Cyber Innovation Den 2026

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.

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Marcin Roth

Senior Information Security Manager (Head of Information Security), iD Mobile

Marcin is a Senior Information Security Manager (Head of Information Security) at iD Mobile (part of Currys PLC) with around 15 years of experience in the IT and Information Security industries, having worked across the Public and Private Sector. He advises and consultants internally within the business, managing relationships with cross-functional teams and acting as a key cyber security stakeholder for new projects, programmes and initiatives. In performing a GRC function, he ensures adherence with compliance and regulatory obligations as well as supporting work around organisational governance, risks and controls.

He has presented at a number of UK and international cyber security leadership and practitioner congresses, conferences and summits. Marcin holds a law degree (LLB), is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and has Memberships of the Chartered Management Institute (MCMI), the Institute of Leadership (MIoL), and the British Computer Society (MBCS).

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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.

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Catherine O'Keeffe

Deputy Director of Cyber Security, NHS England

Catherine is currently the Deputy Director of Cyber Security, within NHS England’s Cyber Operations team.

She brings extensive healthcare experience, having begun her career in diagnostic radiography before progressing into digital leadership roles, including Head of ICT, Head of IT Programmes and Deputy Chief Information Officer.

 Since joining NHS England, Catherine has held senior positions across information governance and cyber security, including Director of IG Burden and Audit, Senior Responsible Officer for the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation, and now Deputy Director of Cyber Security.

Catherine holds a master’s degrees in Information Security & IT Management and Information Rights Law & Practice, as well as CCIO, CISM, CRISC, GSTRT and GCIL accreditations, strengthening her expertise across security, privacy, and regulation.

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Naula Kilmartin

Innovation Lead for Cyber Security and Resilience, Innovate UK

Nuala Kilmartin is Innovation Lead for Cyber Security and Resilience at Innovate UK, with more than 25 years' experience in innovation, technology strategy, and programme delivery. She works across industry, academia and government to accelerate cyber innovation, support the commercialisation of emerging technologies and strengthen the UK's cyber security ecosystem through strategic partnerships, investment, and collaboration. She currently leads foundational technology skills initiatives and supports the UK's CyberASAP programme, helping to translate cutting-edge academic research into commercially viable cyber security solutions. Nuala is passionate about developing the next generation of innovators and leaders, with a particular focus on increasing the participation, progression and success of women in STEM, cyber security and emerging technologies.

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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.

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Dr Andrea Cullen MBE

Co-Founder, CAPSLOCK

Dr Andrea Cullen MBE is Co-founder of CAPSLOCK and a leading cyber security expert, educator and entrepreneur. With more than 20 years' experience across academia, consultancy and industry leadership, she specialises in cyber security culture, human vulnerability, risk management and behaviour change. Andrea has authored over 40 peer-reviewed publications, developed GCHQ-certified cyber security programmes and has helped thousands of people transition into cyber careers. She was awarded an MBE for her services to Cyber Security.

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Professor Daniel Shiu

Cryptomathematics Professor, University of Manchester

Prof. Daniel Shiu began his career as an academic pure mathematician, but quickly became interested in computational mathematics and cryptography in particular.  He spent a twenty year career working in government, including time spent as NCSC's Head of Cryptographic Design and Quantum Information Processing as well as Head of the Heilbronn Institute for Mathematics Research.  He then spent five years in industry as the Chief Cryptographer at Arqit Quantum Inc (NASDAQ ARQQ), where he helped to develop products to understand and mitigate the quantum threat.  He has now returned to academia to research quantum cryptanalysis at the University of Manchester, but remains committed to supporting all sectors of the UK in the mission to secure the twenty-first century Internet.

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Catherine O'Keeffe

Deputy Director of Cyber Security, NHS England

Catherine is currently the Deputy Director of Cyber Security, within NHS England’s Cyber Operations team.

She brings extensive healthcare experience, having begun her career in diagnostic radiography before progressing into digital leadership roles, including Head of ICT, Head of IT Programmes and Deputy Chief Information Officer.

 Since joining NHS England, Catherine has held senior positions across information governance and cyber security, including Director of IG Burden and Audit, Senior Responsible Officer for the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation, and now Deputy Director of Cyber Security.

Catherine holds a master’s degrees in Information Security & IT Management and Information Rights Law & Practice, as well as CCIO, CISM, CRISC, GSTRT and GCIL accreditations, strengthening her expertise across security, privacy, and regulation.

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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.

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Marcin Roth

Senior Information Security Manager (Head of Information Security), iD Mobile

Marcin is a Senior Information Security Manager (Head of Information Security) at iD Mobile (part of Currys PLC) with around 15 years of experience in the IT and Information Security industries, having worked across the Public and Private Sector. He advises and consultants internally within the business, managing relationships with cross-functional teams and acting as a key cyber security stakeholder for new projects, programmes and initiatives. In performing a GRC function, he ensures adherence with compliance and regulatory obligations as well as supporting work around organisational governance, risks and controls.

He has presented at a number of UK and international cyber security leadership and practitioner congresses, conferences and summits. Marcin holds a law degree (LLB), is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and has Memberships of the Chartered Management Institute (MCMI), the Institute of Leadership (MIoL), and the British Computer Society (MBCS).

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Simon Shiu

Visiting Professor of Cyber Security, University of Bristol

Simon joined HP Labs as a member of technical staff and spent over 28 years in industrial research, mostly in cyber security. For the last 10 years he was Director and then VP of the HP Security Lab, managing a global organisation with a strong track record of industry leading impact in endpoint security innovation. In 2025 he started his role at the University of Bristol and recently, funded by the Centre for Economic Sectoral Performance (CSEP) at Imperial College, he led the UK cyber sector growth plan project. He is also a board advisor for the research institute in sociotechnical cyber security (RISCS - Research Institute for Sociotechnical Cyber Security). 

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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.

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