Mark Gillan has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of leading smart systems cyber security specialist ANGOKA. The appointment marks the start of a new chapter at ANGOKA which recently announced its £1.8m investment in a world-leading cyber security solution for the advanced manufacturing sector COSMIC (Cybersecurity Operational Systems in Manufacturing and Industrial Control). The firm has also been leading in the field of autonomous air and land transport cyber security with a number of international trials under way with major global brands.
Mark will take up the position later this summer on completion of projects he is currently advising on in King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia.
A former Formula One Chief Race Engineer for Jaguar/Red Bull and Williams race teams and more recently Associate Vice President of Technologies and Special Projects at the National Transformation Institute at KAUST, Mark led a diverse portfolio of projects ranging from autonomous, multimodal transport to critical national infrastructure.
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ANGOKA founder and chairman Steve Berry says the company is thrilled to welcome Mark.
“As we prepare to deliver some of the most advanced cyber security solutions to a new generation of commercial air and land mobility, manufacturing and defence, I am delighted to welcome Mark whose distinguished reputation and commitment to the future of the manufacturing industry brings new perspectives and a degree of expertise which is unparalleled in the world of commerce,” says Mr Berry.
Mark says new challenges are an engineer’s greatest motivator.
“I am excited to be joining the ANGOKA team particularly at a time when the firm is primed for its next phase of growth and already has developed strong relationships across the defence and smart mobility industry,” he says. “This is a company with significant intellectual ability and commitment to change the face of transport, manufacturing and defence as we enter a period of global uncertainty which requires increasingly complex and robust cyber security solutions. I very much look forward to contributing to this work with my new colleagues.”
Manufacturing NI Chief Executive Stephen Kelly who represents more than 500 manufacturers across the country says the appointment is an expression of confidence in the future of the sector.
“The return of Mark Gillan to Northern Ireland signals a new degree of commitment to manufacturing not just here but across the western world,” says Mr Kelly. “Technological developments and the emergence of AI mean we can gain an advantage through new manufacturing techniques and autonomous mobility but that will require increased security to protect our industries from unwanted and increasingly hostile attention. Hacking has now reached seriously damaging levels and the need for effective cyber security solutions has never been so pressing.”
Mark was also Chief Executive of Wave Power Ltd, Director at the US Company MTS Systems, leading their Advanced Technology and Motorsports Group, Chief Operations Officer for Artemis Technologies (ex-America’s Cup Sailing Team), Belfast Digital Innovation Commissioner and Chief Technology Officer for Innovate UK overseeing a £350M funding portfolio.
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Immediately prior to joining KAUST, Mark was Head of R&D at the UK’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS), leading on a variety of airspace projects, including the UK’s largest funded AI project, called BlueBird, working in collaboration with the Alan Turing Institute, aimed at delivering the world’s first AI system to work with air traffic controllers and to control a section of airspace, in live trials.
Mark is also a Visiting Professor of both Surrey and Ulster Universities.
Mark studied Aeronautical Engineering at Queen’s University of Belfast, obtaining a First Class Honours Degree in 1990, followed by a Doctorate in Aeronautical Engineering at Queen’s in 1993. Throughout his studies he was sponsored by Short Brothers (now Spirit Aerosystems). He is both a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and a Chartered Engineer and has written 37 peer reviewed Journal and Conference papers and led a mixture of UK and EU funded programmes, securing over £100M in competitive funding.
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