Michael Barrett - Chairman

My professional journey began with 12 years of service in the British Army, where I served in the Royal Signals, completing two tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. This formative period instilled in me the core values of leadership, hard work, and integrity—principles that have guided every step of my civilian career.

After leaving the military, I retrained as a Business Analyst, focusing on identifying inefficiencies, addressing pain points, and implementing effective process improvements. At my previous employer, I was quickly promoted to Senior Business Analyst, where I led a team and delivered multiple strategic projects.

An opportunity then arose to build a new function within the Information Security space—an exciting challenge I embraced. I developed and delivered a comprehensive three-year strategy, significantly improving key processes and building a high-performing team from the ground up.

My current role is as an Information Security Manager, where I continue to drive innovation, strengthen cyber resilience, and lead a dedicated team committed to protecting the organisation's data and systems.

While I’ve always followed politics from a distance, my interest deepened in recent years, sparked by my son Aiden’s curiosity. Supporting his learning led me to engage more deeply, and witnessing the increasingly difficult challenges facing our country inspired me to take action. I’m now committed to contributing meaningfully and supporting our local Branch in any way I can.