About Us
We work as a Partnership with a diverse and highly experienced cohort of Cyber Security Specialists.
Leading the Partnership
Mike Hawthorne OBE FCMI FBCS
CEO and Founder
Mike has over 20 years of experience working with nuclear submarines and is a former nuclear Submarine Captain. For the last 20 years he has worked in the Cyber Security and Information Technology sectors. During this period, he was seconded to a UK National Agency where he developed novel cyber security techniques and led the formation of the UK’s Cyber Reserves. He is adept at translating the technical nuances of cyber security into meaningful business actions, including options that optimise the public/private partnership approach to cyber security, improved workforce cyber security through culture awareness and training, intelligence-led cyber security, managing the insider threat and identifying options to improve a firm’s cyber resilience, based on national and international standards. Expert in cyber security and crisis management
In the last few years, Mike has managed a CBEST assessment for a major insurance company, post an FCA sanction; a CSC CIS Top 20 Controls review for the UK’s leading processor of safeguarding data, completed the first cyber security assessment for a leading worldwide NYSE listed shipping company; led the cyber resilience response for a major UK food supplier, post a significant ransomware attack; assessed the implementation of appropriate technical and organisational measures, training serials and GDPR compliance activities for numerous Pension funds and start-ups in the Space and FinTech sectors.
He is a Fellow of the British Computer Society and the Chartered Management Institute. He is a “Younger Brother” of Trinity House and was awarded the OBE for services to Cyber Security in 2016.
Penny Jackson FCIIS
Penny is the Director of Strategy and Human Risk & Resilience.
Her work focuses on supporting businesses and organisations to define the behavioural governance, policies, and processes required to drive cultural change and strengthen organisational resilience through effective cybersecurity engagement.
Over the past eight years, Penny has established herself as a respected leader in cybersecurity awareness and engagement. As Communications Director for the NHS Digital Cyber Operational Readiness Support Programme, she led the engagement, awareness, and implementation initiatives on behalf of NHS Digital. She later transitioned to the retail sector, joining the John Lewis Partnership Senior Leadership Team, where she served as the strategic architect and leader of cybersecurity engagement and awareness programmes across the 80,000-strong partnership of John Lewis and Waitrose.
Leveraging her distinctive expertise, Penny collaborates closely with boards to evaluate, test, and strengthen business resilience, while identifying strategic initiatives that enhance organisational knowledge and ownership of cyber risk and behavioral responses. Her experience in designing and delivering tailored board-level cybersecurity crisis command exercises also enables leaders and their organisations to better understand and improve employee behaviour, capabilities, and communication during crisis situations.
Penny began her career as a broadcaster with the BBC World Service, where she progressed to the role of Senior Broadcast Director. During her time at the BBC, she further developed her expertise by leading major change management programmes, contributing to the design and delivery of staff engagement initiatives and acting as a key facilitator for organisational change.
Penny built a successful portfolio career after leaving the BBC in learning and development, communications, and change leadership. Over the past 25 years, she gained extensive experience leading and implementing large-scale communications and engagement programmes that supported cultural transformation. Her career has also included senior permanent and strategic advisory roles across both the public and private sectors, working with organisations such as HMRC, other government bodies, and pension funds.
Penny is a strong advocate for advancing the understanding and professionalisation of Human Risk and Resilience management. As a champion for this emerging field she was invited to become a Fellow of CIISEC and has been appointed Cyber Leader in Residence at Lancaster University.