Cybersecurity experts Cognisys see further growth

Over recent years, Cognisys has grown from strength to strength in the cybersecurity space
following several high-profile client wins and not one, but two locations in the North of England.

Established in Halifax in 2019, the award-winning Cognisys continues to prove its expertise for a
wide range of clients in the law, finance and housing sectors, further strengthening its
credentials in the space. It is estimated that 88 per cent of UK businesses suffered a security breach this year, stressing how crucial it is for organisations to have efficient cybersecurity measures in place.

Following the team’s exciting expansion to Leeds and its ambitious growth plans, Cognisys has
also expanded its sales and marketing outfit. Christopher McGannon has joined the leadership
team to expedite new-business acquisition for Cognisys.

Chris has a mature understanding of the UK cyber security marketplace and knows exactly what attracts clients to new suppliers. Utilising his 12+ years of sales experience, Chris is responsible for building the brand-new Cognisys Sales Academy along with managing and supporting the senior sales team.

Chris said, “I was attracted to the business’s laser focus on testing and compliance-related
services. As a pure-play cyber specialist, Cognisys has an enviable level of depth to its security
expertise. My new technical director, Arjun Pednekar, is a CREST fellow and has built an
incredible team of testers and consultants who are working with some of the largest
organisations in Europe.

“However, we are equally keen to continue helping smaller organisations mitigate risk and maximise their return on cybersecurity investments.

“I am delighted to be working with the Leeds-based sales team and I am looking forward to
onboarding the next generation of cyberdefenders into our Technical and Sales Academies. We
work with some awesome enterprises that are based out of Leeds, and we look forward to
working closely with them and the local community for many years to come.”

As a Leeds local, Chris is particularly pleased to be working back in his native LS1. Chris is also
joined by digital marketing specialist, James Brook, who will be taking care of Cognisys’
marketing functions.

Joining the marketing outfit is marketing and branding consultant, Ben Jones, who will be using his decade of branding and agency experience to continue to refine and push the Cognisys brand into 2023.

Steve Spence, CEO of Cognisys, said: “While we initially set up the organisation in Halifax, we added a SOC (security operations centre) in Manchester earlier this year and the
pull of Leeds was just too strong to resist. Halifax has been amazing, however, the digital and
cyber community in Leeds is massive and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.

“Cognisys already work with many prominent organisations in the city and although we can test
remotely from anywhere in the world, we’re excited to move to Park Place in central Leeds to be
closer to the action.

“Our services are taken by some of the biggest and best-known companies in the world and we’re keen to keep extending our reach throughout the region.

“Cognisys is committed to investing in the future of its business and the development of our people, so we have ambitious plans to keep on growing. We’re looking forward to deepening our relationships and connections with the Leeds professional and technical communities throughout 2023.”