SME Advisory Council

ACE’s Advisory Council for SMEs lets members influence ACE initiatives, share business insights, and discuss industry trends.

Ben Craig, Managing Director, InfoSec People

Ben Craig is the Head of InfoSec People, shaping the direction of the business through deep market insight and a people‑first approach to recruitment. He works closely with organisations and senior security leaders to attract and retain high‑calibre cyber security talent across technical, GRC and leadership roles, while actively supporting the growth of the UK cyber security community through insight‑led hiring conversations.

Liz Banbury, Chief Information Security Officer, Thames Water

Liz has spent approximately 20 years working in Technology and Cyber Security, focusing purely on Cyber Security for the last 12 years, starting out within the Information Security Office at ANZ Bank. From there she moved to Standard Chartered Bank where she headed up the Information and Cyber Security Policy function. From Q4 of 2021 Liz moved to Hiscox Insurance as the Chief Information Security Officer and in March 2024 she moved to Thames Water. Liz is CISSP certified and has been a member of the International information System Security Certification Consortium [ISC2], a globally recognised cybersecurity education and accreditation leader since ISC2 since 2016, setting up the London Chapter in 2017.

Adam McGlead, Director - Water, Matchtech

With 17 years of experience in recruitment, Adam specialises in sourcing top talent within the water industry for the private sector across the UK. His expertise lies in hiring civil, mechanical, electrical, and process professionals who drive innovation and success in their respective fields. Adam is committed to providing tailored recruitment solutions that align with his clients' goals and organisational culture, ensuring a seamless fit for both candidates and companies.

Presentation Synopsis

Cyber security is fundamentally about reducing risk—to organisations, to customers, and to the wider supply chain. This session will set out what cyber security means for the Association for Consultancy & Engineering as suppliers to the water industry.

We will discuss how effective cyber security helps organisations reduce their own operational risk, reduce the risk of their clients, and meet current regulatory expectations, while also preparing for forthcoming changes such as the UK’s cyber resilience bill. Using recent, high‑profile incidents the session will also illustrate why cyber threats are no longer theoretical and why the ability to adapt quickly to evolving attack techniques is now a core business capability.

Finally, the presentation will identify some steps that organisations can make, taking organisation size into account.