Our Executive Team

Neil Gibb is the Founder and Operations Director of BlackBox Pentesters, where he helps boards and senior leaders gain clear, credible assurance over their organisation’s cyber risk.

With extensive experience across security testing, cyber risk management, and adversary-led assessments, Neil works with organisations to translate technical security issues into business-relevant insight. His focus is on enabling informed decision-making, helping leadership teams understand where their real exposure lies, what matters most, and where investment will have the greatest impact.

Neil established BlackBox Pentesters to address a common gap between perceived security and actual resilience. He supports organisations in moving beyond compliance-driven security towards a more mature, risk-based approach that reflects how modern threat actors operate and how businesses are actually compromised.

A central part of Neil’s work is supporting boards with proportionate, defensible security strategies. This includes providing clarity on emerging threats, regulatory and governance expectations, and the practical implications of cyber risk for operational continuity, reputation, and stakeholder trust.

Neil is also committed to raising standards across the cybersecurity industry. Through transparent engagement models and accessible security services, including free vulnerability assessments, he helps organisations establish a strong baseline from which meaningful risk reduction can be achieved.

At BlackBox Pentesters, Neil leads with a clear objective: to provide leadership teams with the confidence that their cybersecurity posture is understood, justified, and aligned to the organisation’s risk appetite.

James Hinton is the Chief Technology Officer at BlackBox Pentesters, where he leads the strategic technology direction and shapes the firm’s approach to advanced security testing. With deep experience across cybersecurity disciplines, including penetration testing, vulnerability management, security operations, and technical leadership, James has a track record of architecting solutions that bridge technical depth with business requirements.

James has held senior technical and leadership roles in the cybersecurity industry, giving him a unique perspective on both the threats organisations face and the best ways to manage and mitigate risk. He is passionate about transforming complex security challenges into strategic outcomes that support organisational resilience, competitive advantage, and long-term growth.

As CTO, James is responsible for driving innovation in BlackBox’s methodology and tooling, ensuring the company remains at the forefront of offensive security, assessment frameworks, and risk-based testing strategies. He oversees the continuous evolution of technical capabilities, from adversary simulation and red team engagements to next-generation automation and testing orchestration.

James also plays a key role in thought leadership and talent development. He actively mentors technical teams, advocates for continuous skills growth, and shares insights that help shape the broader cybersecurity community. His commitment to professional excellence underpins BlackBox’s mission to deliver high-impact, defensible security results that matter to boards, regulators, and executive leadership.

At BlackBox Pentesters, James blends visionary technology leadership with practical delivery, ensuring clients not only identify vulnerabilities but also understand them in the context of strategic business risk and operational resilience.

Alex Martin is the Sales Director at BlackBox Pentesters, responsible for client engagement, commercial strategy, and ensuring clarity and integrity throughout the engagement lifecycle.

With over twenty years of experience across security testing, security architecture, security infrastructure, security solutions, and threat intelligence, Alex brings a deep understanding of both the technical landscape and the business drivers that shape security decisions. He works closely with clients to ensure engagements are correctly scoped, expectations are aligned, and outcomes are focused on genuine risk reduction rather than superficial assurance.

Alex plays a critical role in translating organisational objectives, regulatory pressures, and risk concerns into clear, well-defined security engagements. His focus is on ensuring that clients understand what is being tested, why it matters, and how the results should be interpreted at both technical and executive levels.

A key part of Alex’s responsibility is maintaining a clear separation between commercial activity and technical delivery. He ensures that sales commitments are realistic, transparent, and fully aligned with the firm’s technical standards, protecting both the integrity of testing and the trust of clients.

Beyond client engagement, Alex is passionate about developing talent within the cybersecurity industry. He actively mentors and supports professionals at all stages of their careers, helping to raise standards, capability, and professionalism across the sector.

As Sales Director, Alex provides assurance to boards and senior stakeholders that engagements are structured responsibly, delivered with integrity, and aligned to the organisation’s risk and governance requirements.