Senior Team
Our Team and our consultants include some of the industry's most respected and influential security experts from information security, data privacy, data compliance and cyber-security.
Scott Simpson - CEO
Scott founded The Security Circle in 2015 and it has grown to become a leading information security, data compliance and cyber-security consultancy firm.
Scott Simpson is a Global Data Protection Officer, an Information Security Consultant, Certified GDPR Consultant, Information Security Consultant and senior UK Government data privacy advisor to the Department of Health & Social Care and UK Health Security Agency.
As the Senior Consultant, Scott has advised over 80 organisations since 2015 on a range of areas including GDPR, data protection, data privacy, information security, cyber-resilience, business continuity, risk management and incident response management.
In recent years Scott has been engaged as a Group Data Protection Officer for two global organisations and in those roles, managed the security and compliance of over 200 applications in 60 countries.
Since 2020, Scott has been advising the DHSC & UKHSA on a range of data privacy and data protection matters.
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Avril Millar - Chair
Originally a Civil Engineer, Avril taught Physics and Maths for several years before starting a highly successful Wealth Planning business in 1986. After her exit in 2007, Avril became CEO of a global headhunting firm, managing its turnaround through and beyond the 2008 crisis. Since 2009, Avril has also held a number of simultaneous advisory, Non-Exec and Executive roles across various sectors, including oil trading, healthcare, investment, Fx trading, technology, retail and sports.
Avril has known and worked alongside Scott Simpson for many years, routinely recommending his firm to clients of her own. Seeing the opportunities for expansion in the space over the coming years, Avril joined Security Circle as Chair in February 2021, to assist in building a solid, international presence and ever more prestigious client list.
Geoff Harris BSc, CISSP, C.Eng, MIET, ISSA Fellow - CISO
Geoff has is a highly experienced cyber security consultant and Chief Information Security Officer. He has over 20 years’ experience in providing these specialist services across a wide range of multinational organisations and market sectors.
With many years of Board level experience through to detailed technical level cyber knowledge, across companies of all sizes, Geoff is a very well-respected consultant and adviser.
In former roles, Geoff was International Director of the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) and UK President as well as Advisory Council member on the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)² for Europe, Middle East & Africa, in total for over 10 years.
Geoff is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and was a CESG (now the National Cyber Security Centre) CLAS Consultant and Certified Professional for Her Majesty's Government for over 12 years involved in large scale government IT security architectures and cyber risk assessments.
Geoff has served as an expert witness in cyber security legal cases and has led incident response operations as well as advising on cyber security breaches and forensic investigations.
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Erika Bergfeld - Client Services Manager
Drawing on many years' experience as a senior executive, Erika oversees administration and client liaison at all levels.
She provides support for the team, co-ordinates our projects and is the metaphorical glue that holds the business together.
Gaynor Simpson - Communications Director
As Communications Director, Gaynor oversees marketing, PR and events for The Security Circle. She works closely with our stakeholders to deliver a strategically effective communications programme., reaching business and trade media contacts across the UK and overseas.
She also manages our social media and exhibitions schedule, ensuring that The Security Circle has its fair share of 'digital voice' and are represented at key national and international events in the data privacy and security calendar.