Deloitte appoints head of Europol as Senior Cyber Partner

Big Four firm Deloitte has named the former head of Europol as its new Senior Cyber Partner. Rob Wainwright joins the firm having enjoyed a 25-year career in intelligence, policing and international affairs, in which cyber security has become a crucial aspect in recent years.

Cyber-security is one of the key issues of the day for global businesses, as increasingly digitalised companies open themselves up to attacks from computer-criminals seeking to extract lucrative data from top firms. According to the most recent data available, the global cost of cyber-crime has long surpassed $280 billion annually for businesses worldwide.

As a result, security consulting has become a major segment in the professional services sector. With a growing number of businesses now placing cyber-security in their firm as a higher ranking priority, consulting firms are experiencing a boost, as clients seek external advise on how to best insulate their companies from the next WannaCry.

The world’s largest cyber-security consultancy, Deloitte, underwent a difficult 2017, as it was notably rocked by a cyber-attack in its own right, in the first quarter of the year. Now, as the firm attempts to consolidate its position as a market leader the following year, Deloitte’s cyber security practice has employed an additional 500 people across Europe. The latest high-profile member of this intake is Rob Wainwright, who has joined the professional service firm’s Cyber team as a Senior Partner. 

Bringing a quarter-century of industrial experience to Deloitte, Wainwright will join from Europol, the European Union law enforcement agency, where he has been Executive Director for the past nine years. Europol connects over 1,000 law enforcement agencies and supports almost 50,000 cross-border investigations each year, and as a high-level executive in the EU as well as a leading voice in European policing, Wainwright managed an agency of 1,000 people with an operational network spanning 40 countries.

Wainwright’s 25-year career in intelligence, policing, government, EU and international affairs has also included spells with the Serious Organised Crime Agency, National Criminal Intelligence Service and the British Security Service. Due to his extensive experience, Wainwright is also a member of the UK Prime Minister’s Task Force on Modern Slavery, and has been inducted as an honorary fellow at the University of Exeter and Cardiff University.

Cyber Partner

As a Senior Partner in Deloitte’s European cyber-security practice, Wainwright will help lead and grow the team and business with clients, commencing work remotely in June 2018. He will continue to be based in the Netherlands, in order to work with clients across Europe, and will also be engaged in areas of related risk, such as financial crime and fraud.

Commenting on Deloitte’s experienced new appointment, Jacques Buith, Managing Partner of Risk Advisory at Deloitte North West Europe said, “Having held such a significant role, he has an unparalleled understanding of how cyber and related risks are evolving and the criminal behaviour behind such acts. His experience and insights will be an invaluable addition to the team and to our clients’ businesses.”

Wainwright added, “With the majority of my career spent on intelligence and global security issues, I’ve developed a deep interest in the rise of cyber security as a leading concern for governments and businesses in today’s world.  I have enjoyed my experience at Europol - helping to shape Europe’s response to this and other major threats.  Now I intend to bring that experience into the private sector, working with a wide range of clients in multiple industries, as part of a highly enterprising and professional team at Deloitte.”

David Sproul, chief executive of Deloitte North West Europe, meanwhile remarked, “Cyber-crime is a borderless threat to all businesses regardless of their size, industry or location, and it must be at the forefront of all executive’s minds.  Rob is in a fantastic position to help lead these boardroom conversations.”