Ciaran Martin is the founding CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) at GCHQ. Professor of Practice in the Management of Public Organisations at the University of Oxford in the Blavatnik School of Government. He is also a visiting Professor in the Department of War Studies at Kings College London. His professional career saw him, develop and becoming founding CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre inside the intelligence and security agency GCHQ. Ciaran also changed the entire security strategy for the for the entire United Kingdom Security Strategy. The change resulted in the UK rising from eighth to first in the International Telecommunications Union’s Global Cybersecurity Index thanks to Ciaran’s incredible work.
Ciaran has served the UK civil service for several years, clocking over 23 years of service. He completed his education at Hertford College, Oxford University with a degree in history. In the early 2000s Ciaran was the Principal Private Secretary to the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service. Prior to that Ciaran served at HM Treasury and the National Audit Office. Prior to working with GCHQ, he served in the Cabinet Office from 2011 to 2014 in a variety of roles from constitution director to Directory of Security and Intelligence at the Cabinet office.
During the Scottish referendum Ciaran Martin was the lead negotiator for the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Scotland in the run up to the Edinburgh Agreement, he played a pivotal role in negotiations who’s outcomes affected the lives of millions of people. In 2020 he was awarded CBE for his services to international and Global Cyber Security. Ciaran has an impressively unique body of knowledge having held roles across public finances, national and international security and central bureaucracy. For conferences on cybersecurity and international security Ciaran has fantastic cross sectional knowledge and experience to offer.
