Keynote Speaker – Professor Lucy Easthope
Come What May: Lessons in resilience from a life in crisis
Lucy Easthope is a leading authority on responding to and recovering from emergencies. For over two decades she has challenged others to think differently about what comes next after complex, tragic events. She is a passionate and thought-provoking voice in planning for pandemics, conflict, sudden death and disaster, and has been a tactical advisor to international emergency responders since 2001.
She is the author of The Recovery Myth and of the Sunday Times Bestseller ‘When The Dust Settles.’ Her new book ‘Come What May: Life-changing lessons for Coping with Crisis’ was released in May 2025 and her radio show on Citizen Preparedness aired on BBC Radio 4 in December 2025.
Professor Gaven Smith CB- Beyond Blue
From COLOSSUS to Covid and Cornwall to Cyber: Why Resilience is Vital to Keeping Us Safe Online and in the Real World
Gaven is a distinguished engineering leader who has worked for more than 30 years in the UK national security sector. He has been a strong advocate for online safety, inclusion in engineering, and cutting-edge technology.
He is now an academic, a technology advisor, a non-executive director, and a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He is also a senior technology advisor to a range of companies and a non-executive director at Beyond Blue. Gaven was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 2023 for his services to national security.
John T Frost Hon.MBCI - Resilience Management Solutions (RMS)
Keeping Retail Moving – Lessons learned:
A distinguished resilience professional with 24 years’ service at Marks & Spencer, including 15 years as Head of Business Continuity and 10+ years as the Chairperson of the Retail Business Continuity Association (RBCA).
Successfully leading the response to critical incidents including the Grenfell Fire, Terrorist Attacks, Major Flooding, Covid-19 and the most recent Cyber Attack. His expertise spans across incident & crisis management, crisis management exercising, operational & technical resilience with particular depth in counter terrorism.
Now operating as an independent consultant, John brings authentic, lived experience insights from decades at the sharp end of crisis management.
Findlay Whitelaw - Exabeam
AI and Insider Threat – a new dimension
Findlay is a recognised thought leader, specialising in insider threats and security operations, with her career spanning security operations, consultancy and leadership roles.
A published author and award-winning practitioner, her professional interests include tackling human-centric cyber risks and leveraging advanced technologies to address modern challenges. Her research and practical insights empower organisations to strengthen resilience and manage insider threats in an evolving digital landscape.
Ciaran Pugh - NatWest
AI and Insider Threat – a new dimension
Ciaran has a decade of experience in security, guiding organisations to strengthen systems, manage risk, and develop talent in response to today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape. He brings strategic insight and influence through active roles on boards, industry initiatives, and professional engagement groups.
Ciaran currently sits on the Security Intelligence management team at NatWest Group, leading on geopolitical, physical security and operational resilience intelligence workstreams – alongside cyber - helping to secure customers, colleagues and operations globally.
Keith McDevitt MBE - Scottish Cyber Coordination Centre
Real-World Lessons – Reflections on Cyber Incidents
Scotland's cyber security and resilience, providing services to help protect against cyber incidents while promoting adherence to appropriate standards and best practices across critical functions and infrastructure.
Having supported numerous Scottish public sector organisations through major cyber incidents – including the ransomware attacks on SEPA (2020), the University of the Highlands and Islands (2021), Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (2023), and West Lothian Council (2025) – SC3 has developed unique insights into what makes the difference between a manageable incident and a prolonged crisis.
