UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration (UKC3) is pleased to announce its newly elected board. After an electoral process, the UKC3 welcomes Linda Smith, a business innovation and trade specialist, as its new Chair and two new members to the board, Paul Boardman, Strategic Growth and Collaboration Lead at the North West Cyber Security Cluster, and Ben Shorrock, Managing Director of TechSPARK.
With a background in driving commercial innovation within the cyber and technology sectors, the new chair of UKC3, Linda Smith, has a proven track record across public and private sector environments. Having previously been employed by the Department for International Trade (DIT) in the West Midlands, Linda was also responsible for the creation and delivery of the BetaDen Tech Accelerator programme based at Malvern Hills Science Park, which works closely with the Midlands Cyber Security Cluster.
UKC3 also welcomes Ben Shorrock to the board as Ecosystem Development Lead. Ben has been working to help grow tech and digital businesses for the last decade and is Managing Director of TechSPARK, the Southwest’s network for tech start-up and scale-ups working with 35,000 people a month to help them recruit, network and raise capital.
Also joining the UKC3 Board as Innovation Join-Up Lead is Paul Boardman. Paul’s background in the Cyber, National Security and Defence sector extends back 15 years, during which time he has worked with GCHQ, NCSC, The Home Office and the Ministry of Defence. He currently works with the North West Cyber Security Cluster as the Strategic Growth and Collaboration Lead.
Linda Smith, chair of UKC3 said “I’m delighted to become Chair of the UKC3 board and to welcome Paul and Ben to the board. Since the launch of UKC3 in 2021, we have worked closely with clusters to build sustainable cyber ecosystems that support innovation, growth and skills. On behalf of the board, I look forward to continuing to support the clusters’ initiatives and helping to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.”
Other members of the board, who have been re-elected are:
John Davies MBE, who has worked closely with UKC3 since its inception and has been elected as Vice Chair. In addition to working in information security for 35 years, John has helped add more clusters to the Welsh cyber ecosystem and formed Cyber Wales in 2017, a not-for-profit umbrella organisation that supports the 8 Cyber Security Clusters that now run in Wales. He received an MBE for “Services to the UK Cyber Ecosystem.”
Melanie Oldham who has over 18 years of experience in the Information Security Industry and has taken the position of Cyber Skills Growth Lead. In 2015, Melanie founded the Yorkshire Cyber Security Cluster, to help grow the local cyber security ecosystem and support regional practitioners with knowledge sharing, skills, innovation, and growth. She is also the founder of the Cyber Edtech company, Bob’s Business, bringing cyber security to life through animation and storytelling to help organisations deliver cybersecurity cultural change programmes.
Phil Jackman has been elected as UKC3’s Treasurer and Secretariat. Phil has a wealth of experience working with organisations in the North East; Phil is the former Director of Dynamo North East, an industry-led initiative focused on growing the tech sector in the area and leads the CyberNorth cyber cluster.
