Robert Hannigan is the Chairman of BlueVoyant International and a former director of GCHQ. He is an expert in cyber security, cyber conflict, and the use of technology in national security.

Robert currently leads BlueVoyant, a global cybersecurity services firm, and has served as a Senior Adviser at McKinsey & Co, advising various international companies on cyber security. Before entering the private sector, he was the Director of GCHQ, the UK’s largest intelligence agency, where he established the National Cyber Security Centre and initiated the Active Cyber Defence Programme.

With over 20 years in public service, Robert was the Prime Minister’s Security Adviser and developed the UK’s first cyber security strategy. He also played a key role in the Northern Ireland peace process as principal adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair. His contributions earned him the US Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal in 2017 and recognition from Queen Elizabeth for his services to national security in 2013.

In 2021, Robert was elected Warden of Wadham College, Oxford University. He is a prominent speaker and author on cyber security topics and has been instrumental in promoting technical skills within his teams. His leadership at GCHQ marked a significant transformation of the agency, adapting it for the digital age.

Robert has a keen interest in Bletchley Park, where he serves as a Trustee, and has been involved with the UK Government’s Defence Innovation Advisory Panel. He is an Honorary Fellow of Wadham College, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, a Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center, and a Distinguished Fellow of RUSI.

He is one of the few non-US nationals to receive the US Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal and was awarded the CMG by Queen Elizabeth in 2013.