Carolyn J. Swinney received a B.Eng.(hons.) degree (first class) in 2007 and a M.Sc.(dist.) in Electronics Engineering from the University of Essex, Colchester, UK in 2013. She graduated as a Communications and Electronics Engineering Officer in the Royal Air Force in 2014 where she has specialised in a variety of cyberspace roles. She is a Chartered Engineer with the IET and in 2022 graduated with a Ph.D. degree in Electronic Systems Engineering. Now an Executive Fellow with the University of Essex, Swinney is a talented speaker and published academic who is passionate about leadership, cybersecurity and AI.