Seriun was proud to sponsor and attend the Lancashire Business View AI & Cybersecurity Summit, on the 28th April 2026. The event brought together business leaders, technology professionals and cybersecurity experts from across Lancashire to discuss two of the most pressing topics facing businesses today: artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber risk.
The summit was opened by Richard Slater of Lancashire Business View, and organiser of the summit, and featured a keynote from Professor Marcello Trovati, Professor of Digital Transformation at the University of Lancashire. Professor Marcello spoke about what businesses should understand about AI before they go too far. His session set the tone for a day focused on cutting through the noise and getting to what actually matters for businesses looking to adopt AI responsibly.
AI in Practice
Seriun’s Wayne Fulton, Head of Cyber Security, and Mark Edwards, Operations Director, delivered a joint presentation exploring the intersection of AI and cybersecurity. The first half focused on how AI can make individuals and teams more efficient, from automation and data analysis to streamlining document handling and freeing up time for higher-value work. They outlined Seriun’s AI Readiness Toolkit, a practical framework covering process audits, cultural changes, training, data readiness, shadow AI and security awareness, all designed to help businesses take a structured approach to AI adoption rather than rushing in without a plan.
Cybersecurity: Real-World Lessons
The second half of the session turned to cybersecurity, with Wayne and Mark sharing real-world examples of breaches from across our customer base. These included a beauty product importer that lost £185,000 through a man-in-the-middle email attack, a manufacturer hit by ransomware that was offline for nine days with a £160,000 ransom demand, and a retailer whose managing director’s email was compromised through token theft. In each of these use cases, they walked through what happened, what the impact was and, importantly, what could have prevented it. The common trend was clear: in all of these breaches, a combination of managed detection and response, proper access controls and staff training could have stopped the breaches entirely.
Mark and Wayne focused on the reality of what businesses are facing right now. With one breach per day across their customer base with the human element consistently proving to be the weakest link, the message was clear and straightforward. The right technology, paired with the right processes and relevant training and education, can make a significant difference, and it does not have to be complicated or expensive.
Panel 1: Capability, Governance and Behaviour
The summit also featured two expert panel sessions that brought a wide range of perspectives to the conversation. The first explored the governance challenges and behavioural shifts that businesses need to address as AI and cyber threats evolve. Panellists included: Dan Giannasi, Detective Inspector at the North West Cyber Resilience Centre; Dan Knowles, Founder of Northern Reach; Darren Ratcliffe, Corporation Board Member at Blackburn College; Tamima Mulla-Shah, Regional Manager at IN4 Group.
Panel 2: Real Businesses, Real Implementation
The second panel brought the conversation closer to the shop floor, focusing on the practical realities of adopting AI and managing cyber risk within established businesses, across a range of sectors. Panellists included: Tim Barrow, Managing Director of Terry Lifts; Paul Bell, Programme Manager at the North West Aerospace Alliance; Lisa Kennery, Partner at Pierce Group; Lewis MacCallum, Director and Head of Development at VARS Technology; Austin Waddecar, Director of Product at Fulfilmentcrowd.
Lessons from the Room
The day closed with a discussion that gave the delegates opportunity to reflect on what they had learned, what surprised them and what they would do differently as a result.
Wayne Fulton commented:
It was a well-run event. We kept the discussion on AI and cybersecurity honest and practical, with no hype. The response showed clear demand for practical guidance.
Seriun would like to thank Lancashire Business View for the opportunity to sponsor and speak at the event.
For a full gallery of photos from the summit, visit our Flickr page.
For more information about Seriun’s AI and cybersecurity services, contact our team on 01282 500770 or email bryn.speed@seriun.co.uk.