Meet the Committee
Andrea Litherland
CISO for Domestic and General. Andrea is a cybersecurity executive with over 20 years of experience predominately in the financial services sector. She has always admired the cyber community’s willingness to support others who are less fortunate, and wants to continue to make an active contribution herself. Based in the North West of England, Andrea recently joined the committee, particularly keen to extend the impact and reach of the White Hat charity beyond its London roots.
Cheryl Martin
As VP for Capgemini Cyber Security, Cheryl leads a diverse team of cyber specialists. She has over 25 years of experience in technology, cyber security and transformation. Cheryl has a passion for diversity. She is honoured to be a new member of the White Hat Ball committee and also part of the evolving and dynamic cyber industry, which has supported this cause for over 20 years.
Chris Dunning-Walton
Chris is the founder and director of CyNam (www.cynam.org), the platform for Cheltenham and Gloucestershire’s thriving cybersecurity community to collaborate, network, and innovate. He was previously the CEO and owner of InfoSec People, an international executive search and recruitment firm. Chris has a decade’s track record placing CISOs, CSOs, and Cyber Leaders with FTSE250 enterprises. He is one of the newest members of the White Hat Ball committee.
Eleanor Dallaway
Eleanor is co-founder of the UK’s only cyber insurance brokerage, Assured. She has more than 18 years of experience as a tech journalist. Eleanor served as editorial director of Infosecurity Magazine from 2006 to 2022, during which time she founded the Women in Cybersecurity networking events, advised the Conservative Government on its information security policy and won several awards. Eleanor has served on the White Hat Ball committee for 14 years.
James Alliband
From IT to leading marketing teams, James has spent most of his career in cybersecurity and B2B SaaS, where he has utilised his technical skills to re-position, build demand engines and re-establish well-loved brands. James has worked at well-known cybersecurity brands: Check Point, Carbon Black, Tessian and now head of marketing at Risk Ledger. James recently joined the White Hat Ball committee.
Justin Coker
VP Europe, Cyberbit. Justin has spent more than 23 years in senior sales management roles at leading enterprise cybersecurity companies, including Anomali, IronNet, Skybox Security and Symantec. He is currently VP Europe at Cyberit. He has held other successful IT sales positions prior at AXENT Technologies, Parametric Technology, and Fujitsu. Justin has served on the White Hat Ball committee for more than 8 years.
Marc Avery
Marc has worked at the forefront of the cybersecurity industry for over two decades, securing some of the most sensitive and challenging environments in the UK and internationally. Marc’s passion extends not only to the technical challenges relating to cyber but also to the human aspects including the well-being of security practitioners via the charitable foundation Cyber House Party. Marc has spent the last 5 years building a Cyber business and is one of the newest members of the White Hat Ball committee.
Mark Lodgson
Mark is currently the Chief Information Security Officer at NHS England. Previously he held senior security roles in the City, having previously served in the Royal Navy, Army and at the MoD. Mark is passionate about raising funds to provide support for vulnerable young people. He has been a White Hat Ball committee member for 15 years, including two as Chair. Of the 19 White Hat Balls held thus far, Mark has attended them all, apart from the first three.
Neil Stinchcombe
Co-founder, Eskenzi PR. Neil is a go-to-market executive, board director, investor and strategic advisor with over 30 years of technology and business experience. Neil is co-founder of Eskenzi PR, leading PR, marketing and social media for clients in cybersecurity, AI, big data, mobile, broadcast, telecoms, and electronics. Neil is also on the UK Advisory Board for ISSA and a currently serves as Chair of the White Hat Ball committee.
Paul Gibson
Paul Gibson is the CEO of Rela8 Group, a leader in B2B events and custom marketing with a passion for creating communities. Under his leadership, Rela8 Group has expanded its global footprint and enhanced its service offerings, becoming a trusted partner for many Fortune 500 executives as well as some of the world leading solution providers. Paul is a new member of the White Hat Ball committee.
Ray Stanton
Board Advisor, Bridewell. Ray has 30-plus years of experience in cybersecurity, risk management and commercial experience in the UK, US, and Nordics – much of it at board level. A former CISO and CSO, his career encompasses senior positions at BT, National Grid, IBM, TDC Group and Airbus UK. Ray was instrumental in setting up global programmes on cyber resilience for the World Economic Forum and sat on the advisory board for the Information Security Forum. As one of the founding members of the White Hat Ball, Ray is the longest serving member of the committee.
Rebecca Harper
Rebecca is a digital marketing expert with 18+ years of experience, specializing in cybersecurity. As Head of Content Marketing at ISMS.online, she drives commercial growth through impactful content strategies. With a background in B2B marketing, lead generation, and digital transformation, Rebecca has a proven track record in executing scalable marketing initiatives. Her 11 years at RX Global refined her skills in commercial development and global content marketing. Rebecca has been a member of the White Hat Ball committee for ten years.
Stephen Khan
BISO, Cognizant. Stephen is an information and cyber security practitioner, and international speaker with 20+ years of experience working for global firms across financial services, healthcare, and defence. Stephen has held senior group level positions at firms including HSBC, RBS, GSK, and Siemens. He contributes to Cyber Security community as Chairman of Club-CISO advisory board. Stephen has been involved with White Hat for over 18 years and served as Chairman of the committee.
Tash Norris
Tash Norris is the Chief Information Security Officer at Zopa Bank and holds experience across retail and banking industries. With over a decade of experience in information security, Tash has a proven track record of developing robust security frameworks as well as developing and leading teams through complex cybersecurity programmes. Tash is passionate about fostering a culture of security awareness within organisations, utilising automation and AI to drive innovation and frequently shares her insights at industry conferences. Tash recently joined the White Hat Ball committee.
Belton Flournoy
Belton leads cybersecurity transformation efforts for financial services clients and beyond, advising CISOs on risk and resilience. He joined the White Hat Ball committee to help celebrate achievements in cybersecurity and promote inclusive values. Based in London, Belton is keen to help grow the charity’s national footprint.
Vicki Gavin
Vicki, Head of Security for the NHS, has held security leadership roles in financial services, publishing, and education over the last 25 years. She joined the White Hat Ball committee in 2019 and attended the ball for many years before that. As a mother and a grandmother she is passionate about keeping children safe. I look forward to seeing friends old and new at the Ball in January.
Mark Ampleford
Mark chairs the committee and joined it 9 years ago. Mark enjoys building businesses and is the CEO of BSS Cyber which is a cyber security professional services business based in London. He has been immersed in the London cyber security community for over 20 years. Mark is keen to continue to drive White Hat’s growth during his tenure and cement the event and brand as a key partner to NSPCC Childline.