Senior executive joins from Fujitsu and Gartner to lead business-focused security strategy
British software and services company Advanced has hired Phil Lea as Head of Security and Compliance, further strengthening the company’s leadership team to deliver technology solutions with security in mind.
Reporting to Jon Wrennall, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Phil will focus on customer security, security technologies and governance. This will include enhancing the tools that Advanced uses to secure its products, customers and internal IT as well as developing managed security service offerings for its hosted and IT outsourced customers. He will also be responsible for coordinating security governance across Advanced and ensure the entire business is ready for future regulatory requirements including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Commenting on his new role, Phil Lea said: “Advanced has undergone what is arguably the largest transformation of any UK company at this current time. Its ambition represents a unique opportunity for any senior leader, and I am thrilled to be joining the organisation as it focuses on accelerating its growth. Key to this growth, as with any company, is a solid security strategy and I look forward to supporting Advanced through its next transformative phase as well as helping customers securely reimagine their own businesses.”
Phil brings with him over 20 years’ IT and security experience, with former roles including Fujitsu, Gartner and the Department for Work and Pensions. At Fujitsu, he spent over eight years as Managing Security Consultant before taking up the role of Security Practice Manager where he led the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Consultancy Practices in the technology giant’s security operations team. He later joined Gartner as Security and Risk Management Leadership Partner to advise the firm’s senior clients including CISOs and other IT executives across global organisations and government agencies.
Jon Wrennall, CTO at Advanced said: “Our latest appointment reflects our need to create a powerful leadership team as we, and our customers, face ever-increasing security and compliance challenges. Phil has clearly played a significant part in coaching and advising senior security and risk management clients, and we are confident he will make a valuable contribution to the shaping and progression of our cybersecurity agenda.”
Advanced is the third largest software and services provider to the UK market, which covers the public sector, the third sector as well as commercial markets. It employs 2,000 people and has a loyal customer base of more than 20,000 organisations including HM Revenue & Customs, Department for Work and Pensions, Virgin Trains, Harvey Nichols, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Carewatch. As a result of its business transformation, Advanced has leapt from 135th position in the Sunday Times Top Track 250 to 97th place.