategy and Risk team at British sigint and cybersecurity agency GCHQ.

After government, Josh joined FTI Consulting as a partner where he established and led the firm’s Cybersecurity practice in EMEIA. In April 2021, Josh was recognised by Consulting Magazine in their Global Leaders in Consulting Awards under the category “Excellence in Execution”. Josh started his career at Goldman Sachs where he was a mergers & acquisitions and corporate finance specialist in the firm’s Investment Banking Division.

Chairman & Advisory Board Chair
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Simon Collins
Chair of GALLOS’s Corporate Board
Simon is a chairman and leader with 30 years’ experience in starting, scaling, acquiring and turning round businesses. He…
Simon Collins
Chair of GALLOS’s Corporate Board

Simon is a chairman and leader with 30 years’ experience in starting, scaling, acquiring and turning round businesses. He was Chairman and Senior Partner of KPMG in the UK and a member of KPMG’s Global Board and Executive Committee from 2012 until 2017. A boardroom adviser, especially in exit planning, scaling, financial matters, governance and change, Simon has advised and run businesses in Europe, the US, the Middle East and Asia. He challenges the status quo and inspires and develops individuals and teams. Simon is passionate about, and committed to, inclusion and responsibility in business.

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Sir Jeremy Fleming
Chair of GALLOS’s Strategic Advisory Board
Jeremy was Director of GCHQ from April 2017 to May 2023. He led the development of the UK’s National…
Sir Jeremy Fleming
Chair of GALLOS’s Strategic Advisory Board

Jeremy was Director of GCHQ from April 2017 to May 2023. He led the development of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which has become a global authority in cyber security, bringing together Government, industry, and international partners to address cyber threats and inform the public. Jeremy also oversaw the creation in 2020 of the National Cyber Force (NCF), a joint mission between GCHQ and the UK Ministry of Defence that leads the world in applying cyber effects to protect the UK and its allies. Under Jeremy’s leadership, GCHQ played a central role in the UK’s support to Ukraine as it resists Russia’s invasion, and in better preparing the UK for the challenges and opportunities of an increasingly assertive China.

Core Team
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Daniel Clarke
Daniel Clarke is a technology leader with nearly two decades of experience developing and deploying emerging technologies. Daniel has…
Daniel Clarke

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.

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Mark Gillespie (CFO)
Mark is a chartered accountant with a background in economics, valuation and business management. He was recently the CFO of…
Mark Gillespie (CFO)

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.

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Will Kilmer
William Kilmer is a venture capital investor, multi-time founder and CEO, and author who has invested in and run…
Will Kilmer

William Kilmer is a venture capital investor, multi-time founder and CEO, and author who has invested in and run companies around the world. He specializes in working with cybersecurity companies on go-to-market, strategy, financing, and scaling their business. Formerly the managing partner at C5 Capital, he has invested in cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and digital companies across the US, UK, and Europe including most recently Constella Intelligence, Hazelcast, Oomnitza, Shape Security, and Synack.

William was the founder and CEO of several companies including Avinti where he merged with, and managed the roll up of M86 Security before it was acquired. He was also the CEO of data analytics company PublicEngines, which was acquired by Motorola and was a founder and investor in Freedom4 Wireless in the UK. He was the CEO of a managed security services provider (MSSP), where he managed the integration multiple acquisitions. Three of his companies have been on the INC 500/5000 fastest growing startups. Prior to that William was the European managing director of Intel Capital, a corporate venture capital fund where he also managed the worldwide cybersecurity investment strategy and formed a targeted venture fund investing in the Middle East and North Africa.

A product and strategy person at heart, William is also the author of the book Transformative: Develop a Game-Changing Strategy, Retool your Organization, and Innovate to Win, published in September 2022.

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Chris Martin
Chris is a cybersecurity go-to-market expert, specialising in market entry strategy and execution for early-stage technology companies. Chris is…
Chris Martin

Chris is a cybersecurity go-to-market expert, specialising in market entry strategy and execution for early-stage technology companies. Chris is a specialist in driving revenue progress and scale during the most challenging stages of growth and has successfully delivered this for several UK and US headquartered cybersecurity unicorns.

Prior to Chris’ experience in technology GTM leadership Chris held UK Security Clearance and was responsible for managing restricted and secret incident response engagements that resulted from APT cyber events. Additionally, Chris managed cybersecurity improvement projects in critical national infrastructure and enterprise organisations across the UK, US, and Australia, through sophisticated attack emulation engagements.

Chris uniquely combines domain experience across security technologies and advanced attack methods, with his expertise in GTM strategy, business operations, and progressive sales, channel, customer success, and marketing tactics, to deliver revenue progress and growth during the early stages of market penetration for start-up technology companies.

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Olivia Mills
Olivia was previously Chief of Staff at a UK-US defence software company. She co-founded the All-Party Parliamentary Group on…
Olivia Mills

Olivia was previously Chief of Staff at a UK-US defence software company. She co-founded the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Technology and National Security and helps to run a technology strategy working group for the Secretary of State's Office of Net Assessment and Challenge. She began her career at the Oxford Changing Character of War Centre, and subsequently spent time at the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence and a global strategic communications firm.

She holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a BA in languages from the University of Oxford.

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Jack Pearson
Jack spent four years in KPMG’s Private Equity Group on engagements across audit and valuations, with clients spanning venture…
Jack Pearson

Jack spent four years in KPMG’s Private Equity Group on engagements across audit and valuations, with clients spanning venture capital funds, mid-market private equity funds and fund-of-funds. Jack then joined Japan Energy Capital, where he was an investor in climate technology companies across North America and Europe.

Jack read History at the University of Exeter and was a junior national hockey player.

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John Rainey
John is a product leader and startup advisor experienced in creating and managing new products and platforms across startups,…
John Rainey

John is a product leader and startup advisor experienced in creating and managing new products and platforms across startups, scaleups, and enterprises. He has launched products in the UK and US across the full product lifecycle from ideation to sunset. John has also served as an advisory board member supporting early-stage companies in defining their initial product offering.

John has an MBA from London Business School and an Electrical Engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is passionate about mentoring product managers and entrepreneurs and building customer-centric products.

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Jason Rance
Jason was a co-founder of Europe’s first dedicated Business Intelligence consultancy, the former Senior Managing Director for the Australia…
Jason Rance

Jason was a co-founder of Europe’s first dedicated Business Intelligence consultancy, the former Senior Managing Director for the Australia Pacific region of a leading global risk consulting business and has over 25 years’ experience in building and leading innovative product and services businesses globally.

Following a BSc. Economics (Hons) from London School of Economics and Political Science and several years with a top tier strategy consultancy and then as a Director of Kroll Associates Europe, Jason was a co-Founder of The Risk Advisory Group. His team pioneered the use of business intelligence and investigative due diligence to enable private equity, investment banking, and corporate clients to better understand and thereby mitigate the integrity, security, and political risks they faced when entering emerging markets and to successfully operate in higher-risk environments.

Subsequently Jason was a co-founder and COO of Texyard, Europe’s first supply chain management platform, backed by USD20m in VC funding and sold to its anchor client following USD100m of successful client transactions. He then led the global product innovation team of Speedo, the USD1bn apparel brand, working with NASA, leading athletes and sports scientists, and pioneering technical partners to develop the racing suits worn by 94% of gold medal winners at the Beijing Olympics, delivering >USD40m in first year sales.

Following 6 years on the global Executive team of Speedo, Jason was hired by Control Risks to lead the successful turnaround of the Australia Pacific region, with a particular focus on advising Australian corporates looking to enter the higher risk markets of China and the broader Asia Pacific region. On his return to the UK, Jason was Global Innovation Director of Incora, a USD2.4bn private equity owned aerospace supply chain solutions business where his team focussed on leveraging digital technologies, including machine learning and AI, to build best in class customer solutions.
At GALLOS Technologies Jason’s team focusses on the development and delivery of market leading security technology services and solutions.

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Alicia Burke
Alicia is a specialist in supporting investor-based organisations and startups with their marketing, community, and operations functions. Previously, she…
Alicia Burke

Alicia is a specialist in supporting investor-based organisations and startups with their marketing, community, and operations functions. Previously, she held roles as the marketing and platform lead for the senior finance leader community, GrowCFO; the blockchain accelerator programme, Algorand Accelerate; and the UK early-stage fund, Ascension Ventures. Alicia began her career as a market research analyst at a WPP agency.

She holds a B.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University and an MSc in Business Innovation from Birkbeck, University of London.

At GALLOS, Alicia is the product owner and members' advocate for GALLOS Alliance, a by-invitation community of senior security and risk leaders. She also supports the fund's network-building and marketing initiatives.

Experts
  • Technology

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    Sir Anthony Finkelstein
    Anthony Finkelstein is President of City St George’s, University of London. Prior to this he was Chief Scientific Adviser…
    Sir Anthony Finkelstein

    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.

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    Jim Clover
    Jim Clover OBE is a former HMG leader with 20+ years in OSINT, Digital Forensics and the technical engineering…
    Jim Clover

    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.

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    Dr. Robert Hercock
    Dr. Robert Hercock is a Chief Research Scientist in the British Telecommunications Security Research Practice. He served as a…
    Dr. Robert Hercock

    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.

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    Ben Johnson
    Ben Johnson is CTO and co-founder of Obsidian Security, a SaaS-focused cybersecurity provider in California. Ben is also the…
    Ben Johnson

    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.

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    Gaven Smith
    Gaven is an internationally recognised engineering leader with more than 30 years of experience in UK National Security. Until…
    Gaven Smith

    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.

  • Security & Risk

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    Eddie Alleyn
    Eddie culminated his 35-year career in the British Government’s Defence and Security community with his appointment as Chair and…
    Eddie Alleyn

    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.

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    Elisabeth Braw
    Elisabeth is a global security thought leader, focusing on non-military national-security threats such as economic subversion and exploitation of…
    Elisabeth Braw

    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).

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    Ed Butler
    Ed has nearly 40 years of experience leading and delivering high value outcomes in extremely challenging environments, both commercially…
    Ed Butler

    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.

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    Priya Guha MBE
    Priya is a senior leader in technology and innovation who was recognised in June 2022 by InspiringFifty as one…
    Priya Guha MBE

    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.

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    Tom Hurd
    Tom served as the most senior Homeland Security Advisor to the last four British Home Secretaries. He led cross-government work…
    Tom Hurd

    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.

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    Josh Kennedy-White
    Josh has enjoyed a 30-year career driving innovation in security and technology across numerous industries. His ability to anticipate…
    Josh Kennedy-White

    Josh has enjoyed a 30-year career driving innovation in security and technology across numerous industries. His ability to anticipate and solve complex business problems using technology as his strategic lens has seen him work with the world’s largest and most respected organisations.

    Josh led Accenture’s security practice across Asia Pacific and Middle East during a period of hypergrowth, increasing security revenues tenfold in three years. He’s devised and led a range of complex cyber and national security projects for government and industry.

    Josh brings experience at all stages of the investment cycle with investments in cybersecurity, space and quantum technology and advises private family offices and funds in Asia, the Middle East and the UK on emerging technology investments.

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    Jonathan Kewley
    Jonathan Kewley is an international lawyer, board advisor and tech ethicist. He works with many of the world’s largest…
    Jonathan Kewley

    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.

  • Commercial

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    Simon Cox
    Simon has 18 years CEO experience building and successfully selling three PE/VC backed, technology-based companies. He grew revenues at…
    Simon Cox

    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.

    Ben-Legg
    Ben Legg
    Ben Legg is GALLOS’s Co-builder in Chief, charged with onboarding and leading the internal GALLOS team of co-builders. Ben…
    Ben Legg

    Ben Legg is GALLOS’s Co-builder in Chief, charged with onboarding and leading the internal GALLOS team of co-builders.

    Ben 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.

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    Vipul Nakum
    Vipul brings a track record of over 20 years scaling B2B Data and SaaS businesses in the UK and…
    Vipul Nakum

    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.

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    Phil Zamani
    Phil is a serial open source technology entrepreneur having led the international business efforts of some of the world’s…
    Phil Zamani

    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.

  • CISO Advisory Board

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    Ben Aung
    Ben is the Chief Risk Officer at Sage Group plc, where he is accountable for the security of Sage’s…
    Ben Aung

    Ben is the Chief Risk Officer at Sage Group plc, where he is accountable for the security of Sage’s technology estate and software products and cloud services used by millions of Sage customers globally. Ben also leads Sage’s enterprise risk, internal controls, business continuity and data and AI governance functions.

    Ben joined Sage as Global CISO in 2018, after almost 20 years in the UK Government in a variety of technology and national security roles. Ben left public service as director of the Cabinet Office Government Security Group and Deputy Chief Security Officer for government.

    Ben is a member of the UK Cyber Security Council’s Strategic Advisory Panel.

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    Kevin Brown
    After a highly commended 20 year service within UK policing, Kevin joined BT in 2012 initially transform its ability…
    Kevin Brown

    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.

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    Alex Harland
    Alex is a Cyber Security leader and former military intelligence expert with 15 years’ experience in delivering world class…
    Alex Harland

    Alex is a Cyber Security leader and former military intelligence expert with 15 years’ experience in delivering world class strategic risk, crisis and security management.

    Alex began his career as a Military Intelligence Operative in the British Army, where he delivered critical intelligence, risk management and leadership through multiple Operational tours and geopolitical arenas.

    He then transitioned into GCHQ where he formed part of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) founding team. During this time he delivered expert Cyber Security consultancy, Incident Response and Crisis Management through the most significant Cyber Attacks to hit the UK.

    Alex has since moved into private sector where he has shaped the Cyber Security landscape of ComparetheMarket, a leading UK Fintech, through the execution of a highly ambitious security strategy across a plethora of cloud technologies.

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    Paul Haywood
    Paul Haywood is the Group Chief Information Security Officer for Willis Towers Watson, an enterprise insurance provider that operates…
    Paul Haywood

    Paul Haywood is the Group Chief Information Security Officer for Willis Towers Watson, an enterprise insurance provider that operates in more than 140 countries with a workforce of over 50,000 employees. Paul was formerly the Group Chief Information Security Officer for Bupa Group, where he led the global security transformation programme.

    Paul is responsible for a global approach to information security, including identifying, evaluating, and reporting on risks and meeting compliance and regulatory requirements. Paul is a specialist leader in information security and risk management, with extensive experience in board level communication and managing global stakeholders, to drive security and technology outcomes for large multinational organisations. Paul is also an adopter of disruptive technology solutions to solve complex business problems, and has supported many early-stage security technology companies with their commercial growth and product capabilities and roadmap.

    Paul has a honours degree in mathematics and a master's in strategic information systems.

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    Sarah Lawson
    Sarah Lawson Is the Chief Information Security Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officer at University College London, a top…
    Sarah Lawson

    Sarah Lawson Is the Chief Information Security Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officer at University College London, a top ten global university with world class academics, students, industry links, external partners and alumni.

    Sarah has been a transformational technology and security leader for many years having moved accidentally into the world of IT in the year 2000 from a former career in law. Starting her technical years working at the University of Oxford she took responsibility for many IT transformations including data centre, networks and information security practice. After leaving the University of Oxford, Sarah took her first CISO role in a global enterprise, supporting teams in many countries, including Spain, India, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia. She also worked as a leadership partner for Gartner, again supporting many global CISO’s across Europe.

    Now working back in Higher Education, Sarah has built up a transformational security practice and has been working to combine practical security excellence while also supporting the universities computer science and cyber academic research and student learning. Sarah recently completed an MBA and has a passion for continued learning, development and innovation.

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    Oliver Newbury
    As the Group CISO for Barclays, Oliver is responsible for the cyber security across the group - ensuring that…
    Oliver Newbury

    As the Group CISO for Barclays, Oliver is responsible for the cyber security across the group - ensuring that Barclays remains safe, secure and always on.

    Oliver joined the bank in Jan 2017 from BT, where he was CTO BT Security - responsible for defining and driving delivery of the technical strategy and capability roadmap for Security within BT to ensure BT’s own approach and portfolio of security products & services stayed ahead of the constantly evolving threat landscape. Olivers career has included delivering some of the largest cyber security transformation programme around the world inc. the building from a scratch of a national cyber security centre for a country in the middle east. Oliver spent a significant chunk of his career working under security clearance with GCHQ & the other UK Security services, in technical roles.

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    Lynton Oelofsen
    Lynton is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Associated British Foods where he spearheads the cybersecurity initiatives of…
    Lynton Oelofsen

    Lynton is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Associated British Foods where he spearheads the cybersecurity initiatives of a distinguished FTSE 30 organisation in the food, beverage, and retail sectors. With over 18 years of seasoned expertise in both IT and cybersecurity.

    Though Lynton commenced his professional journey in law, an early revelation led him to the dynamic realm of IT. Recognising his passion in assembling high-performing teams and orchestrating the seamless delivery of critical enterprise software implementations and upgrades on a global scale.

    Upon relocating to the United Kingdom, Lynton provided strategic consultancy and project management expertise to an enterprise IT delivery business. This pivotal experience paved the way for Lynton’s journey with Associated British Foods (ABF).

    With a 12.5-year tenure at ABF, Lynton ascended through the IT ranks, culminating in the role of Chief Information Officer (CIO) for a prominent division in 2018. In 2020, Lynton assumed the pivotal position of Global CISO, leading the charge in cybersecurity for the past three years.

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    Steve Ramsden
    Steve Ramsden is Chief Information Security Officer and Digital Innovation/Architect at The Global Fund, an international organization based in…
    Steve Ramsden

    Steve Ramsden is Chief Information Security Officer and Digital Innovation/Architect at The Global Fund, an international organization based in Geneva, Switzerland.

    Before joining Global Fund Steve held senior management positions within UK Government, responsible for security and design for UK Government’s digital transformation and was a certified GCHQ/CESG information assurance advisor for protection of UK government systems.   Steve has passion for sustainability, health and education and supports the University of Geneva SDG Solution lab, to help scale up frontier technologies including, WEB3, Quantum, AI, blockchain, encryption and privacy preserving technologies to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goal’s.

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    Dorian Skeete
    Dorian is an experienced enterprise cybersecurity leader, with specialist skills in information security and governance, data protection and privacy,…
    Dorian Skeete

    Dorian is an experienced enterprise cybersecurity leader, with specialist skills in information security and governance, data protection and privacy, security operations, and advanced risk management, that compliment his experience in team development and board level communication.

    Dorian spent his formative years as a Specialist Operative in radio frequency and cyber-intelligence for the British Government’s Defence and Security community. He also spent five years as a Technical Consultant for IBM (taking part in major digital transformation projects for the DWP and GCHQ), and as an Associate Director for Crossword Cybersecurity where he took the lead on cybersecurity projects for FTSE 250 companies and technology start-ups.

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    Glyn Turner
    Glyn is the group Technology Director at multi-billion dollar agri-commodities enterprise ED&F Man, where he is responsible for leading…
    Glyn Turner

    Glyn is the group Technology Director at multi-billion dollar agri-commodities enterprise ED&F Man, where he is responsible for leading a team of hundreds across 50+ countries globally. Glyn has two-decades of experience and is a subject matter expert in technology service delivery, infrastructure, datacenter, networks, cloud, and cybersecurity. Glyn has extensive experience in executing complex IS environments, including transformation of IS functions and programmes to align with rapidly changing business priorities. Glyn is a board-level communicator with strong influencing skills, able to clearly convey IS priorities and benefits to any level of stakeholder.

    Glyn’s progressive approach to solving technical problems has led him to be a supporter and adopter of disruptive technology, where he has worked closely with early-stage security companies to refine product capability and roadmap, operational efficiency, and market positioning.

Our Partners


    • 01

      DataTribe are our strategic partners in Northern America. Their track record as builders of security technology companies is second to none.

      01
    • 02

      TPC are our tech talent acquisition partners. A unique source of top tech talent for our co-building activity.

      02

Building a safer, more prosperous world