HMGCC (His Majesty’s Government Communications Centre) has today announced the appointment of Dr Simon Fabri as its new Chief Executive, leading the organisation’s work at the forefront of national security and defence technology.
Dr Fabri takes up the role today (11 May), succeeding Dr George Williamson CMG, who has left HMGCC to join the Alan Turing Institute.
Founded in 1938, HMGCC is the UK government’s centre for national security engineering. Based at Hanslope Park in Milton Keynes, it brings together engineers, scientists and technologists to develop specialist tools and technologies that support national security, defence and law enforcement, helping to keep the UK safe.
For much of its 88-year history, HMGCC operated almost entirely behind the scenes. In recent years, it has begun to share more of its technology challenges openly, working with partners across industry and academia through initiatives such as HMGCC Co‑Creation to source the best innovation from across the UK and beyond.
Dr Fabri joined HMGCC in 2023 to lead its product and engineering teams. Since then, he has overseen significant changes to how the organisation designs and delivers technology, strengthening its ability to respond to rapidly evolving national security threats.
Before joining HMGCC, Dr Fabri built a career spanning academia and industry, with senior roles across the telecommunications, energy and automotive sectors, followed by leadership positions at Amazon.
Commenting on his appointment, Dr Fabri said
I am proud to be taking on this role at a time of both significant challenge and opportunity for HMGCC.
Technology and national security are becoming ever more closely linked, and that intersection sits at the heart of HMGCC’s mission. I feel a deep sense of responsibility for the work we do and the impact it has on the UK’s security and defence capability.
As Chief Executive, Dr Fabri will focus on building on HMGCC’s existing strengths investing in its in‑house technical expertise, deepening partnerships with industry and academia, and ensuring that the organisation continues to deliver cutting‑edge capabilities for the national security community.
He added
HMGCC brings together exceptional people, world‑class facilities and a strong location within the Oxford–Cambridge growth corridor. This gives us a unique opportunity to work with partners across the UK to strengthen our national security technology base.