WithYouWithMe is eyeing international expansion after adding a former key figure at GCHQ to its board.
Sally Walker, former director of cyber at the national intelligence agency, has advised the skills-based workforce management firm for the last two years.
During that time the company has transformed the technology recruitment and retention landscape, supporting leading organisations to unlock the skill sets of diverse individuals through its ‘Potential’ testing and training platform.
Now appointed as a non-executive director, Walker will help it to grow its presence and profitability in key markets.
She had a distinguished 25-year career at GCHQ, running the National Offensive Cyber Programme and leading the National Cyber Force.
“I am truly passionate about pushing business leaders to challenge the traditional way of recruiting and workforce management to help fix the UK’s widening digital skills gap,” said Walker.
“Without the ability to upskill and re-skill, organisations will only increase their technical gaps and under-represented individuals will continue to be left behind.
“It gives me a great amount of pride to join the board at WithYouWithMe, having been intimately involved in the business’ growth journey over the last two years, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to our shared vision for a more equitable society for all.”
Having seen first-hand the impact the UK Cyber Force has had on the nation’s cyber resilience, Walker has a strong vision for how industry, business and government can unlock strategic resilience by taking an innovative approach to capability development and workforce planning.
WithYouWithMe aims to be at the heart of this approach, with national security agencies, armed forces and defence primes around the world benefiting from its technology platform that takes individuals with latent potential – often former veterans and neurodiverse members of society – and trains them to become rapidly proficient and ready to deploy in areas like cybersecurity.
“To create real change, and for us to be successful in having a positive impact on underrepresented communities, and the businesses who are training and hiring them to fill critical skills gaps, it’s imperative that we have the very best leadership steering the ship,” said CEO Tom Larter.
“We know and trust Sally implicitly and are delighted to appoint her to the board following two years of her valuable support as an Advisor. Strengthening our board, combined with our strong existing executive team, gives me every confidence we are in an excellent position to meet our long-term international growth objectives.”
Walker joins the board nine months after WithYouWithMe appointed a new chair, global business leader Drew Kelton, and two non-executive directors, Kemp Battle and David Gray, to its board in July 2023 as part of its global growth strategy.
In the last 12 months, WithYouWithMe has placed more than 50 diverse individuals into roles with partner employers in areas like software development, business analytics and cyber security. WithYouWithMe’s Potential platform currently has more than 12,000 UK users from underserved community groups completing talent assessments and accessing digital training programmes.