A cyber security company in Bristol that was founded by an ex-GCHQ trainer has appointed its first chief marketing officer.
Evelyn Swaim, former senior vice president at software corporate Blue Prism, joins the fast-growing business as it continues to scale globally.
Immersive Labs, which is based at Runway East in Redcliffe, has developed a platform that can identify gaps in a workforce's cyber skills. It counts some of the world’s largest organisations, including Airbnb, Deutsche Bank and the Met Police, as customers.
It is currently working on a Bank of England-backed initiative to test the UK financial sector’s cyber defences, according to the Financial Times.
Ms Swaim has been hired to help drive growth, awareness and category ownership of the business, Immersive Labs said.
She has 15 years experience developing brand and go-to-market strategy for companies such as TIBCO, Progress, Software AG and Nuance Communications. She is also a founding member of US-based executive leadership network CHIEF.
“It is a great time to be joining Immersive Labs," she said. "As cyber risk continues to spread across entire organisations, the need for workforce-wide human capabilities is growing. CISOs in large organisations need to not only validate technological controls, but also their human equivalent."
Ms Swaim said Immersive Labs had "the key" to helping the world’s largest companies mitigate risk and manage cyber threats.
The appointment is part of a wider global growth objective, according to Immersive Labs, and follows $123m of investment from Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Insight Partners, Menlo Ventures, Citi Ventures and Summit Partners.
Founder James Hadley, who worked for the government for nine years, said: “We welcome the appointment of a deeply experienced marketing leader who adds depth, experience and diversity to our leadership team.
"From the very beginning, Immersive Labs has benefitted from the power of inclusivity to solve complex challenges with a range of viewpoints, something furthered by Evelyn’s arrival."
Mr Hadley said Ms Swaim had the "marketing firepower" to help elevate the Immersive Labs brand.
He added: "With her strong leadership, we are poised to capitalise on the opportunity ahead of us as we continue to scale.”
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