KPMG appoints cybersecurity expert David Ferbrache as Chief Technology Officer

KPMG has promoted government cybersecurity and company veteran to the role of Chief Technology Officer. In the new role, he will focus on oversight of the firm’s various cybersecurity related initiatives, among a range of other functions.

David Ferbrache joined KPMG in 2013, rising to his most recent role as Director Cyber Defence Services in 2016. He previously held the role of Technical Director Cybersecurity and Special Adviser Cyber Security. Prior to that, he was a civil servant, working at the UK Ministry of Defence since 1997, in roles of increasing seniority. Most recently, between 2012 and 2013, he was Head of Cyber & Space, following a year and three months as Head of Cyber Policy and Plans. Before joining the MoD, he worked as a Technical Director for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency.

Ferbrache holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Heriot-Watt University and a Master of Business Administration in Business Administration and Management from the Open University. He was awarded the OBE for his service to the country’s national security after 9/11.Ferbrache‘s latest promotion sees him take on the role of Chief Technology Officer at the strategy consulting firm. The new role will see him provide oversight on the delivery of technical services across the cyber realm, particularly into financial services clients – including work of the firm’s white hat hacking team.

Regarding the appointment, the firm wrote, “David has over 30 years of experience in technology risk and information security, working at the most senior levels of government to formulate cyber policy, drive programme delivery and lead international engagement. Prior to working for KPMG, David was the Head of Cyber and Space at the Ministry of Defence, and was made an OBE for his contribution to national security.”

Bernard Brown, Vice Chair at KPMG UK said, “As cyber-attacks occur with increasing regularity they are looking for teams who can help them defend and maintain their business in the face of increasing cyber challenges. This has reflected in the growth of our team and over the past few years our cyber security team has grown rapidly.”

Cyber security has become an increasingly pressing issue for companies across the UK. As more companies develop digital footprints, and increased financial and critical infrastructure is vulnerable to hacking, companies are hard pressed to develop ways to mitigate risks. To that end, the UK Government has released various reports and support mechanisms, while professional services firms have added cybersecurity capabilities to support clients across the board with managing their security needs. The difficulty of securing online resources was highlighted recently, with KPMG’s Big Four competitor Deloitte falling victim to a high-level hack of its own in 2017.