1. Statement
GCSB is a founder-led organisation in its first phase. This Statement openly records which offices are currently held by the founder, why, and how that concentration will reduce.
2. Offices held by the founder
| Office | Basis |
|---|---|
| President & Chair, Governing Council | Founder's office - permanent, never open for application |
| Managing Director / CEO | Founder's office - permanent, never open for application |
| Registrar | Interim |
| Chair, Certification and Standards Committee | Held pending independent appointment |
| Chair, Fellowship & Nominations Committee | Held pending independent appointment |
| Chair, Academic Board | Held pending independent appointment |
| Chair, Assessment Board | Interim - open for application |
| Editor-in-Chief, GCSB Journal of Converged Security | Interim - open for application |
3. Safeguards while offices are concentrated
The founder can never hold a seat on the Ethics, Conduct & Appeals Committee, the Appeals Panel or the Audit & Risk Committee.
The founder does not handle, review or decide on any Journal paper of which he is an author. Such papers are handled by another editor.
The founder recuses from any appointment decision involving a connected person. Such appointments need approval by an independent reviewer and are publicly declared.
The appointment of any person connected to the founder is held until all open vacancies have been filled by independent members.
Founder offices do not override independent assessment, credential, Trustmark Award, appeal or editorial decisions. Connected-provider matters follow GCSB-POL-007; the founder does not select decision-makers for matters in which he is conflicted.
Where eligible independent decision-makers are unavailable, the affected decision is deferred. The Registrar records and communicates the reason; an interim title does not permit a conflicted decision.
All GCSB offices, including both permanent founder offices, remain voluntary, unpaid and remote. Corporate responsibilities are distinct from professional powers delegated under the Governance Charter.
4. How the concentration reduces
Offices marked "Interim - open for application" are open vacancies published on the Vacancies page. Offices marked "Interim" or "Held pending independent appointment" are not open vacancies; they are filled through the formal appointment process (GCSB-POL-004). As independent members are appointed, interim offices pass to them and this Statement is updated and re-issued.
5. Review
This Statement is reviewed whenever an office changes hands, and at least every six months.
Policy authority: Governing Council. Effective date: 13 October 2026. Version 1.3 aligns the Academic Board Chair with the published role list; version 1.2 added independent final-decision, deferral and corporate/professional separation safeguards.
6. Policy control
- Approval authority: Governing Council.
- Revision history: version 1.0 (13 October 2026) first issue; version 1.1 opened the Assessment Board Chair and Editor-in-Chief vacancies; version 1.2 added independent final-decision, deferral and corporate/professional separation safeguards; version 1.3 aligned the Academic Board Chair with the published role list; version 1.4 added this Policy control section; version 1.5 states which interim offices are open vacancies and which are filled through the formal appointment process.
- Review date: reviewed whenever an office changes hands, and at least every six months; next review no later than 13 April 2027.
- Precedence: this Statement is transitional and subordinate to the Governance Charter (GCSB-POL-001). It ends when the interim arrangements it describes end.