SCOTLAND’S hub for business resilience is to see a top-level changing of the guard with its Chief Executive stepping aside and the establishment of two members of the senior management team.
Mandy Haeburn-Little has been at the helm of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) for almost nine years, during a transformation that has seen it become a revered model for the bringing together of the business community with law-enforcement.
To ensure a smooth succession that allows for the continued growth of the centre’s influence and success, Mandy’s responsibilities will be split between the current Chief Operations Officer, Lynsae Tulloch (on all public good activity) and the appointment of the SBRC’s first full time Head of Cyber Security and Innovation, Eamonn Keane, who has resigned from his position with Police Scotland to take on this new role.
There will also be further support provided to support these roles and the SBRC Board is currently considering those options.
A membership organisation that is partnered by Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Services and the business community, the SBRC delivers prevention advice and services covering the diverse threats to businesses in Scotland – including fraud, insider threat and crimes impacting logistics.
Mandy has helped to roll out its partnership model of working for the Mayor’s Office in London and is already advising in Manchester and is about to begin work on another cyber centre in Yorkshire.
It has been at the forefront of Scotland’s response to the increasingly diverse and prevalent cyber threat – creating Curious Frank, a division that helps businesses to benefit from the expertise of ethical hacking students.
Mandy and the SBRC team also host the popular Scottish Cyber Awards. Now in its fourth year, its continuing growth is symbolic of a sector that is booming thanks to close integration between crime prevention, academia and business.
Speaking about her departure and the changing face of the SBRC, Mandy said: “I’m a great believer in knowing when is the right time to stand aside to enable new talent and prospects to come through.
“In both Eamonn and Lynsae we have two proven operators who will be able to focus on the cyber and non-cyber elements of what we offer. This will ensure the business community and all of our members and stakeholders see continued innovation and support.
“I am indebted to and very touched by the many people who have helped me and SBRC to develop to the scale it is now, during this time of my tenure and who have given so freely of their time and advice.”
Mandy will continue in the role until August to facilitate a full and thorough transition, at which point she is looking to establish new opportunities consulting on business resilience, in a role that will likely see her closely aligned with the SBRC.
Paddy Tomkins, Chair of the SBRC, said: “Mandy has exceeded what she promised when she joined SBRC: truly transformational leadership which has built a fantastic team and made Scotland one of the world leaders in developing active partnerships between public authorities and businesses of all sizes.
“The models Mandy has developed are now being emulated across the UK, ensuring that more and more communities reap the rewards of being safer places in which to invest, do business and create high-value jobs.
“We are tremendously grateful to Mandy, and sad to see her leave SBRC, but we are also excited by her ambitious plans for the future, plans in which SBRC will play a prominent role and from which we and the business sector in Scotland will benefit.”
The SBRC offers a wide range of business resilience services, delivered by an expert team of trusted professionals, seconded police and fire officers and innovative Ethical Hacking students from Abertay University.
It works in partnership with other organisations, partners and members to protect the people, places and processes involved in Scottish businesses and constantly looks at new ways to keep them free from risk.
