New head of CEOP and four non-executive directors appointed at NCA

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has appointed a new head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) command together with four non-executive directors.

Johnny Gwynne, an assistant chief officer in Police Scotland currently on secondment to the National Crime Agency as deputy director of the Organised Crime Command, is to take up the leadership of the CEOP command on a permanent basis.

He was previously deputy director general of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency before it was amalgamated into the single national police force for Scotland in April this year. He replaces Deputy Chief Constable Peter Davies, who was seconded from Lincolnshire Police to lead CEOP in November 2010.

The NCA said Mr Gwynne was appointed following a competitive process and paid tribute to Mr Davies.

NCA Director General Keith Bristow said: “This is a crucial leadership role in the NCA, at a time when all our officers will be trained in safeguarding children. Johnny has a distinguished track record in law enforcement in a number of high-profile and challenging roles. He was an outstanding candidate and we are delighted to welcome him to the senior team.

“Peter has worked tirelessly to maintain CEOP’s unique contribution to safeguarding children from sexual abuse and exploitation. During his time as CEO, he steered the organisation through a period of significant change and its transition into the NCA. CEOP is now better able to protect children by drawing on the NCA’s specialist skills, wider resources, and international reach.”

The four non-executive directors appointed to the NCA’s board are Jane Furniss, Jonathan Evans, Dr Stephen Page and Justin Dowley. They join the NCA Director General and Deputy Director General, together with its directors of Border Policing, Child Exploitation and Online Protection, Organised Crime, Economic Crime, Operations, Intelligence and Corporate Services on the board.

Mr Bristow said the NCA sought high-calibre individuals with a breadth of perspective and background, particularly with skills in transformational change and technology.

“It was a very strong field and we have secured some exceptional people who will complement and expand the existing expertise within the NCA board,” he said.

Ms Furniss is deputy chair of the homelessness charity Crisis and a non-executive director of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. She was chief executive of the Independent Police Complaints Commission between 2006 and 2013.

Mr Evans was director general of the British Security Service between 2007 and 2013 and is a director of HSBC Holdings.

Dr Page, whose board career focuses on business change and leading businesses in the digital age, is formerly global head of IT Strategy and IT Transformation at Accenture. He has also spent nine years working at board level in defence, national security and cyber security.

Mr Dowley is chair of Intermediate Capital Group and a non-excutive director of Melrose Industries and The Ascot Authority. He was previously a director of Morgan Grenfell, head of investment banking at Merrill Lynch and a founder of Tricorn Partners.