A global technology expert has been appointed to the role of non-executive director at an Edinburgh-based company which helps find and block harmful online content from paedophiles and terrorists.
Ciara Smyth, who has helped scale several organisations in the US and Europe as an executive, including Paddy Power Betfair and King – the gaming company behind Candy Crush, will bring human capital expertise to the board of Cyan.
With over 20 years’ of experience in financial technology, e-commerce, gaming, betting and education technology in the US and Europe, Smyth now works as a self-employed strategic advisor in Ireland.
Cyan, based in Edinburgh’s CodeBase – one of the largest technology incubators in the UK – works closely with law enforcement to catch paedophiles and terrorists.
The company’s software allows the police, government bodies, social media platforms and cloud companies to track down harmful content on the devices of suspects, as well as moderation and blocking content online.
Cyan’s headcount is set to double in size during each of the next two years to support its growth plan, which was accelerated in March when the scale-up raised £5 million in its series a funding round.
Smyth said: “Cyan is on such an exciting growth trajectory. It’s a motivated, disruptive and fast-growing player in the UK and international tech safety sector, and it’s particularly thrilling to be working with a company striving to solve such an important societal issue with technology designed to make the world a safer place.
“I’m looking forward to working with the rest of the board and the wider team to help make sure Cyan reaches its significant potential. My aim is to provide advice for scaling a global organisation, fostering a world class employee experience and culture at Cyan, and to help support the business in realising its vision to help create a world where there is no place for harmful digital content to be hidden or shared.”
Ian Stevenson, chief executive of Cyan, added “Ciara’s appointment brings another world class talent to Cyan. With a proven track record in helping high-profile tech companies scale-up and fulfil their potential, Ciara will undoubtedly bring an incredible level of talent and insight to the business. As we continue to make strides in significantly growing our business over the next 12-18 months, Ciara’s appointment adds outstanding expertise and experience to our already impressive line-up of board members.”
