A leading information security expert will join the packed line-up for next week’s sold-out East Midlands Cyber Summit.

Raj Atwal is an information security and governance leader and the current President of the ISACA Central UK Chapter. He has been an ISACA member since 2008, joined the Chapter Board in 2023, and became Vice President in 2024.

Raj is Head of Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) in the Information Security team at Clearwater Analytics (CWAN). In this role, he leads on embedding structured risk management and compliance practices that help global organisations protect critical data and meet regulatory expectations.

Before joining Clearwater Analytics, Raj was Head of GRC at Beacon Platform Inc., where he served as the company’s first Head of Compliance prior to its acquisition by CWAN in May 2025. He has also led the Cyber Security GRC function at London Stock Exchange Group, worked as ISO 27001 Certification Practice Lead at KPMG, and served as Head of Information Security at the Audit Commission.

Across these roles, Raj has built extensive global experience across multiple sectors. He is known for helping executive leaders understand governance and risk in plain language, and for turning security and compliance requirements into practical, pragmatic controls that work in real-world businesses.

Emerging cyber threats to SMEs

Raj will join a panel focused on building cyber resilience across the region. He will speak alongside:

• Jill Broom, lead for the techUK Cyber Resilience programme
• Sophie Powell, Talent Manager at Cyber Path
• Colin Ellis, director of the East Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre

Together, they will explore how SMEs can better understand emerging cyber threats, strengthen their governance and risk management, and develop the people, processes and technology needed for long-term resilience.

East Midlands Cyber Summit 2026 now sold out

The sold-out Summit is organised by the East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster as part of its DSIT-funded Cyber Growth programme. It is designed specifically for SMEs that want to:

• Understand how and why cyber attacks happen
• See how real-world incidents unfold
• Discover proven, actionable steps to strengthen their business’s cyber resilience

Speakers include regional industry director Paul Abbott, former group director of Knights of Old, which went into administration following a ransomware attack in 2023. Paul will deliver the keynote address to delegates.

Other confirmed speakers include:

• Martin Sadler OBE, advisor at the University of Bristol
• Adrian Davis, Managing Director, Horme Business Services
• Simon Plummer, Director of Information Security at Collective Security
• Jon O’Grady, information security expert at De Montfort University

The East Midlands Cyber Summit is organised by East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster as part of its DSIT-funded Cyber Growth programme. The Summit offers SMEs the chance to understand how and why cyber attacks happen and to discover proven ways to boost your business’s resilience.

The event runs from 9am to 4pm on 12 February 2026 at The Venue, Western Boulevard, Leicester. All funded places have now been reserved, but you can join the waitlist for returns here.

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NEED TO KNOW

How can SMEs start improving their cyber resilience today?

SMEs can start improving cyber resilience by identifying their most critical systems and data, enforcing strong passwords and multi‑factor authentication, training staff to spot phishing, and having a simple incident response plan they can follow if something goes wrong.

Why is the East Midlands Cyber Summit important for SMEs?

The East Midlands Cyber Summit gives SMEs a clear, practical view of how cyber attacks unfold and what they can do to prevent them. Through expert talks, workshops and networking, the event helps business leaders understand real-world threats and identify proven steps to boost their organisation’s cyber resilience.

How does GRC support better cyber security?

Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) supports better cyber security by giving organisations a structured way to identify risks, set clear policies and implement controls. This helps leaders make informed decisions and ensures security measures are practical, consistent and auditable.