About Laurence

Bio

Born in Devon in 1989, I grew up on a small holding in Cornwall, which instilled in me a love for nature and a diverse skill set ranging from rope work and sailing to beekeeping and agriculture. This unconventional upbringing laid the foundation for my adaptable and curious nature.

My academic journey led me to Plymouth University, where I studied Marine Studies (Merchant Shipping) with the goal of becoming a navigating officer on commercial vessels. Although a medical condition prevented me from pursuing this career, the experience broadened my horizons and taught me valuable lessons in resilience and adaptability.

Throughout my career, I’ve worn many hats - from mastering customer service in a call center to automating processes in distribution and finance. My time as a paralegal at a law firm allowed me to explore the intersection of law and technology, particularly in areas like blockchain and smart contracts.

A turning point in my career came when I joined Reciprocity, a Silicon Valley startup with offices in Ljubljana, Slovenia. As a Support Engineer, I found my tribe among talented engineers and discovered my passion for SaaS and cross-functional collaboration.

Upon return to the UK, I worked as a Support Engineer in Solutions Engineering at a music publishing company, where I manage a range of systems from legacy to cutting-edge platforms, which gave me exposure to real world security challenges including the opportunity to step up and lead our response to the Log4j Zero-Day vulnerability.

From here, I moved into Security and Compliance with YC-backed Series A Computer Vision AI startup, Encord, where I was responsible for implementing and maintaining security controls, managing compliance, and leading the company through its first SOC 2 Type 2 audit.

At present, I work for an Educational Technology company as Security Engineer and build my own projects in my spare time, including self-directed learning in Rust and AI.

My Philosophy

My journey has been anything but linear, and that’s precisely what makes it interesting. I’m an all-or-nothing person with a love for challenges, whether it’s in my professional life or personal pursuits like martial arts, climbing, and cycling. I believe in pushing past perceived limits and never shying away from tasks just because they don’t come naturally.

My philosophy is best summed up by a Will Varley lyric: “No man has the right to tell another human being that their access is denied to any corner of this planet or any moment of their life.” This ethos drives me to continually learn, adapt, and excel in whatever I set my mind to.