Marcus Thompson AM PhD has joined Penten’s Board of Directors, bringing with him over 30 years of experience in the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
Dr Thompson joins Penten to help support its rapid growth, underpinned by its work with defence and government clients.
His most recent job in defence was as the inaugural head of the Information Warfare Division, where he led defence force capabilities in cyber, electronic warfare, intelligence, space, artificial intelligence, and command and control.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Board of Directors at Penten, who are a standout example of Australia’s booming cyber and national security industry,” Dr Thompson said.
“Penten’s focus on secure mobility, applied AI and tactical communications is a natural fit for my previous experience and I am looking forward to helping them as they continue to grow and prosper as a company,” he said.
“The battlespace of the future will increasingly be a digital one. Companies like Penten will be leading the charge to help keep Australia safe,” Dr Thompson said.
Penten CEO Matthew Wilson said Dr Thompson’s appointment was a vote of confidence in the company as it continues to grow.
“From five founders in 2014, to 120 staff today, Penten has grown into one of Australia’s leading cyber technology companies,” Mr Wilson said.
“Since 2017, when the Information Warfare Division was founded, the Australian cyber industry has developed tremendously and is the best example of sovereign capability development in the national security field,” he said.
“Cyber is proving to be Australia’s best chance to create a world leading national security sector, one where our products and capabilities can be exported worldwide, especially to our five-eyes partners,” Mr Wilson said.
About Marcus Thompson
Major General Marcus Thompson graduated from the Royal Military College in 1988 and was allocated to the Royal Australian Corps of Signals. He served in a variety of command, regimental and Special Operations appointments including: Command of the 3rd Combat Signal Regiment; secondment to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) as the Senior Advisor Defence Policy and Operations; Director General Special Operations Capability; Commander 6th Combat Support Brigade; and deployments to East Timor, Iraq, and Afghanistan. His final appointment was as the inaugural Head of Information Warfare for the Australian Defence Force.
Since leaving the Australian Army, Marcus has founded Cyber Compass Pty Ltd, an independent advisory focused on improving cyber security and developing sovereign Australian capability. He is also a Director of Engineers Australia, having been elected in November 2019.
Marcus holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering with honours from the University of New South Wales, a Bachelor of Business from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, a Masters Degree in Defence Studies from the University of Canberra, a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies from Deakin University, and a PhD in Cyber Security from the University of New South Wales. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.