Dame Lynne Owens – Keynote Speaker

Dame Lynne Owens has enjoyed a 32 year career in policing and national security culminating in her leadership of the National Crime Agency, one of the two most senior roles in UK policing. With a statutory responsibility to lead the UK’s fight to cut serious and organised crime Lynne not only developed and grew this new organisation into a world-renowned law enforcement body but she also influenced the whole system, galvanising it to counter the threats. As a member of the UK’s national security community, she has worked closely with Government and represented the UK internationally as the principal law enforcement officer on the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group.

Serious and organised crime includes cybercrime, illicit finance and economic crime, modern slavery and human trafficking, child sexual abuse and exploitation and trafficking (of drugs and firearms.) She has worked closely alongside the National Cyber Security Centre on matters such as cyber security and feels passionately that there are more all sectors can do to protect themselves and their families from on line threats.

Prior to this post Lynne held senior roles in policing including as Chief Constable of Surrey Police and Assistant Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police Service. Having been proud to have overseen the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the State Visit of President Obama in 2011 she was also in post during the riots of the same year giving her valuable insight into personal and organisational resilience.

Lynne Owens has been recognised three times in the Queens’ honours process for services to law enforcement and justice, receiving the Queens Police Medal, being made a Commander of the British Empire and, in December 2020, being appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath.