Acumen Cyber appoints Derek Whigham to support UK growth

Acumen Cyber has appointed Derek Whigham as a Non-Executive Director and Strategic Advisor as the Glasgow-based cyber security services provider expands across the UK.

Whigham joins the board with more than 28 years of experience in cybersecurity and technology roles spanning financial services, telecoms and security technology. He most recently worked at Lloyds Banking Group in the Chief Security Office as Chief Product Owner.

At Lloyds, Whigham set the vision, strategy and delivery for operational cyber defence, e-crime and intelligence functions. The bank is the UK's largest retail and commercial bank.

Acumen said Whigham led large-scale transformation programmes across several security domains. These included security operations, insider threat, identity and access management, vulnerability management, advanced intrusion testing, cryptography, threat intelligence and cloud security. The remit covered more than 30 product owners and specialist teams.

Board expansion

Acumen positioned the appointment as part of its current growth phase. The company said Whigham will work on strategic growth, product direction and expansion.

The company also linked the appointment to its focus on intelligence-led cyber defence and security operations. Acumen said it works with customers in government, financial services and critical infrastructure.

Mark Robertson, CEO and Co-Founder of Acumen Cyber, said: "Derek's experience across large scale cyber defence, financial services and emerging technologies brings an important perspective to Acumen at a pivotal stage in our growth. His understanding of how modern threats operate, combined with his leadership in areas such as threat informed defence, quantum and AI, will strengthen how we grow our services and support customers operating in high risk, complex environments. This appointment reflects our focus on building a leadership team that matches the sophistication of the challenges our clients face."

Industry roles

Outside his corporate roles, Whigham holds positions with industry bodies focused on cyber risk and defensive models.

He is a Research Director at ISACA. Acumen said he provides C-suite guidance on risks and opportunities linked to quantum computing and generative AI.

Whigham also serves as an Advisory Council Member at the MITRE Centre for Threat Informed Defence. Acumen said he contributes expertise on adversary-focused defence models.

Acumen said Whigham is a published author and holds patents in cybersecurity. It also highlighted his experience in crisis and cyber-attack management and decision-making under pressure.

Services focus

Acumen describes itself as a cyber security service provider. The company said its offering centres on a 24/7 CREST Accredited Security Operations Centre.

Acumen has stated that it combines security engineering staff with bespoke tooling, proprietary technology, threat intelligence, and automation. The company noted that its approach prioritises preventing, detecting, and responding to threats in real time.

In his new role, Whigham confirmed he will support the firm through its next phase of development.

"Acumen has built something genuinely different in the way it approaches security operations, combining engineering expertise with a clear focus on real world outcomes. The opportunity to support the next phase of the company's development, while helping organisations strengthen their cyber capabilities in a practical and sustainable way, is one I value greatly. I look forward to working closely with the team as the business continues to scale and mature," said Whigham.