We’re pleased to welcome Hannah Nairn to the Elementz team as Head of Information Security.
Hannah will work closely with Kevin Kavanagh and the wider team to further strengthen our security practices, supporting both our continued growth and the certifications we are working towards.
With experience in building practical, people-centric security strategies will play a key role as we continue to scale the product and support clients operating in subsea environments.
Can you walk us through your career journey so far?
I started my career as a DevOps graduate, where I focused on building and operating cloud infrastructure. Over time, I became increasingly interested in security and eventually transitioned into the role of Cloud Security Engineer, moving from building the platform to securing it and the organisation as a whole.
That shift gave me a broader perspective. In DevOps, you’re primarily working within engineering teams, but in security, the impact spans the entire organisation. I worked on improving the business’s overall cloud security posture, supporting ISO audits, and embedding security practices into teams and processes across the business.
What attracted you to Elementz?
Elementz is doing something very exciting in the energy space, especially in how it approaches subsea and integrity management. The company combines innovative technology and complexity of operating across both offshore and onshore environments, which really stood out to me. I was also drawn to the culture, the focus on growth, and how supportive and invested in the people Elementz is.
What motivated your move from DevOps into Security?
Security was always an area I was interested in, even during my studies. While working in DevOps, I found myself naturally gravitating towards security-related challenges, things like hardening infrastructure, improving access controls and reducing risk in deployments.
Over time, I realised that security is a fundamental layer that underpins everything in modern cloud environments.
Moving into security felt like a natural progression. It allowed me to build on my DevOps background, with a better understanding of cloud systems, while focusing on protecting systems, data, and users in a more proactive and strategic way.
What are you most excited about in your new role at Elementz?
I’m really excited about the opportunity to help shape and strengthen security practices at Elementz by working closely with engineering and wider business teams to embed security into the everyday workflows.
I’m also really interested in the human side of security and the psychology behind it. Understanding how people think and behave is such a key part of building effective security practices, rather than relying on tools and controls.
Who is Hannah outside of work?
Outside of work, I run a blog called Beyond Patches, where I share thoughts on cloud security, challenges and making security more practical and approachable.
When I am not working, you’ll usually find me in a shed or a field. I live on a farm where we grow barley for whisky, which couldn’t be more different from the tech world! I also enjoy what I call “grandma hobbies” like crochet and crafting, alongside morning swims as a great way to disconnect from the busy day-to-day.
As Elementz continues to grow, we’re always looking for great people to join us. Explore careers at Elementz.
