Siren appoints cybercrime experts to advisory board

Siren has appointed Kenrick Bagnall and Andrew Borene to its Advisory Board, adding two security and investigations specialists with backgrounds in cybercrime, intelligence and national security.

The appointments formalise relationships built through the company's work with customers, partners and the wider investigations community. Over the past year, both men have been active in Siren's orbit through customer meetings, panel appearances and other engagements.

Bagnall brings 35 years of experience in information technology and cybercrime investigation. He spent nearly a decade investigating major cybercrime cases with the Toronto Police Service's Coordinated Cyber Centre, working alongside agencies including Europol, Interpol, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations.

He now leads the RCMP Cybercrime Investigators Course at the Canadian Police College and founded KONCYBER. He has also taught cybercrime investigation at the University of Toronto, George Brown College, Centennial College and the Toronto Police College.

Over the past year, Bagnall has met Siren customers across Canada, appeared on the Siren Investigates podcast and spoken about the overlap between cybercrime and street-level crime. Chief Marketing Officer Rachel Kavanagh highlighted his standing among law enforcement and cybersecurity professionals.

"Kenrick has an exceptional depth of experience, but what stands out is the trust he's built across law enforcement and cybersecurity," said Rachel Kavanagh, Chief Marketing Officer, Siren. "People turn to him for advice because he understands the realities of investigation."

Borene joins the board with more than 25 years of experience across national security, cybersecurity and privacy law. He is a former senior US intelligence official, a licensed attorney and a CISSP.

His public sector roles included leading counterterrorism policy at the White House National Security Council. He also held senior positions at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National Counterterrorism Centre before moving into corporate roles at IBM, Symantec and LexisNexis.

He is now Vice President at Ocient National Security Solutions and a Senior Fellow at George Mason University's National Security Institute. He also serves on the boards of the Special Operations Association of America and the Marshall Centre's Partnership for Peace Consortium.

Board expansion

The additions come as Siren looks to deepen its links with practitioners in law enforcement, cyber investigations and national security. The advisory board is intended to bring outside expertise closer to management and product development.

Chief Executive Officer John Randles said both men had already become influential voices around the business before their formal appointment. "Kenrick and Andrew have become much more than advisors, they're friends of the company who challenge us and help make Siren better," said John Randles, Chief Executive Officer, Siren. "We're delighted to welcome them formally to our Advisory Board."

The emphasis on practitioner input reflects the market Siren serves. Its software is used by teams in law enforcement, national security, cyber threat and financial crime, all of which work with large, fragmented datasets and face growing pressure to connect intelligence quickly.

Siren's platform is designed to bring together different data sources in a single interface for investigators. The company also offers an artificial intelligence tool called Siren K9, which it says lets users search datasets in natural language and review explained findings.

Existing ties

Both advisers had established links with the company before taking formal board roles. Bagnall had worked directly with customers in Canada, while Borene had helped shape Siren's partnership with Ocient and had been active in the company's wider community.

Chairman Bob Griffin pointed to a long-standing professional relationship with Borene. "I've known Andrew for many years and had the privilege of working with him earlier in his career," said Bob Griffin, Chairman, Siren. "He has a rare ability to get to the heart of complicated issues and bring people together, qualities that will serve our Advisory Board well."

The appointments also underline how software suppliers to government, law enforcement and intelligence agencies increasingly rely on former practitioners to advise on customer needs, operational workflows and procurement expectations. In Siren's case, both appointees bring experience not only from public institutions, but also from training, policy and private-sector work.

Randles said the board's purpose is to strengthen that exchange between the company and the field. "Our Advisory Board is about bringing exceptional people closer to the company," he said. "We want advisors who share their experience, challenge our thinking, and help us understand what's happening on the ground, and Kenrick and Andrew are already doing exactly that."