After 8 years of involvement in CyberNorth, it’s time for me to retire. By the time you read this article I will have left the company and the sector. Those of you who know me are aware that this is not the first time I have tried to retire, it is at least the second or third, leading to one colleague telling me I wasn’t very good at retiring.
What’s different about this time then? Firstly I have reached an age where I can retire, I am officially now an old age pensioner. Secondly, I think that I have taken CyberNorth as far as I can. It needs somebody different to take it to the next step, which leads me nicely to the third reason in that I have found someone in Danielle who is excellently placed to do so. Her drive and ambition is just what is needed to lift CyberNorth to bigger and better things. Under her leadership we have already leaped forward and the company is in safe hands.
I am very proud of what we have achieved with the organisation and its cluster. We have come a long way since Accenture asked Dynamo North East to help set up a cyber security cluster, with many initiatives and hundreds of events. There have been lots of great moments, too many to mention but here are some that have stood out for me.
- The first CyberFest was a great success though it started a period of sleepless nights with all the events that followed;
- Being a founding member of the UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration (UKC3) and seeing it grow from six to eighteen clusters across the nations;
- Our relationship with the central government, especially DSIT and DBT. Our name is certainly talked about in the corridors of power;
- The development of the Shared apprenticeship scheme, a global first and a unique way to deliver talent into the sector;
- The setting up of the team and the difference it made;
- Running the two innovation centres leading to a number of new businesses and showing that there is a demand for such support;
- Having such a great board of directors;
- Setting up the community interest company and its smooth transfer from myself to Danielle
Of course, none of this could have been achieved without all of the hundreds, perhaps thousands of people who have been involved over the years. There are far too many to mention and so my thanks go out to every one of you, for whatever part you have played. Our CyberNorth Startup is growing up and there is still plenty to do.
If you would like to keep in touch, you can connect with me on LinkedIn or drop a note to hello@cybernorth.biz and they will pass your note onto me.
This is your community – be part of it.
Phil