TWO LEADING experts operating in the thriving Welsh technology sector have received honours from the University of South Wales (USW).
John Davies MBE, managing director of Pervade Software, and Gareth Williams, the Chief Operating Officer of Marshall, have both received Honorary Doctorates.
With 35 years’ industry experience, Mr Davies was, in 2014, the co-founder and chair of one of the UK’s first cyber security clusters. He has since been the co-founder and chair of Cyber Wales, global cyber ecosystem GlobalEPIC, and UKC3, which supports cyber security clusters in the UK. In 2019, he was the UK representative of European Cyber Security Organisation.
John co-founded Pervade Software, which provides the platform for the National Cyber Security Centre’s Cyber Essentials Scheme, the UK Police Cyber Alarm platform, and the Dark Web intelligence gathering platform. He keeps his skills current and is a Certified Ethical Hacker.
John is an Army veteran and officer in the British Army Reserve. He is the Chair of the Regional Employer Engagement Group for the Armed Forces in Wales, and an Honorary Colonel. In his spare time, he fundraises for Armed Forces charities through cycling and running and enjoys exploring Bannau Brycheiniog with his wife and their four Dalmatians.
Mr Davies said: “When the National Cyber Security Academy opened at USW’s Newport Campus back in 2016 it felt like a journey into new, uncharted territory, to ‘buck the system’ and create a brand-new way of teaching the fast-moving subject of cyber.
“Having formed the first Welsh Cyber Security Cluster a couple of years earlier, it was a marriage made in heaven and USW embraced the members of the cyber clusters as easily as we embraced the new breed of students.
“Together we have been able to bridge the gap between scholars and practitioners in ways that had never been done before and it has been a real pleasure to be part of it.
“In 2022 I received an MBE from the Princess Royal for ‘services to the UK cyber ecosystem’, which was a great honour, but this doctorate somehow feels more real to me – perhaps because it is from people I respect for work that we have done over the past decade and because it represents the work we will continue to do to close the skills gap.
“The future is very bright, the industry is as hungry as ever for new talent and our Welsh cyber community is still battling against fragmentation to maintain a national identity and continue to build global recognition. Together, we are stronger (to steal a strapline from Welsh sport) and I am looking forward to continuing this journey with the team, and the students and the combined might of the Welsh cyber communities.”
Mr Williams is the COO of Marshall, leading on all operational aspects of the group across the UK, Europe, North America, and the Middle East. He is also a former leader at Thales, where he oversaw the operations of the organisation’s global cyber business.
Mr Williams helped to develop the Wales National Digital Exploitation Centre (NDEC) and ResilientWorks, a partnership development between Welsh universities, the Welsh Government, and Thales.
He is one of the founding leaders of the Cyber College Cymru initiative, an industry partnership with FE colleges in Wales which educates students from former industrial communities about career opportunities in cyber. He also sits on the CBI Wales Council and is a member of the National Cyber Advisory Board for UK Government.
Mr Williams said: “An honorary degree is at its heart a recognition of shared values, and I am deeply honoured to be invited to join the university community in this special way.
“We share a fundamental belief in learning and the power of a university education to unlock the potential of people from every background and life experience, sharpening their intellectual skills and inquisitive minds to make the most of their talents.
“This is why a university exists, it is what USW does so well, and it is why I am proud now to count myself as part of the USW community.”
USW’s Head of Cyber Security and Director of the Academic Centre of Excellence, Sharan Johnstone, said: “I am delighted to see both John and Gareth recognised for their tireless work in the sector and their drive and passion to bring cyber security to the forefront of government and individual attention.
“It is a privilege to collaborate with them both and share a vision to develop employable graduates and inspire the next generation of cyber talent.
“Both Gareth and John have played a fundamental role in the success of USW Cyber and making it the award-winning success it is today.”
