We are delighted to announce the appointment of former Executive Director of Europol Sir Rob Wainwright as an Honorary Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations.
Currently a senior partner for Deloitte, Rob advises boards of global companies on cyber, financial crime and other security issues.
Until May 2018, Rob was the Executive Director of Europol. He joined Europol in 2009 and led the transformation of the agency into a world-class security institution. Today Europol is the primary intelligence-sharing and operational coordination centre in Europe, connecting over 1,000 law enforcement agencies and supporting almost 50,000 cross-border investigations each year against transnational threats from crime and terrorism. Rob led the establishment of the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) in 2013 and the European Counter Terrorism Centre in 2016, both of which have become key pillars in Europe’s response to more serious and complex security threats facing citizens and businesses today. He has also expanded Europol’s global footprint through the negotiation of over 20 new international cooperation agreements and the development of major new relations with US federal agencies and government departments.
Under Rob’s leadership Europol pioneered the use of data and technology in new ways to better identify and respond to cross-border criminal and terrorist activity, developing transformational systems and networks that have significantly enhanced Europol’s information reach and operational impact. Europol now carries the reputation of being a major innovator in the global security community.
Rob is one of Europe’s leading executives on security issues. He also leads many public-private partnership initiatives, including through the World Economic Forum on cyber issues and the Institute of International Finance on efforts to improve the global anti-money laundering regime.
Earlier in his career Rob occupied a number of positions in the UK’s intelligence and law enforcement communities, including the post of Director International of the Serious Organised Crime Agency between 2006 and 2009.
Rob is a graduate of the London School of Economics (1989) and an honorary fellow with the University of Exeter and University of Cardiff. He is a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations and a former member of the UK Prime Minister’s Modern Slavery Taskforce. He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and a Distinguished International Fellow at George Washington University.
He is a board member at both the Centre for Cybersecurity World Economic Forum and the Global Cyber Alliance. In June 2018 he was awarded the knighthood by HM The Queen for services to security and policing.
Rob was born in Wales in 1967. He is married with three children.
The Centre for Conflict, Security and Terrorism welcomes Rob in his new position.
Posted on Monday 29th July 2019