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Andrea Cullen

Alumna - BSc Computing with Management, 2000 and PhD Operations and Supply Chain Management, 2004

Andrea is the CEO and Co-Founder at CAPSLOCK

Andrea Cullen, BSc Computing with Management (2000) and PhD Operations and Supply Chain Management (2004) wearing glasses and a grey CAPSLOCK t-shirt, standing against a black background.

Journey to Bradford

"I grew up in inner-city Bradford, where there was little expectation at my school that students would go to university. I’ve always loved tech and started working as a coder after completing my A levels.

"I attended an open day at the University of Bradford while I was pregnant. I wasn’t sure if I could manage, but my sister had completed a degree as a mature student, and I thought, ‘If she can do it, so can I.’ That’s when I decided to enrol in Computer Science."

As you can imagine, many of my fellow students were only 18 or 19. I clearly remember leaving my six-week-old baby at home to attend a departmental welcome event. At that moment, I thought, ‘I’m not coming back tomorrow; I can’t do this.’ But I quickly found a real sense of community and realised that the University of Bradford was the right place for me.

Bridging academia and career ambitions

"I ended up spending 16 years at the University of Bradford. I pursued a PhD because I loved the academic environment and, to be honest, I thought it would make me feel clever! Looking back, I think a lot of that was tied to imposter syndrome and wanting to prove to myself that I was ‘smart enough.’ My main research focused on social engineering, the manipulation of people, and developing secure processes.

"One of the most rewarding projects I worked on was with West Yorkshire Police, exploring how individuals become radicalised online. We analysed various datasets to track journeys into radicalisation and identify early indicators. It was about putting interventions in place at an early stage to have a better chance of success, so we could avoid catastrophic outcomes."

Andrea Cullen, BSc Computing with Management (2000) and PhD Operations and Supply Chain Management (2004) on her graduation day, wearing a red and gold graduation gown and black academic cap.

Empowering the future: Role at CAPSLOCK and Cyber Skills Gap

“I went to work at KPMG for a couple of years, but I kept seeing this big skills gap in cyber and a lack of diversity. Most people working in cyber are still white men. There was a need for better pathways. That’s how CAPSLOCK was born. We’re a reskilling organisation that takes anybody from any background and supports them through a 16-week programme, helping them into a job.

"We work with individuals who want to change their lives or are stuck in a job they don’t enjoy with no prospects. We also help businesses like BT, that have excess staff in some roles and a shortage in cyber. We reskill people internally and move them to other roles within the business. We also deploy talent, contracting cyber staff to businesses. 

“I was the only girl in my Computer Science class at school and it's still a male-dominated area. It’s getting better and people’s attitudes are changing, it’s still hard for many women to see themselves in that space. For us, determination, passion and hard work. Those are bigger indicators of success than if somebody has a specific education profile. So, we assess those elements, and if you score well in these areas, we’ll give you a place on the course.”

Andrea Cullen, BSc Computing with Management (2000) and PhD Operations and Supply Chain Management (2004) wearing glasses and standing in front of a computer.

Enjoyment in the job

"The best bit, hands down, is watching people change their lives. We see people come in with low confidence, and by the end, they’ve realised their own potential. We hear their stories, their struggles, and then we see them go on to successful careers. They’ll say, ‘Without this course and what you’ve done, I wouldn’t be here. You’ve changed my life’. That’s the best bit by a country mile.”

Career advice

"My advice would be to seek out your people, they’ll be there, and they’ll support you. Find your role models, but also consider yourself as a role model. Even if you can’t say it out loud, there are people behind you on that journey, so consider what you can do to give them a leg up.”