Our Leadership Team

Tony Furlong (CEO) - Tony has over 35 years of experience in the IT industry. He began his career working on ICL mainframes at the UK Home Office in the late 80s. Throughout his career, Tony has gained expertise in various IT functions. In 1998, he joined a multi-national manufacturer as a network analyst, responsible for the Global Infrastructure Organisation team. A few years later, Tony transitioned into Project and Programme Management. He then moved on from manufacturing to become the Head of IT at a multinational finance company. In 2009, Tony took on the role of CIO at a global insurance organisation, overseeing the Emerging Markets insurance business in Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. Following this, he returned to a global manufacturer as a consultant, where he successfully managed global programs. For the past 5 years, Tony has served as the ICS/OT cyber global programme manager, contributing to one of the largest global manufacturing ICS/OT cyber programs.

Richard Cowling (Technical Director) - Richard brings with him an extensive 33 years of experience in data networking. Prior to OTECTICS, he spent 5 years as a Senior Network Engineer at a multinational manufacturer. Richard has comprehensive networking experience using OT technologies within the Welsh and Scottish Transportation services. He has an extensive background, having spent 7 years as a Senior Network Consultant at two multinational engineering, architectural design, and consulting services companies. His knowledge and understanding of industrial network infrastructure and the associated support solutions is vast.

Peter Herdman (Technical Director) - Peter brings over 18 years of experience in cyber security. He has worked with clients in various industries including aviation, logistics, utilities and manufacturing. Peter holds a 1st Class BSc(Hons) in Industrial Computing with a specialisation in embedded software design and development. Prior to working in cyber security, Peter worked as an ICS/SCADA project engineer primarily in the utilities industry. He is a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and a Full and Founder Member of the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec). Additionally, he is a CESG Certified Professional (CCP) Senior IA Architect. Prior to OTECTICS, Peter led the ICS/OT cyber capability in the UK for a multinational information technology services and consulting company.

Alan Jacobs (Techical Director) - Alan is a former RAF Communications Systems Analyst who now specialises in the cybersecurity of industrial control and automation systems. He has over 20 years experience in cyber security, originally planning and managing Disaster Recovery testing at manufacturing sites across Europe. He then moved on to managing a Service Continuity function with a leading high street and investment bank. Since 2010, Alan has been working in Cybersecurity consulting for three global IT service providers, across multiple industry sectors including Banking, Energy, Oil & Gas, and manufacturing. He holds GICSP, CISSP, and CISM certifications and is currently studying for a BEng degree with a focus on electronic engineering. For the past 5 years, he has been working on one of the largest global OT cyber programmes.