Judges

Simon Ball

The Institute of Strategic Risk Management (Ireland Chapter)

Simon has over 30 years’ policing experience in Northern Ireland, having developed expertise in the fields of public order and public safety, personnel security, information security, change management, and corporate governance. Most recently, he served as a Detective Chief Inspector in the Crime Operations Department of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Simon is a Fellow of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management and has been appointed as Law Enforcement Liaison for their Ireland Chapter. He serves as a Board Member of the International Association For Intelligence Education (IAFIE) European Chapter and sit on the Governance Committee for IAFIE Global.

Academically, Simon holds a BA (Hons.) in Psychology, an MSc in Police Leadership and Management, and an MA in Intelligence and Security.

Zsuzanna Bencsics

International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO)

Zsuzsanna holds a degree in Public Relations from the Budapest Business School, Faculty of Foreign Trade, specializing in emergency communication and crisis management. She is a strategic security lead at a global organization, responsible for overall strategy execution of corporate security solutions and physical security systems within the Central and Eastern Europe region as well as she oversees an RSOC operation. Among others she holds a volunteer position as Vice Chair of IFPO European Executive Committee.

Daragh Bolton

The Institute of Strategic Risk Management (Ireland Chapter)

Daragh is a highly experienced security industry professional with 30+ years of expertise in corporate, physical, aviation, and healthcare security. Specializing in project management, physical security systems installations, training needs analysis, conflict management, CQC, and physical intervention, His leadership skills and collaborative approach have contributed to the successful execution of numerous security projects. Enthusiastic about process analysis & improvement, building teams, loss prevention, insider threat, development of individual and organisational capabilities to bring positive behavioural change and drive an enhanced security-awareness culture. As a panel judge, Daragh shares his knowledge and insights with aspiring professionals, making valuable contributions to the industry

Patrick Finucane

International Foundation for Protection Officers (IFPO)

With over three decades of experience in the private and public security sectors, Pat Finucane is a seasoned security professional and transformation leader with a proven track record in the design and execution of physical security programs on a global scale. Currently, he heads Global Physical Security Operations at Pinterest, where he oversees and manages the operational security response across the organization’s entire enterprise.

Before joining Pinterest, Pat held various security and intelligence roles at Dropbox, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Irish Defence Forces. His career includes operational deployments in the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans.

As a strong advocate for veterans’ affairs and ongoing professional development, Pat serves as the Co-President of the Veterans Employee Resource Group at Pinterest. In this role, he actively works to support and guide former service personnel as they transition from military service to new careers in the tech industry.

Pat’s academic background includes multiple postgraduate degrees from Dublin City University, University College Dublin, the University of St Andrews, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and the Institute of Technology, Carlow. Alongside his academic achievements, he holds IFPO CPO, CPOI, CSSM certifications, and the ASIS CPP certification.

Peter Murray – Dip.Crim.F.Phych; CPO; Dip.Sec.ARM; MSecII T.T.

Security Institute of Ireland

Peter is a Director and Member of the Security Institute of Ireland. He has worked in the Irish Security Industry for over 25 years and is a time served member of the Irish Defence Forces Reserve. He has many years of experience working in the locksmith sector and is the owner and managing director of Stoptheburglar.ie & Design Out Crime Ireland.

His is presently creating a new initiative “Community Security Awareness” making use of the principles of CPTED & SCP. Involving the community with all security matters to enhance their daily lives with no financial outlay.

His qualifications include an SII Diploma in Crime Prevention, SII Terrorism Awareness and locksmith qualifications through the National Locksmith Training School (UK). Peter is currently the Chairman of the Locksmiths Working Group within the Corporate Division of the SII. Peter is also Accredited through the ICA Class B’ CPTED Practitioner. (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design)

Dr. David Strachan-Morris 

Security Institute of Ireland

Dr. David Strachan-Morris is a Lecturer in Intelligence and Security in the School of History, Politics and International Relations, and Programme Director of the MA DL Intelligence and Security at the University of Leicester, UK.  His educational qualifications include a BA (Hons) Degree in War Studies with Politics, and a PhD, both awarded by the University of Wolverhampton. Before becoming a full-time academic he worked in the private security sector as an intelligence analyst and intelligence manager, for 10 years, and served in both the army and the police force. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management, a Member of the Security Institute of Ireland and a Board Member of the Europe Chapter of the International Association for Intelligence Education. His publications include: Spreading Ink Blots from Da Nang to the DMZ: An Analysis of the US Marine Corps Strategy in Vietnam, a monograph published by Helion in 2020; ‘Developing Theory on the Use of Intelligence by Non-State Actors: Five Case Studies on Insurgent Intelligence’, in Intelligence and National Security, Vol 34, No 7, December 2019; ‘The Use of Intelligence by Insurgent Groups: the North Vietnamese in the Second Indochina War as a Case Study’, in Intelligence and National Security, Vol 34, No 7, December 2019; ‘The Who, What, Why, and How of Teaching Intelligence: The Leicester Approach’ (co-authored with Mark Phythian and Helen Dexter), in Intelligence and National Security, Vol. 32, No. 7, June 2017.; ‘Controlling the Corporate Warrior in Iraq’ in Gary Schaub (ed.), Private Military and Security Contractors: Controlling the Corporate Warrior; ‘The Intelligence Cycle in the Corporate World: Bespoke or Off the Shelf’ in Mark Phythian (ed.), Understanding the Intelligence Cycle ; and ‘Threat and Risk: What is the Difference and Why Does it Matter?’ in Intelligence and National Security. His current research interests are strategic intelligence, military intelligence, and the role of intelligence in assessing risk and uncertainty.

Sean Ward

Emergency Management Institute Ireland (EMII)

Sean is a former Chief Superintendent in An Garda Síochána (Ireland’s Police Service) with over 35 years’ service based in Dublin City Centre where he had overall responsibility for the leadership, management and delivery of a comprehensive policing service to a wide range of diverse stakeholders including major event management , crime detection and prevention , safety and security planning and management ,risk management, strategy, planning, governance, staff training and development , and emergency planning.

He is the current Chairperson of the Emergency Management Institute of Ireland (EMII) which is the professional organisation for individuals engaged in emergency and crisis management in the Republic of Ireland.

As the Owner and Managing Director of 4Ward Planning since 2019, Sean has developed a comprehensive consultancy service in Emergency Planning and Emergency Management, Evacuation Planning and Event Safety, Security and Risk Management.

He holds an M.Sc.(Hons) in Emergency Management ,a BA (Hons) in Police Management and is a Fellow of the Institute of Strategic Risk Management.