BridewellCon 2026: Growing Together

Read on to see what the team got up to across the two days or, if you’re just here for the photos, scroll through to see some of our favourite moments.

Day One

Anthony Young welcoming attendees to BridewellCon

Anthony Young, CEO, Ruth Billen, CFO, and Emran Ali, Associate Director, opened BridewellCon 2026 and welcomed the team to Celtic Manor before we began the first day of talks and discussions.

Confessions of a CISO

Rachel Downs (left) hosts a panel with Joseph Chmiel (centre) and Matt Finch (right)

Our first panel, Confessions of a CISO, was hosted by Rachel Downs, Principal Consultant, and featured Joseph Chmiel, CTO at Welsh Water/ Dŵr Cymru, and Matt Finch, CISO at Forvis Mazars. They offered an honest look at what the role involves, from common misconceptions about CISOs to the different approaches needed in organisations of different sizes.

When It Happens: The Most Important Lessons From Managing Cyber Incidents

James John (left) hosting the Incident Response panel alongside Megan Poortman (centre) and Mark Ward (right).

James John, Incident Response Manager, was joined by Megan Poortman, Head of Cyber Security at Gatwick Airport, and Mark Ward, CISO at Heathrow Airport, to share lessons from major incidents they have managed during their careers.

The discussion focused on the difficult decisions that need to be made before an incident occurs. They agreed organisations should understand their minimum viable service as well as determining when they would need to press the ‘the big red button’.

Mark also highlighted the practical realities that plans can overlook, including food, water and shift patterns for teams managing a prolonged incident. Megan also discussed the importance of appointing the right incident commander, who may not always be the CISO, and building a strong relationship with communications teams.

CEO Update

Anthony returned to the stage to reflect on Bridewell’s journey over the past 13 years and how we became recognised as a leader in cyber security for critical national infrastructure. He looked back at our growth from around 70 people in 2021 to more than 320 today, alongside our expansion into the US.

The update covered our growth, efficiency, customers, people and expertise, with a clear reminder to take pride in the organisations we protect. Looking ahead, Anthony spoke about building capacity as our client base grows, our long-term ambitions in CNI and the US, and the international opportunities created through our relationship with I-TRACING.

Bridewell and I-TRACING

The Bridewell I-TRACING Panel. From left to right: Pierre-Luigi Fort, Chief of Staff and M&A Coordinator at I-TRACING; Anthony Young, CEO at Bridewell; Michel Vujicic, CEO of I-TRACING; Martin Riley, CTO at Bridewell; Sam Thornton, COO at Bridewell; Théodore Vrangos, Co-founder and President of I-TRACING; Ruth Billen, CFO at Bridewell; and Ben Vaughan, CCO at Bridewell.

Hosted by Pierre-Luigi Fort, Chief of Staff and M&A Coordinator at I-TRACING, the Bridewell and I-TRACING panel celebrated clients we have won together and considered how we can collaborate more closely in the future. Théodore spoke about what makes the relationship between Bridewell and I-TRACING so special, pointing to our shared values and focus on people. As he put it, “We have two beautiful brands, and behind brands are people.”

With a lot of enthusiasm in the room for spending more time with our colleagues in France, we may need to make sure the entire Bridewell team is not seconded to Paris at once.

Maggie Alphonsi

Maggie Alphonsi MBE asks what builds a winning mindset

We were then joined by Maggie Alphonsi MBE, a Rugby World Cup winner who represented England 74 times and helped the team secure seven consecutive Six Nations titles.

Maggie explored what it takes to build a winning mindset. She encouraged us to understand what drives people, focus on and celebrate our strengths, recognise our positive impact and learn what motivates the people around us.

She also challenged people to move beyond their comfort zones, microphone in hand, by inviting members of the audience to answer questions on the spot. Some embraced the opportunity more enthusiastically than others.

InHouse Records

Neil Sartorio educates the audience about InHouse Records

Neil Sartorio, Carl Corbin and Ross Bell, Directors at InHouse Records, introduced us to the record label and its work delivering daily workshops inside UK prisons. Through music, InHouse Records helps people express feelings that can be difficult to communicate and builds communities that support rehabilitation.

We found common ground between their mission to “strengthen community infrastructure” and our work protecting critical national infrastructure. Ross and C Roots also performed a few tracks for the team, including “I’ll Drop You a Line”.

“You are amazing, creative beings and you can achieve so much.” – Ross Bell

An Evening of Awards, Music and Karaok

Jasper Marlow (left) and Tori Stone (centre) present Tom Cox (right) the coveted wooden spoon award.

Marketing legends on the dancefloor

After the first day’s talks, everyone dressed up for a formal dinner followed by a Eurovision-themed awards show hosted by Jasper Marlow, Director of Strategic Accounts and Partnerships, and Tori Stone, Head of Bids.

Our charity raffle raised £4,501 for Cambridge Women’s Resources Centre. InHouse Records then returned for a set that drew the team to the dance floor before karaoke brought the evening to a close. Once again, Becks stole the show with her rendition of “Valerie”.

Day Two

A new day brought new hosts, with Ben Vaughan, CCO, and Kieran B., Director of Technical Services, opening proceedings.

The Adversary Has Copilot Too

Kieran B. delivers his presentation

Kieran began day two with “The Adversary Has Copilot Too”, exploring how AI could change the balance between attackers and defenders. Using the Snowflake incident and attacks affecting MGM and NPM as examples, he considered how events might have unfolded differently if either side had made (greater) use of AI.

A Spy-Themed Capture the Flag

Table 17 take on Capture the Flag

Back by popular demand, Luiz Simpson, Head of Offensive Security, returned to the stage with a spy-themed Capture the Flag challenge. Competition quickly broke out between the tables as teams raced to solve the clues. In a completely unsuspicious result, the table featuring our CEO came out on top.

Charity Spotlight

Our Charity Spotlight gives colleagues the opportunity to nominate charities and community causes for support from Bridewell. This year, four members of the team shared how that funding had made a practical difference.

Dasuni Leelasena, Senior Security Consultant, spoke about Hip Hop to Help, where Bridewell funded a day of classes in August ahead of Notting Hill Carnival. Dan Saunders, Senior Lead Consultant, shared the support provided to Milford Athletic Football Club U7s, which he helps coach. Our donation paid for proper goals for the season, and his son promptly put them to good use with a first-half hat-trick.

Pete Doyle, Head of Internal Operations, introduced the work of Homeless Meals Bristol, which provides food for people in need. Bridewell’s donation has helped keep the service running for six months. Pete also shared a video made with members of the community that challenged misconceptions about people sleeping rough and those who rely on services like these.

Felipe Varela, Senior Lead Security Consultant, returned to the Charity Spotlight stage with an update on Down Syndrome Cheshire and the impact of Bridewell’s continued support.

Network Updates

Lauren Powell, Will Reed and Fraser Reid (left to right) present their network updates.

We also heard from three of our employee networks about their progress over the past year.

Fraser Reid, Security and Compliance Manager, shared an update from the Defence and Emergency Services Network, including achieving Gold status in the Employer Recognition Scheme and running events focused on cadets. The network is also doing more to support people moving from military service into civilian careers or transitioning into the reserves.

Will Reed, Head of CTEM, spoke about the Neurodiversity Network’s focus on organisational change. This has included introducing a neurodiversity screening tool, pledging to become a dyslexia-friendly workplace and working more closely with the Bridewell Women’s Network.

Lauren Powell, Client Lead, highlighted the work of the Women’s Network’s over the past year. The network published their gender pay gap report, made sanitary products available in all UK offices, gave new starters a choice over the gender of their onboarding buddy and introduced a new return-to-work process.

Alexis Conran

Alexis Conran delivers his keynote

Closing out BridewellCon 2026, we welcomed Alexis Conran, a television presenter best known for presenting The Real Hustle, as well as a broadcaster and expert on scams, deception and human behaviour.

He took us inside the anatomy of a scam, breaking down the principles that make deception effective. A detailed examination of the Antwerp Diamond Heist showed how trust can be exploited, how carefully constructed plans can unravel and why understanding human behaviour matters just as much as understanding technology.

Until Next Year

BridewellCon 2026 gave us two days to reflect on how far we have come, learn from people inside and outside the business, and look forward to the opportunities ahead. More importantly, it gave around 300 colleagues the chance to spend time together and celebrate the culture we are committed to preserving as Bridewell continues to grow.

Thank you to every speaker who shared their experience, everyone who got involved and the team behind the scenes who made the event possible. Bring on BridewellCon 2027!