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Year 9 Careers Lecture: Steve Kinghan OB

It was a pleasure to welcome Steve Kinghan OB back to Barney today, albeit virtually, for a fascinating talk with our Year 9 pupils about his incredible career to date.

Steve, who attended Barnard Castle School for 10 years from 1991 to 2001, discussed his varied journey since leaving our School, including his time at university and the interesting roles he has held, specifically in cyber security.

It was an insightful lecture that touched upon many of the values that we as a School instil in Barnardians, such as resilience and character and not being afraid to fail.

Steve urged our young people not to worry if they did not yet know what they would like to do in the future, drawing upon his own experiences – having achieved a degree in Marketing Management, yet being employed in roles at opposite ends of the job spectrum.

He spoke about being unsuccessful in an interview early on in his career, which drove him to be the dedicated individual he is today. This led to a role in the Armed Forces and its Intelligence Corp. Steve recalled his experiences touring Afghanistan and working at GCHQ, focussing on counter terrorism and crime against cyber criminals, as an Operations Delivery Lead.

Embarking on the next chapter of his career, Steve is currently Head of Cyber Operations at Hiscox Insurance, a role that did not exist when he had left university in 2005, demonstrating the role technology is playing in the future jobs market.

Concluding his insightful lecture, he offered advice to young people hoping to gain a career and qualifications in the sector, imploring our students to take advantage of the opportunities they have.

We are grateful to Steve for taking the time out of his busy schedule to e-meet our pupils, and we wish him all the very best in his new role and hope to see him again in the future.