Core to Cloud names ex-Currys CIO Andy Gamble Chair

Core to Cloud has appointed former Currys Group CIO Andy Gamble as chair of its advisory board as the cybersecurity company seeks further growth in the UK enterprise and mid-market sectors.

Gamble brings nearly 30 years of senior technology leadership experience from roles at Currys, Dyson, Sony Electronics and Essentra. At Currys, he served as Group CIO and Chief Transformation Officer, overseeing technology transformation and cyber risk.

His appointment adds a senior buyer-side perspective to the advisory board at a time when many corporate customers are reassessing how they buy and manage cyber services. Gamble's experience as a long-term purchaser of cybersecurity services is expected to help sharpen Core to Cloud's strategic and commercial approach.

The company provides managed security services to more than 150 organisations across the NHS, retail, financial services and critical national infrastructure. Its work includes managed detection and response, third-party cyber risk management, security assurance, dark web monitoring and threat intelligence, and cyber crisis simulation.

Growth push

Based in Cirencester, Core to Cloud focuses on organisations where cyber risk is closely tied to business operations. It positions itself as an extension of internal security teams rather than a standalone external supplier.

That model has become more common as businesses face pressure to manage increasingly complex cyber threats without building large in-house security functions. Mid-sized companies in particular have turned to outside specialists for continuous monitoring, incident support and board-level risk reporting.

Chief Executive Officer and Founder James Cunningham outlined the rationale for the appointment in comments accompanying the announcement.

"Core to Cloud has built its reputation by earning the trust of customers through the cyber services we deliver and the innovative security technologies we bring to them. Andy brings another dimension to that credibility. He has spent nearly three decades in environments where technology, risk and commercial strategy intersect at the highest level. He understands what good security looks like from the inside and brings a depth of experience and perspective that will be hugely valuable as we continue to grow. We have an ambitious business, a strong customer base and services we genuinely believe in. Having Andy chair our board will help us build on those foundations, challenge our thinking and accelerate the next stage of Core to Cloud's growth. We are incredibly proud to have him on board," Cunningham said.

Buyer perspective

Gamble's career has largely been on the customer side of major technology and security purchasing decisions. That background may help a services provider distinguish itself in a crowded market where buyers often complain about weak alignment between technical delivery and business risk.

His role will include helping shape the strategic, advisory and commercial foundations needed to support further expansion in the UK market. The advisory board already includes senior security leaders from large UK organisations.

Cybersecurity suppliers have increasingly sought outside directors and advisers with operational experience inside major companies. Such appointments can help firms refine product positioning, improve access to decision-makers and test whether services match the practical demands faced by Chief Information Officers, Chief Information Security Officers and boards.

Gamble said his experience of buying cyber services was a factor in his decision to take the role.

"I spent the better part of three decades as a buyer of cybersecurity services, and the experience left me with a clear view of where the market falls short. Most organisations understand that cyber risk is real. Far fewer have a security function that can communicate that risk clearly at board level, or a partner that moves fast enough to keep pace with the threat. Core to Cloud is one of a small number of businesses I have come across that genuinely addresses both problems. The team here does not just talk about being proactive - they have built services that prove it. I am proud to chair the advisory board, and I am looking forward to helping James and the team scale that model into the definitive challenger to the conventional MSSP," Gamble said.

The appointment follows a period in which cybersecurity spending has remained resilient even as broader technology budgets have come under tighter scrutiny. For providers serving healthcare, finance, retail and infrastructure customers, demand has been supported by regulatory pressure, board scrutiny and the rising operational cost of cyber incidents.

Core to Cloud is trusted by CISOs and IT teams across a customer base spanning public and private sector organisations. Many businesses still struggle to explain cyber risk clearly at board level or to find outside support that can keep pace with threats, Gamble said.