Chaired by
Marcus Alldrick, CISO Luminary

Born at a very early age and growing up in a culture where cyber was a prefix for anything automated, menacing and malevolent (how history has a tendency of repeating itself), Marcus entered the world of Data Processing as it was known back then after graduating from university. Lured by the flashing console lights (it was also the disco era), the whirl of the magnetic tape and the click clack of the keypunch machine (TSO was still a dream), Marcus became a COBOL programmer, becoming prolific in structured programming methodology. Having moved into analysis and then data architecture Marcus became the first devolved Information Risk and Security Manager for Barclaycard. After seven years in that role he moved banks and became Head of Information Security for Abbey National plc, now Santander UK. After six years at Abbey and a move into consulting for a large UK utilities company Marcus joined KPMG as a Principal Advisor. Eighteen months later he joined Lloyd’s of London as its CISO and subsequently became its Head of Digital Risk Management and Compliance, also embracing responsibility for data protection and privacy, during his 10 years tenure there. Having worked in IT for over 40 years, specialising in information risk, protection, security and compliance for the latter 27 years or so, Marcus decided to leave full-time corporate life and move to the South Coast of England in mid-2017, ever the seafaring Fisherman’s Friend. As well as being a proud member of the Pulse Conferences family, Marcus now undertakes advisory engagements, provides pro bono consulting and volunteering services.

Keynote – 09:15-09:45
Qualys Vision of a Simpler Security Landscape

Sumedh Thakar
CEO, Qualys

As CEO, Sumedh leads the company’s vision and strategic direction. He joined Qualys in 2003 in engineering and grew within the company, taking various leadership roles focused on helping Qualys deliver on its platform vision. Since 2014, he has served as Chief Product Officer at Qualys, where he oversaw all things product, including engineering, development, product management, cloud operations, DevOps, and customer support. A product fanatic and engineer at heart, he is a driving force behind expanding the platform from Vulnerability Management into broader areas of security and compliance, helping customers consolidate their security stack. This includes the rollout of the game-changing VMDR (Vulnerability Management, Detection and Response) that continually detects and prevents risk to their systems, Multi-Vector EDR, which focuses on protecting endpoints as well as Container Security, Compliance and Web Application Security solutions. Sumedh was also instrumental in the build-up of multiple Qualys sites resulting in a global 24×7 follow-the-sun product team. Sumedh is a long-time proponent of SaaS and cloud computing. He previously worked at Intacct, a cloud-based financial and accounting software provider. He also worked at Northwest Airlines developing complex algorithms for its yield and revenue management reservation system. Sumedh has a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering with distinction from the University of Pune.

Keynote – 11:00-11:45
Global Security Landscape Updates

Frank Gardner OBE
BBC’s Security Correspondent & Author

Frank spent nine years as an investment banker in New York, London and Bahrain before switching to journalism and joining the BBC in 1995. Frank has reported extensively on the global ˜War on Terror’ in Guantanamo Bay, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.  In 2004 Frank survived being shot six times at close range by Al-Qaeda terrorists in a Riyadh suburb in Saudia Arabia. He went on to write the best-selling book Blood and Sand, the poignant story of what can happen to your belief system when the culture you have embraced ends up trying to kill you.  Frank has gone onto write three best-selling spy thrillers Crisis, Ultimatum and Outbreak. He was awarded an OBE in 2005 for services to journalism. In 2018 he was awarded the University of Southern California’s Tommy Trojan Trophy for distinguished speaking. As a career broadcaster and a witty and gifted communicator, Frank shares his passion for the Middle East, travel and adventure. He draws on a unique perspective and understanding of both domestic and international security.

Speakers
Mark Heathcote, Chief Information Security Officer, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP

Mark has over 25 years experience in running IT Operations and Information Security in both global environments and as Head of a consultancy practice. He has a particular passion for best practice methodology and actively applies his ISO:27001 lead auditor and ITIL Expert qualifications. Mark prides himself on transforming functions to provide significant business value, executive influence and risk reduction. Information security risk is of particular interest, having twice designed, engineered and operated customised risk management methodology and systems to ensure risk management is pragmatic, efficient, meets its intended purpose and is effective.