Blog
What is Third Party Risk Management (TPRM)?
Three months into his new role, our Head of Marketing, James Alliband, sat down with Tom Keble, Risk Ledger’s new Chief Technology Officer, to talk about his career journey, his first impressions, and what’s next for Risk Ledger’s technology vision.
James: Let’s start with your background. How did you get into technology and cybersecurity?
Tom: I actually started my career in cyber products, so this really feels like coming full circle. I began at BAE Systems, building products to detect advanced persistent threats using behavioural analytics and machine learning. We also designed some pretty complex user interfaces to help security teams investigate attacks more effectively.
From there, I led cyber teams across different geographies and helped design a threat intelligence service for the British Bankers’ Association. After that, I moved into a couple of cybersecurity startups before joining Infinity Works, which was later acquired by Accenture.
At Infinity Works, I was one of the early principal engineers, and we grew the consultancy into one of the largest boutique firms in London. Most of my work there was in the fintech space, leading engagements for clients like Santander, Compare the Market and T.Rowe Price, helping them scale their technology capabilities and launch new products.
That journey naturally evolved into more strategic technology leadership roles, and eventually into my first full-time CTO position at X-Lab, a healthcare technology company.
James: What kind of work were you doing at X-Lab?
Tom: When I joined, it was a small company, and we scaled it significantly over a few years. We built automation systems to reduce human error in lab testing, which had a real impact on patient safety. During the COVID pandemic, that work evolved into something much larger. We partnered with the NHS to design and build the central engine for the UK’s COVID testing infrastructure, connecting laboratories nationwide and ultimately processing nearly every single COVID test in the UK. It was an intense but incredibly rewarding project, and one that really reinforced for me how meaningful good technology can be.
James: Fast-forward to today. You’ve been at Risk Ledger for a few months now — what does your role involve?
Tom: At the highest level, I’m accountable for all things technology: how we build products, how we use technology across the business, and how we explore and invest in emerging areas like AI and machine learning.
As part of the senior leadership team, I also help shape our overall strategy towards our next stage of growth. The first few months have been fantastic. The culture here is incredible — full of talented, passionate people. The technology stack is strong, but as with any scaling business, there are always foundational pieces we need to evolve to set us up for long-term success.
Right now, I’m focused on maintaining talent density, improving delivery velocity, and laying the foundations for scale — making sure we’re ready for what comes next.
James: You mentioned growth — what are your main priorities for the next few months?
Tom: A big focus right now is working with our CPO to build out the next evolution of our product strategy, and to make sure that strategy is embedded across the entire business.
That means ensuring every part of Risk Ledger — from product and engineering through to our go-to-market and operational teams — is aligned around a shared vision of where we’re headed. Ultimately, it’s about taking us from where we are today to delivering on our mission of Defend-as-One and enabling truly active supply chain security.
Alongside that, I’m focused on improving how we deliver, scaling our teams effectively, and setting ourselves up to move faster and smarter as the company grows.
James: Looking back at when you first met the team, what made you want to join Risk Ledger?
Tom: The mission and vision were immediately very compelling and ambitious, but what stood out most was that they felt genuinely achievable. That’s rare.
From my first conversation with Haydn (CEO), I knew it was a great fit. Within a couple of minutes, it was clear we saw things the same way. That chemistry really reflects the wider culture here — ambitious, collaborative and full of people who are passionate about what they do.
I’ve always been passionate about cybersecurity, and this feels like the perfect moment to bring everything full circle. I’ve helped scale a few companies through growth journeys before, and this one feels like doing it again, just on a much larger scale.
James: Let’s switch gears — tell us something people might not know about you.
Tom: I’m a bit obsessed with wildlife and the natural world. Most of my travel is centred around seeing animals in their natural habitats. I’ve been to California to see blue whales, Canada for bears, and deep into the Pantanal in Brazil to see jaguars.
I’ve also had pretty much every pet you can imagine — chickens, goats, parrots, tortoises, giant fish tanks, ferrets, dogs, cats, the lot. The list of animals I haven’t had is definitely shorter!
If anyone’s looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I’d say the Pantanal in Brazil is hard to beat. The sheer quantity and variety of wildlife you see around you is mind-blowing.
James: Finally, what are you most excited about as you look ahead at Risk Ledger?
Tom: I’m excited about what we’re building — and who I’m building it with. The mission here is ambitious but grounded, and the team has both the talent and the mindset to make it happen.
Coming back into cyber at this stage of my career, surrounded by people who care deeply about what they do, feels like the perfect next step.
We’re thrilled to have Tom on board as Risk Ledger’s CTO, helping us strengthen our platform, scale our technology, and continue building towards a more collaborative, secure future for global supply chains.
Welcome to the team, Tom.
Monthly research, case studies and practical guides you won't find anywhere else.
Join thousands of security managers turning their TPRM programmes into success stories.
