Secure the Future: A Cybersecurity Webinar

Saxon Partridge-Smith is a student currently working as a Cyber Protect Officer for the West Midlands Regional Cyber Crime Unit.

Saxon’s chosen area of study lies within cyber security, where she intends to hone her skill set on law enforcement and tackling cybercrimes. Her experiences so far have seen her work with national and regional partners such as Staffordshire Fire and Rescue, the Black Country Health Care Service, and NatWest. Whilst working with these organisations she has been able to develop the thought processes that these organisations adopt, and shift them to a more cyber security perspective.

She works alongside a national protect network that provides support and assistance to organisations that may have been the victim of a cyber-attack, or who pose a vulnerability. This work is in line with the National Cyber Security Strategy of 2022-2030.

Vanessa joined West Midlands Police in 1993 and has delivered on a wide range of roles and specialisms across the organisation and across the geography. She has worked as a Senior Investigating Officer within Force Criminal Investigation Department, overseeing kidnaps, firearms crimes, attempted murders and crimes within HMP Birmingham. She then worked within the Public Protection Unit overseeing complex child abuse and child deaths.

Vanessa has a range of experience in leading change and improving performance. Vanessa also took a strategic role in successfully uplifting resilience within the Public Protection Unit. Vanessa has also worked in preventative measures in a number of her previous roles. This included previously being a Cyber lead for a large section of Birmingham's local policing. She has a passion that prevention remains better than cure. She also led on combating corruption and improving standards across sections of the West Midlands Police, working hand in hand with the Professional Standards department for the organisation. She remains passionate about equality and diversity, believing that everybody has a part to play within a team and should be enabled to deliver their best.

Detective Sgt Ed Trimbee, Regional Organised Crime Unit for the West Midlands Region with 20 years of policing service Ed has broad experience across multiple operational policing and investigative functions – including Homicide and the Regional Economic Crime Unit.

Currently leading the Regional Cyber Crime Unit ‘PROTECT PREPARE PREVENT’ portfolios, his team deliver support across multiple sectors to help businesses and organisations be better protected and prepared for cyber-attack, and also work with existing cyber criminals with the objective to educate, support and divert them from criminal activities to reduce future threat and risk.

Shevani works in the East Midlands Special Operations Cyber Crime Unit. As part of the Protect Network, Shiv coordinates operational activities delivering cyber threat mitigation advice to organisations across the East Midlands to uplift cyber preparedness and resiliency.

Shiv delivers board-level strategic advice within local resilience forums, risk management advice responding to incidents, advice on supply chain security, defence in depth, and business continuity and provides awareness training through all levels of an organisation embedding security within an organisation's culture. Shiv is certified in CISMP, Security + and Cyber Security Analyst+.

Phil is a Digital Media and Communications Officer at the EMCRC, responsible for producing and publishing content on behalf of the centre and its internal and external partners and acts as the comms lead for the centre.

Previously employed by Derbyshire Constabulary in the role of Digital Communications and Development Officer, this role focused on providing digital solutions for police officers and departments as the force expanded its digital presence. The role also saw him manage the force’s social media estate and develop and maintain the force's website.

Phil has worked in the digital sphere since 2000, joining Northcliffe Media and managing the online versions of regional newspapers. He has also worked in the role of Social Media Manager twice for the University of Derby and for a Derby-based horticultural PR company.