MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
Hughes has had an extensive career in the world of security and has undertaken roles leading complex operations and strategies for multinational companies.
Prior to his current role, Hughes spent over 11 years as the CISO for Vodafone where he led the company’s security function – including internal security solutions, cyber security, and physical and logical security – across the UK. As of 15 January 2024, Hughes holds the position of Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Allwyn, the upcoming licensee of the National Lottery.
EMPLOYMENT
Hughes began his career in the security sector in 2000 when he took on the role of Head of Security & Store Commercial Operations for House of Fraser. He worked in this position for five years before parting ways with the company in 2005.
Shortly after, Hughes took on the role of General Security Manager for Borders, a multinational book and music retailer. He worked in this position for nearly two years from January 2005 to October 2006.
Following on from this, Hughes started working for Vodafone, where he worked for more than 16 years in total.
His first role with Vodafone entailed working as the Senior Investigation Manager. In this role, Hughes was responsible for identifying and removing insider threats from within the organisation over the course of an 18-month period from October 2006 to February 2008.
Next, Hughes moved up the ranks and took on the position of Head of Security Operations. In this role, he was responsible for managing and implementing changes to the cyber security protocols. He held this position from February 2008 to January 2009.
Off the back of this role, Hughes went on to fill the position of Government Security Director, a role that saw him collaborating with UK police and intelligence agencies, for two and a half years from January 2009 to August 2011.
Finally, Hughes was appointed as the CISO of Vodafone UK in August 2011. He held this position for more than 11 years, only stepping away from the role – and the company – in September 2022.
After his long stint with Vodafone, Hughes moved on to work with Smart DCC, a company responsible for building Britain's smart meter energy system. Here, Hughes undertook the role of CISO for more than a year.
Towards the end of 2023, it was announced that Hughes was set to take over as the new CSO for Allwyn, the upcoming licensee of the National Lottery, in January 2024.
Andria Vidler, CEO of Allwyn UK, commented on Allwyn’s new appointment to its Executive Leadership Team: “Preserving the security of The National Lottery at all times is of critical importance, including as we roll out our ambitious plans for the transformation of The National Lottery so that it becomes more modern, digital and engaging for players. I’m delighted to welcome Mark to our team.”
“I’m thrilled to be joining Allwyn and being part of the next chapter in the journey of the National Lottery. Working for an organisation that literally makes dreams come true and contributes to good causes is a huge privilege and I can’t wait to get started.” Mark Hughes
