Cyber Innovation Den 2024

Saba Ahmed

Managing Director, Cyber Resilience, Accenture

Saba is Accenture's Global Lead for Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Security, with over two decades of experience protecting essential services across the Middle East, Asia and Europe. She leads cyber modernisation and transformation programmes, including building Cyber AI functions to transform security, and helps shape where the industry is heading through her work with leading technology vendors.

A technologist at heart, Saba is known for turning complex security challenges into practical solutions. She is also a committed advocate for inclusion and diversity, leading I&D for Accenture across Europe.

---

Jill Broom

Head of Cyber Resilience, techUK

Jill leads the techUK Cyber Security programme, having originally joined techUK in October 2020 as a Programme Manager for the Cyber and Central Government programmes. She is responsible for managing techUK's work across the cyber security ecosystem, bringing industry together with key stakeholders across the public and private sectors. Jill also provides the industry secretariat for the Cyber Growth Partnership, the industry and government conduit for supporting the growth of the sector. A key focus of her work is to strengthen the public–private partnership across cyber to support further development of UK cyber security and resilience policy.

Before joining techUK, Jill worked as a Senior Caseworker for an MP, advocating for local communities, businesses and individuals, so she is particularly committed to techUK’s vision of harnessing the power of technology to improve people’s lives. Jill is also an experienced editorial professional and has delivered copyediting and writing services for public-body and SME clients as well as publishers.

Email:

---

Andrew Elliot

Deputy Director, Cyber Security, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology

Andrew has been at DSIT (previously DCMS) since 2016 working on digital policy including cyber, telecoms and data protection. Andrew’s team delivers policies and programmes that have made the UK more resilient against cyber threats and have grown the UK cyber sector achieving an 11% compound annual growth rate since 2015. They are currently focussed on work to accelerate the adoption of Cyber Essentials, professional standards set by the UK Cyber Security Council and memory safe technologies including CHERI.

---

Lawrence Munro

Interim CISO, Tide

Lawrence is a senior cybersecurity executive with over two decades of experience spanning technical, leadership, and advisory roles. He began his career in penetration testing, specialising in web applications and social engineering, and went on to present at leading international conferences including BlackHat USA.

He has held senior leadership positions at organisations including KPMG, Trustwave SpiderLabs, NCC Group, and Santander Bank. Over the course of his career, he has served as a Global Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, and Group Chief Information Security Officer. Alongside executive roles, he has contributed to the cybersecurity community as Director of B-Sides London and as an executive committee member of CREST.

Lawrence now operates a portfolio career, serving as Interim CISO for Tide, supporting NATO’s DIANA accelerator, advising venture capital funds, and holding advisory board and non-executive positions with a number of cybersecurity companies. He is also a member of the College of Experts for the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

---

Aurorah Smith

Director of Commercial Strategy & Growth, OneAdvanced IT Services, Founder, Guardian Compass

Aurorah Smith is a commercial strategy and growth leader with extensive experience across cybersecurity, technology, telecommunications and managed services. At OneAdvanced IT Services, she leads strategy, proposition development and go-to-market activity across Managed Cybersecurity, AI & Data Services and Core IT Services, supporting the organisation’s evolution towards a more integrated and intelligent managed services model. Her career includes senior leadership roles within the telecommunications sector, most notably as Global Director of Commercial Security Strategy and Growth at BT.

Alongside her corporate role, Aurorah is the founder of Guardian Compass, a family-first digital safety company developing device-level, age-appropriate protection for children. Guardian Compass embeds intelligent, real-time safeguards into the technology children use, giving parents greater confidence while enabling children to explore the digital world safely.

Her experience spans start-ups through to global enterprises, with particular expertise in developing and commercialising complex technology and cybersecurity propositions and converting market opportunities into sustainable growth.

Aurorah is also an active member of the UK cybersecurity community, contributing as a public speaker, awards judge, mentor and advocate for greater diversity, inclusion and skills development.

---

Joshua Walter

Partner, Osney Capital

Josh is a General Partner at Osney Capital, a specialist Cyber VC firm investing into early-stage UK Cyber companies.

---