In the UK food and beverage sector, cybersecurity isn’t just a compliance checkbox; it’s a core component of operational resilience. With supply chains spanning farms, factories, logistics, retail, and digital ordering platforms, the industry has become a prime target for cybercriminals. The leaders below are shaping how the sector protects customer data, maintains business continuity, and defends against threats that can disrupt entire national supply chains.
Some of the people on this list may not carry the exact “CISO” title today, but they remain highly relevant as senior security leaders who have helped build and protect some of the UK’s most recognizable food brands. Whether they are currently leading security teams, driving transformation, or moving into new roles, their influence on the industry is clear.
Ritesh Patel — Interim CISO, Just Eat Takeaway.com
A results-driven cybersecurity leader, Ritesh has built and led security programs focused on protecting complex digital ecosystems. He has led global security engineering teams of 100+ professionals and managed multi-million dollar budgets, securing over 160,000 endpoints. His achievements include reducing vulnerability resolution times by 45%, remediating 22 million server vulnerabilities in one year, and implementing an industry-first automated patching solution that eliminated major operational risk at zero additional cost. Ritesh’s approach blends technical excellence with business alignment, making cyber a strategic advantage rather than a hurdle.
Imran Ali — Group Chief Information Officer, Aptia Group (Formerly Compass Group)
Imran is a seasoned leader who spent over nine years shaping cybersecurity and technology strategy for Compass Group, the world’s largest food services organisation. Today, he serves as Group CIO at Aptia Group, continuing to influence the sector through strategic technology leadership. His work is rooted in aligning security priorities with business goals, helping organisations scale securely while navigating digital transformation and operational risk.
Michael Forbes — Chief Information Security Officer, Morrisons
A seasoned technology leader with extensive experience in operations, development, project delivery, and governance, Michael joined Morrisons as CISO in 2024 after more than 25 years with the organisation. His leadership focuses on strengthening security across fast-paced retail operations, where customer trust and continuity are essential. Michael’s tenure reflects long-term dedication to protecting the infrastructure behind one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains.
Tobi Patterson-Jones — Group CISO, Compass Group
Tobi leads global cybersecurity strategy for Compass Group, the world’s largest food services organisation. She is known for translating risk into resilience, aligning security strategy with business objectives, and building security operations and incident response capabilities at scale. Tobi’s work is focused on making cybersecurity clear, practical, and business-aligned, supporting a complex organisation with global operations and evolving threats.
Alan Bambury — CISO, Kerry Group
Alan is responsible for information security strategy at Kerry Group, a global leader in food ingredients and flavours. He leads continuous improvement in standards, controls, and security procedures based on recognised frameworks, ensuring the organisation stays resilient against an ever-changing threat landscape. His long tenure reflects deep sector expertise and a strong focus on protecting critical food manufacturing operations.
Mike Amos — Chief Information Security Officer, Asda
Mike is a highly experienced technology leader with a strong record of architecting and delivering enterprise technology solutions. As Group CISO at Asda, he leads the Asda Cyber Security team and oversees security strategy across the retail group. His work focuses on aligning technology with business value, supporting a major UK grocery retailer through a period of rapid digital growth and evolving cyber threats.
Douglas Weekes — CISO and Director of Data Governance, Sainsbury’s
Douglas is a senior security leader at Sainsbury’s, responsible for both cybersecurity and data governance. With a long tenure at the company, he supports the retail group’s security posture across digital systems and customer data. His role reflects the increasing convergence of cyber and data governance in large consumer organisations, where trust and compliance are crucial.
Mick Ebsworth — Director, Information Security & Infrastructure (Formerly Co-op)
Mick spent more than six years leading information security and infrastructure at Co-op before moving into a new role as Director at WorthITSecurity. His career reflects deep experience in securing retail and consumer operations, as well as a continued influence on the industry through consultancy and advisory work. Mick remains a relevant voice in UK food retail security circles, especially around infrastructure resilience and governance.
Jason Kirk — Group Chief Information Security Officer, Nando’s
Jason uses information security to drive competitive advantage, enable market access, and control risk and cost. He has built strong security cultures and governance models, especially within high-security environments. As Group CISO at Nando’s, he leads the protection of customer, employee, and operational information, ensuring the restaurant group stays secure across digital platforms and global operations.
The Future of Food & Beverage Security is Leadership-Driven
The UK food and beverage industry is evolving rapidly, from digital ordering and delivery platforms to automated supply chains and cloud-based retail systems. That growth brings increased cyber risk, but also an opportunity: strong security leadership can turn resilience into a competitive advantage. These leaders represent the people shaping that future, building programs that protect consumers, safeguard operations, and enable business growth.