Ralph O'Brien

Ralph O’Brien is a leading UK-based authority on Business Continuity Management. His experience includes expertise in Business Continuity, Information Security, Data Protection, Information Law, Audit and Assessment, Risk Management and associated disciplines.

Ralph has worked in a wide variety of industry sectors including Public Sector, Energy, Defence, Telecommunications providers, Managed Service providers, Infrastructure, Recruitment, Retail, Construction, Legal, Housing, Recruitment, Insurance and Finance.   His roles have included : Senior Consultant ( Control Risks), Senior Security Consultant (Ultima Risk Management Ltd),  Senior Consultant (QinetiQ plc),  Lead Management Systems Assessor and Client Manager (British Standards Institution),  Information Governance Manager (Metropolitan Housing Group) and Data Protection Auditor (Norfolk Constabulary).

Ralph is a BSI registered lead assessor and a BCS/ISEB Course Director in Information Security Management.  Major successes include: contingency planning and scenario based crisis management testing regimes for a major mobile phone network; installation and certification of an integrated information security; and business continuity management system for a major residential/commercial network communications provider.  Other examples include data protection consultancy in the housing sector, delivery of integrated management systems, auditing and bespoke training for a large data centre provider and delivery of training in information security for a large central government department.

Ralph continues to be a hands-on practitioner, combining business level consultancy, training and technical expertise. He has repeatedly both assessed and implemented ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 9001 and BS25999-2 standards through to certification.  He was responsible for the first global joint ISO 27001/BS25599 management system to be certified in a software solutions provider to the insurance industry.  Ralph focuses upon business processes and the protection of information, with an ethos of management assurance, risk management and knowledge transfer in order to ensure effective protection of assets appropriate to the business needs of the client.

Ralph is currently Lead Trainer and Principal Consultant at IT Governance UK Ltd where he is responsible for all IT Governance BCMS and BS25999 consultancy work, in house training and the development and delivery of BCMS training courses.