Wynyard hires former Darktrace, GCHQ officer Andrew France

Wynyard Group, the security software company spun out of Jade Software last year, has hired Andrew France, former deputy director of cyber defence operations at British intelligence agency GCHQ, for the role of strategic adviser for intelligence.

France, who was awarded the Order of the British Empire medal for services to the British ministry of defence in 2005, was more recently on the advisory board of Darktrace, a cyber-security firm based in Cambridge. He was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal in July as chief executive of that firm, where he said the "wild west" of cybercrime was outstripping companies' ability to keep up. Darktrace's CEO is now listed as Nicole Eagan.

"Andy has deep experience working with governments and private companies across the world to keep information, technology and critical national infrastructures safe. His risk management and intelligence experience will be invaluable to Wynyard and our customers," Wynyard CEO Craig Richardson said in a statement.

Wynyard is on a global hiring spree for cyber-crime talent, having tapped former London Metropolitan Police Homicide and Serious Crime Group chief Dave Johnston, former Federal Bureau of Investigation executive assistant Louis Grever and former assistant secretary at the US Office of Homeland Security, Louis Quijas.

Richardson said France will be based in Wynyard's London office and work across the company's operations in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates.