HM Government Communications Centre has announced the appointment of a new chief executive.
Dr Simon Fabri took up the role yesterday, succeeding Dr George Williamson, who has left to join the Alan Turing Institute.
Founded in 1938, HMGCC is the UK government’s centre for national security engineering. Based at Hanslope Park in Milton Keynes, it brings together engineers, scientists and technologists to develop specialist tools and technologies that support national security, defence and law enforcement.
The organisation began as specialists in overseas bespoke wireless communications, and, during World War 2, computer pioneer Alan Turing worked with HMGCC on speech encryption, following his time at Bletchley Park.
For much of its 88-year history, HMGCC operated almost entirely behind the scenes. In recent years, it has begun to share more of its technology challenges openly, working with partners across industry and academia to source innovation from across the UK and beyond.
Fabri joined HMGCC in 2023 to lead its product and engineering teams. Previously, his career spanned academia and industry, with senior roles across the telecommunications, energy and automotive sectors, followed by leadership positions at Amazon.
HMGCC said he has “overseen significant changes to how the organisation designs and delivers technology, strengthening its ability to respond to rapidly evolving national security threats”.
As chief executive, Fabri will focus on investing in HMGCC’s in‑house technical expertise, deepening partnerships with industry and academia, and ensuring that the organisation continues to deliver cutting‑edge capabilities for the national security community.
Commenting on his appointment, Dr Fabri said: “I am proud to be taking on this role at a time of both significant challenge and opportunity for HMGCC.
“HMGCC brings together exceptional people, world‑class facilities and a strong location within the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor. This gives us a unique opportunity to work with partners across the UK to strengthen our national security technology base.
“Technology and national security are becoming ever more closely linked, and that intersection sits at the heart of HMGCC’s mission. I feel a deep sense of responsibility for the work we do and the impact it has on the UK’s security and defence capability.”