Trustee openings give cyber industry advocates an ideal opportunity to shape the sector’s future direction
The UK Cyber Security Council has announced it is on the lookout for two trustees, and is calling on industry practitioners who want to influence the future direction of the Cyber industry to come forward for nominations.
Taking office on 1st October 2022, the vacancies – which come at a pivotal time for the UK cyber security profession – will see the individuals join the Council’s eight other trustees in helping to shape the organisation and wider sector.
According to a recent DCMS report, the rapidly expanding industry employs 52,700 individuals in the UK and contributes around £5.3 billion GVA to the economy. Comparatively, that’s roughly half the size of the GVA added by the UK’s agricultural industry.
The new trustees will take a leading role in setting the Council’s future direction, helping to inform strategy and drive progress within the increasingly critical sector.
The five-week call for nominations will close on the 13th of May, after which applications will be reviewed, before being put out for election. The election period will run over the summer, with successful candidates announced in early autumn.
Claudia Natanson, The UK Cyber Security Council’s Chair, said: “There has never been a better time for individuals to step forward to help shape the cyber security profession in the UK. These early years for the UK Cyber Security Council will be busy; there is a huge opportunity for these new trustees to set the path forward – creating a more vibrant, cohesive, and attractive profession.
“That’s why we’re calling on practitioners from across the industry to come forward to join us on this exciting journey, one which will see them play a pivotal role influencing the future direction of the sector.”
Claudia continued: “The role of a trustee will be to ensure the Council fulfils its duty to its beneficiaries and delivers in line with its vision, mission and values. Working together with the other trustees – and in collaboration with the CEO – individuals will be instrumental in ensuring the Council delivers its objectives, and works towards our equality, diversity and inclusion values.
“We are looking for individuals with an in-depth understanding of the sector from a range of backgrounds to be nominated. Previous trustee experience would be beneficial, and an understanding of the culture and needs of mission and values-driven organisation are particularly important.”
The Council is currently progressing its transfer to a Chartered organisation, which will see it become the steward of nationally recognised standards for the qualification of cyber professionals.
Simon Hepburn, the Council’s CEO, said: “This is an exciting time for the UK cyber security profession and the UK Cyber Security Council is forging ahead with its objectives. We want to clarify career paths and qualifications, define and promote professional ethics, encourage diversity and wider engagement in the profession, and establish, maintain and promote professional standards.
“With record levels of investment last year, the UK’s £10 billion cyber security sector has the potential to create thousands of highly skilled and rewarding careers for people across England. If we’re to achieve on our aims and contribute towards the growth of the sector, we’ll need trustees who are highly enthusiastic and share the Council’s passion for all things cyber.”
About the roles:
- There are two vacancies for Member-elected Trustees (of which there will be four once the Board is fully populated). Individuals wishing to nominate themselves for election should apply in writing, highlighting how they meet the required skills and representation criteria.
- All candidates are encouraged to read the Supporting Information below before making a nomination. The deadline for applications is Friday 13th May 2022, 23:59 GMT.
- The Council seeks a diversity of skills and, whilst selection will be made by Member election, candidacy is not limited to individuals related to Member organisations.
- Nominations should be made by the individual candidate and there is no requirement for them to be formally supported. However, where a nomination is supported by another individual, a Member or other organisation, there is the option for this to be made clear on the election statement.
- All nominations will be acknowledged and reviewed by the Governance and Nominations Sub-Committee on behalf of the Board of Trustees. Candidates will be asked to discuss their nomination with a member of the Sub-Committee to share an understanding of the role. Following this, candidates will be asked to prepare a short biography and election statement for presentation to Members during the election.
- Elections will be held during June – July and, following completion of an induction and formal sign-up, successful candidates will commence their term of office on 1st October 2022.
How to make a nomination
If you wish to make a nomination to be taken forward for Member election, please use our nominations platform. You will be required to supply the following:
- A detailed CV setting out your career history, with relevant responsibilities and achievements, ideally no more than 2 pages.
- A covering letter (maximum two sides) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the role requirements. Please note that the covering letter is an important part of the nomination.
- Details of two professional referees together with a brief statement of their relationship to you and over what period of time they have known you. Referees will not be contacted without prior consent.
- A completed diversity monitoring form.
For any queries on the roles, please contact: [email protected]
