Meet Alex – Head of Security Consulting

His commitment to helping people grow and succeed has shaped both his leadership and consulting career, creating positive ripples that extend well beyond his immediate security remit. That commitment, combined with his drive and expertise, earned him a place on the shortlist for Chartered Consultant of the Year at the MCA Awards 2026.

“I often talk about positive ripples. When we support someone, help them learn, or give them the confidence to try something new, the impact extends far beyond that individual moment. It strengthens teams, builds trust, and helps organisations achieve better outcomes. That belief has shaped how I lead throughout my career.

Our impact is measured not only by what we deliver directly, but also by the positive effect we have on the people around us. The ripples we create often make others more effective long after the immediate challenge has been solved.”

“More than many people realise. 

The most significant outcomes in cyber security are often the incidents that never happen. When organisations successfully prevent, detect, or contain a serious intrusion, the consequences avoided can be difficult to quantify – but they are often substantial, ranging from operational disruption and financial loss to risks to public services, national security, and in some cases, safety.

I remember receiving a call from a customer some years ago asking for help to evict an attacker from their systems.

Working closely with the customer’s cyber and IT teams, we identified multiple footholds established by a sophisticated nation-state threat actor that had penetrated deep into the organisation’s environment. Together, our teams successfully contained and eradicated the threat, preventing further lateral movement and removed opportunity for the nation state to re-establish access. 

Resolving the incident was only part of the challenge. Equally important was understanding how the attacker had gained access, assessing the organisation's existing capabilities and identifying what needed to change to reduce the likelihood of it happening again.

That required more than technical expertise. It required understanding how the organisation operated, the constraints it was working within, the pressures its teams faced, and what improvements were both necessary and realistically achievable.

Our findings created a shared understanding between technical teams and senior leadership. They helped prioritise investment, address critical weaknesses, and establish roadmaps for long-term improvement. As a result, the organisation strengthened its security posture and built a more mature and resilient cyber defence capability, and continues to do so today.”

“Technology is often where the symptoms of a problem appear, but the underlying causes usually run deeper. Leadership decisions, organisational culture, processes, and behaviours all influence cyber security outcomes.

When incidents occur, one of the most important questions is not simply what happened, but the root causes as to why it happened and what needs to change to prevent it from happening again.

Over the years I've learned that organisations rarely fail because they lack security technology. Having technology and achieving the full benefit from it are very different things. More often they struggle because priorities compete, communication breaks down, or risks aren't fully understood.

Throughout my career, I have found that the organisations that succeed over the long term are those that invest in their people. Strong teams make better decisions, build more effective ways of working, and get greater value from technology.

For me, cyber security has always been about more than technology alone. It starts with people. If we help people grow, succeed, and perform at their best, the positive effects extend far beyond the immediate problem we are trying to solve.”

“If it were easy, we wouldn’t be there.

My role is often to help organisations understand how well their cyber defences are performing, where their most significant risks exist, and what practical actions will have the greatest impact. That work has taken me across the UK, the Nordics, Eastern Europe, North America and other partner nations, often supporting organisations operating under sustained cyber threat and significant operational pressure.

The starting point is always understanding the reality of the environment we're working in. We help customers understand how effective their defences really are, where support is required, and what practical actions will deliver meaningful improvements. 

We spend time on the ground with customers, often in intense, challenging circumstances, working side by side with their teams, listening to their concerns, and providing guidance that leadership teams can trust and act on. I find it critical to build trust through open conversations that enable us identify pain points and root causes quickly, along with pragmatic, proportionate solutions that work for that customer. You do not do this in isolation; you do this hand-in-hand with the customer, with them and for them.

Through this process, we see customers achieve measurable and sustainable improvements. Teams become more capable and confident, cyber defence capabilities mature, and new technologies funded through external investment move into active operational use. 

Seeing this impact, change and improvement makes it all worthwhile. It is why I am here.”

“Ultimately, it all comes down to people.

Being hands-on with customers provides a real understanding of the pressures they face. Seeing how committed and determined their teams remain, often in the most challenging and difficult circumstances, and knowing that our work is helping them succeed makes the experience both humbling and rewarding. 

Throughout my career, I’ve always cared deeply about helping people grow and succeed. Encouraging and supporting those around me to do their best work has become a cornerstone of my leadership approach. I enjoy helping people build confidence, strengthen connections between teams, and create environments where individuals and organisations feel empowered to challenge themselves and achieve more. 

It is these positive ripples that make others more effective that matter most. It means we are more than the sum of our parts and that my impact is not just my direct contribution, but the successes of those around me who I help develop and support.”