Ria Thomas joins Brunswick Group as Partner in London, further strengthening its Cybersecurity and Privacy Offer | Brunswick Group
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Ria Thomas joins Brunswick Group as Partner in London, further strengthening its Cybersecurity and Privacy Offer

Offer helps corporate leaders communicate confidently and accurately about the strategic significance of their data to their stakeholders.

(LONDON) July 11, 2017 – Brunswick Group, a global advisory firm specializing in critical issues and corporate relations, announced today that Ria Thomas has joined the firm as a Partner in its London office. With deep public and private sector experience on international security issues, Ria will further strengthen and expand the firm’s global cybersecurity and privacy offer.

Ria Thomas has specialized expertise in cybersecurity strategies and policies, and works with companies to develop and execute business resiliency strategies to mitigate the impact of cyber attacks. She joins Brunswick from Washington-based management consultancy, Obsidian Analysis, Inc., where she was Principal and Senior Director for Cybersecurity. In this role, she led the firm’s cyber practice, which advised senior government leaders, Board and C-Suite executives on enterprise-wide crisis preparedness, incident response and corporate resilience strategies in the face of significant cyber attacks. She began her career with the U.S. Federal government, where she specialized in security, foreign policy, and counterterrorism.

Susan Gilchrist, Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to welcome Ria to the firm. The depth and breadth of her experience and her expertise in understanding and navigating major regulatory changes and cyber issues will be immensely valuable to our clients in the U.K., Europe and globally.”

On joining Brunswick, Ria commented: “I am excited to join Brunswick, given its strong international reputation of advising Board members and C-Suite executives on navigating the myriad business impacts of cyber attacks. As the range of cyber risks facing companies grow, I look forward to contributing my experience on these critical issues to deepen Brunswick’s advisory services to its clients.”

Effectively communicating privacy considerations and the safe stewardship of data can change corporate culture for the better, reduce risk and bolster the resilience of a company. Brunswick’s Cybersecurity and Privacy offer helps corporate leaders communicate confidently and accurately about the strategic significance of their data to their business and customer stakeholders.

About Ria Thomas

Ria Thomas has deep expertise in private and public sector cybersecurity strategies and policies, including in developing and executing cyber-focused business resiliency strategies for corporations. She joins Brunswick from Washington-based management consultancy, Obsidian Analysis, Inc., where she was Principal and Senior Director for Cybersecurity. In this role, she led the firm’s cyber practice, which advised senior government leaders, Board members and C-Suite executives on enterprise-wide crisis preparedness, incident response and corporate resilience strategies in the face of significant cyber attacks. Prior to Obsidian, she was the Managing Director of Occid-Orient Strategies, which advised private sector companies expanding within the cybersecurity markets in the Middle East and Asia. Previously, Ria was Director, Cybersecurity and Counterterrorism, for Global Strategies Group, where she headed the practice advising U.S.-allied Middle East and Asian governments on critical national security issues. She began her career with the U.S. Federal government, where she specialized in security, foreign policy, and counterterrorism. After leaving government service, she worked for Fabiani & Company, where she advised private sector companies on U.S. Federal government market entry. Specifically, she established the firm’s advisory capabilities on promoting advanced cybersecurity technologies in the defense and security market. Ria is an attorney licensed by the State Bar of New York, with a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and an undergraduate degree from American University.

About Brunswick Group

Brunswick Group LLP is an advisory firm specializing in critical issues and corporate relations. Founded in 1987, Brunswick is an organically grown, private partnership with 24 offices around the world.