19 Jun 2007

Scyron, the security and surveillance services company announced today the appointment of Michael Wilks as Chief Executive Officer to spearhead the company's international growth.  He takes up the new position with immediate effect at the company's UK headquarters and Security Research and Development Lab at the University of Birmingham Research Park.

The privately-owned UK company is at the forefront of creating a new category of 'intelligent' CCTV and surveillance systems.  It has a worldwide patent for software that is able to analyse existing film, or trigger a camera to record only specific ‘incidents'.  For example, it has been used to capture people coming and going from a drug dealer's house while ignoring passers by, or only cars going through a security barrier while ignoring trucks or people on foot.

Wilks's remit is to build Scyron's market share in the UK and overseas across the public and private sectors including; law enforcement, commercial security, transport, energy, and leisure.  As an integral part of the growth strategy, Wilks will lead a rebranding programme to increase the company's reputation and appeal to UK and overseas customers.

Wilks brings to the role more than 30 years of international experience in IT, security, and general management spanning the UK, Europe, the USA and Asia. 

From 2005, Wilks was head of public sector business in the UK for Avaya, the global provider of business VoIP, messaging and call centre systems, and services, where he led the development of national and local government customers.  Before this, he spent four years as Business Development Director, in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at KVS/Veritas (now part of Symantec), working with customers such as the MOD (Ministry of Defence), various government departments, and private sector companies.

Wilks was in the RAF before embarking on a business career.  He held a number of progressively senior positions including Director of Government and Public Sector for Symbol Technologies (now part of Motorola).  He spent nearly three years at Symbol Technologies developing its public sector strategy in EMEA, helping to create a credible public sector technology brand.