LEADERSHIP TEAM
Brad Proffitt – Managing Director
Brad is the Managing Director of Lightship, bringing more than 25 years of industry experience across business development and operations, including over 20 years in senior leadership roles. He has led the development and operation of cybersecurity test and certification laboratories for some of the world’s largest system integrators.
As Managing Director, Brad leads the organization and is accountable for Lightship’s overall strategy, performance, and execution. He is responsible for translating Lightship’s innovation strategy into practical, highquality outcomes that deliver measurable value to clients. Brad also works closely with Lightship’s parent company, Applus, to ensure strategic alignment, strong governance, and effective collaboration across the broader organization.
Greg McLearn – Technical Director
Greg has held a number of technical leadership roles in the cyber security industry over the past 12 years and has more than 20 years of IT experience across different industry verticals.
Today, Greg is the Technical Director and lead architect for the Greenlight automation platform at Lightship. Greg and his team have been codifying their years of Common Criteria and security evaluation work into an industry-first technology that is leading the modernization of how product assurance is performed. Under Greg’s leadership, the Common Criteria evaluation team uses and deploys Greenlight to support clients with both formal certifications and with Functional Gap Assessments to ensure certification at the speed of development – the core value proposition of Lightship.
Lachlan Turner – Executive Director Cyber Labs
Lachlan brings over 20 years of experience in the IT security industry with technical roles in government, large enterprise and startups.
Lachlan is responsible for advising our clients on how to achieve better certification outcomes. Our clients benefit from insights Lachlan has gained through extensive project delivery experience and active participation in international standards bodies and forums. Lachlan is also responsible for championing industry acceptance of test automation as the best means of modernizing product security certifications.
Kevin Steiner – Director of Cyber Labs
Kevin brings over 10 years of experience while serving in evaluation and management roles for industry leading Common Criteria labs. Kevin specializes in Protection Profile evaluations via the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) scheme in the US and has also been responsible for infrastructure design and support.
At Lightship, Kevin oversees the United States operation by focusing on using Lightship’s innovation framework to streamline processes through repeatability, consistency, and automation. Kevin also believes that Lightship’s success is defined by the client’s satisfaction and seeks to provide exceptional customer service and communication throughout the evaluation process.
Kevin Beyer – Sales Executive
Kevin brings over 20 years of leadership experience in sales, operations, and strategic partnerships. He has worked closely with leading technology companies, supporting federal government procurement, certification, and contracting initiatives. Kevin holds an International MBA (IMBA) in Technology Management.
At Lightship Security, Kevin leads the sales organization with a focus on delivering exceptional client value throughout the certification process. In collaboration with Lightship and Applus+ leadership, as well as technical testing teams, he helps design tailored solutions that maximize client outcomes across their certification journey.
Alex Thurston – Lead Developer
With over 20 years of experience in software development, Alex has built and led systems across a wide range of environments. He brings a hands-on approach to leadership, with experience spanning the full software development lifecycle – from build systems and feature delivery to testing, CI/CD, DevOps, and real-world integration aboard naval vessels.
At Lightship Security, Alex leads the development team through the unique challenges of the certification space. His focus is on delivering high-assurance security solutions with minimal friction, without compromising speed or quality. By modernizing certification workflows wherever possible, his team is helping push the industry forward.
Carol Cantlon – Quality Manager
Carol maintains the accreditations of Lightship Security’s Common Criteria and Cryptographic and Security Testing Laboratories (NVLAP Lab Codes: 600262-0 and 600207-0, SCC-accredited Canadian Common Criteria Laboratory). She is a trained internal auditor and conducts internal audits of Lightship’s quality management system. Carol also performs report reviews for Common Criteria evaluation and cryptographic module validation reports.
Carol has over 28 years of experience in IT security testing having been involved in the early days of FIPS 140-1 validation and Common Criteria evaluation. Carol is an approved EAL4 Common Criteria evaluator in the Canadian and Swedish schemes and is CVP-3 certified.
Cody Cummins – US Lab Manager
Cody brings over 11 years of experience working in Common Criteria laboratories, having served as both an evaluator and lab manager. He has worked extensively with the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) scheme, specializing in Protection Profile-based evaluations across a range of security technologies and products.
At Lightship, Cody leads the US evaluation team and oversees evaluation projects from planning through completion. He brings a hands-on technical approach to laboratory management, with a focus on developing strong evaluation teams, maintaining consistent and efficient evaluation practices, and making the certification process predictable and collaborative for clients.
Garrett Nickel – Principle Cybersecurity Advisor
Garrett brings over a decade of experience in IT security and technical operations, with a background spanning organizations from SMBs to critical infrastructure. He holds a CISSP and is an active member of several industry working groups and technical communities.
At Lightship Security, Garrett leads the Consulting team, ensuring consistent, high-quality project delivery. He works closely with vendors to understand their products, goals, and business drivers, developing certification strategies and solutions tailored to their Common Criteria needs. Garrett has extensive experience working within the Canadian (CCCS) and U.S. (NIAP) schemes, and supports vendors pursuing listings under the Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) program.
Grace Grundy – Canada Lab Manager
Grace is the Canada Lab Manager at Lightship Security, where she oversees evaluation activities and supports the delivery of certification services. Since joining Lightship in 2018, she has grown into a Senior Project Manager role and has contributed to the development and maturation of systems supporting the Certification lines of business.
She brings a practical, solutions-focused approach to complex regulatory work and values clear communication, consistency, and collaboration. Her focus is on guiding clients and partners through technical processes to achieve efficient, well-executed certification outcomes.
James Ramage – CST Lab Director
James brings more than 30 years of experience in technology, project management, and people leadership. Over the past seven years, he has partnered with Lightship’s leadership team to build and strengthen a worldclass CMVP validation group, emphasizing technical excellence, collaboration, and exceptional customer service.
In his role, James serves as the primary liaison with the CMVP, driving team performance, advancing operational quality, and ensuring that customer expectations are consistently exceeded. He is also focused on supporting business growth within the Cryptographic and Security Testing (CSTL) industry.
Brad Proffitt – Managing Director
Brad is the Managing Director of Lightship, bringing more than 25 years of industry experience across business development and operations, including over 20 years in senior leadership roles. He has led the development and operation of cybersecurity test and certification laboratories for some of the world’s largest system integrators.
As Managing Director, Brad leads the organization and is accountable for Lightship’s overall strategy, performance, and execution. He is responsible for translating Lightship’s innovation strategy into practical, highquality outcomes that deliver measurable value to clients. Brad also works closely with Lightship’s parent company, Applus, to ensure strategic alignment, strong governance, and effective collaboration across the broader organization.
Greg McLearn – Technical Director
Greg has held a number of technical leadership roles in the cyber security industry over the past 12 years and has more than 20 years of IT experience across different industry verticals.
Today, Greg is the Technical Director and lead architect for the Greenlight automation platform at Lightship. Greg and his team have been codifying their years of Common Criteria and security evaluation work into an industry-first technology that is leading the modernization of how product assurance is performed. Under Greg’s leadership, the Common Criteria evaluation team uses and deploys Greenlight to support clients with both formal certifications and with Functional Gap Assessments to ensure certification at the speed of development – the core value proposition of Lightship.
Lachlan Turner – Executive Director Cyber Labs
Lachlan brings over 20 years of experience in the IT security industry with technical roles in government, large enterprise and startups.
Lachlan is responsible for advising our clients on how to achieve better certification outcomes. Our clients benefit from insights Lachlan has gained through extensive project delivery experience and active participation in international standards bodies and forums. Lachlan is also responsible for championing industry acceptance of test automation as the best means of modernizing product security certifications.
Kevin Steiner – Director of Cyber Labs
Kevin brings over 10 years of experience while serving in evaluation and management roles for industry leading Common Criteria labs. Kevin specializes in Protection Profile evaluations via the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) scheme in the US and has also been responsible for infrastructure design and support.
At Lightship, Kevin oversees the United States operation by focusing on using Lightship’s innovation framework to streamline processes through repeatability, consistency, and automation. Kevin also believes that Lightship’s success is defined by the client’s satisfaction and seeks to provide exceptional customer service and communication throughout the evaluation process.
Kevin Beyer – Sales Executive
Kevin brings over 20 years of leadership experience in sales, operations, and strategic partnerships. He has worked closely with leading technology companies, supporting federal government procurement, certification, and contracting initiatives. Kevin holds an International MBA (IMBA) in Technology Management.
At Lightship Security, Kevin leads the sales organization with a focus on delivering exceptional client value throughout the certification process. In collaboration with Lightship and Applus+ leadership, as well as technical testing teams, he helps design tailored solutions that maximize client outcomes across their certification journey.
Alex Thurston – Lead Developer
With over 20 years of experience in software development, Alex has built and led systems across a wide range of environments. He brings a hands-on approach to leadership, with experience spanning the full software development lifecycle – from build systems and feature delivery to testing, CI/CD, DevOps, and real-world integration aboard naval vessels.
At Lightship Security, Alex leads the development team through the unique challenges of the certification space. His focus is on delivering high-assurance security solutions with minimal friction, without compromising speed or quality. By modernizing certification workflows wherever possible, his team is helping push the industry forward.
Carol Cantlon – Quality Manager
Carol maintains the accreditations of Lightship Security’s Common Criteria and Cryptographic and Security Testing Laboratories (NVLAP Lab Codes: 600262-0 and 600207-0, SCC-accredited Canadian Common Criteria Laboratory). She is a trained internal auditor and conducts internal audits of Lightship’s quality management system. Carol also performs report reviews for Common Criteria evaluation and cryptographic module validation reports.
Carol has over 28 years of experience in IT security testing having been involved in the early days of FIPS 140-1 validation and Common Criteria evaluation. Carol is an approved EAL4 Common Criteria evaluator in the Canadian and Swedish schemes and is CVP-3 certified.
Cody Cummins – US Lab Manager
Cody brings over 11 years of experience working in Common Criteria laboratories, having served as both an evaluator and lab manager. He has worked extensively with the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) scheme, specializing in Protection Profile-based evaluations across a range of security technologies and products.
At Lightship, Cody leads the US evaluation team and oversees evaluation projects from planning through completion. He brings a hands-on technical approach to laboratory management, with a focus on developing strong evaluation teams, maintaining consistent and efficient evaluation practices, and making the certification process predictable and collaborative for clients.
Garrett Nickel – Principle Cybersecurity Advisor
Garrett brings over a decade of experience in IT security and technical operations, with a background spanning organizations from SMBs to critical infrastructure. He holds a CISSP and is an active member of several industry working groups and technical communities.
At Lightship Security, Garrett leads the Consulting team, ensuring consistent, high-quality project delivery. He works closely with vendors to understand their products, goals, and business drivers, developing certification strategies and solutions tailored to their Common Criteria needs. Garrett has extensive experience working within the Canadian (CCCS) and U.S. (NIAP) schemes, and supports vendors pursuing listings under the Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) program.
Grace Grundy – Canada Lab Manager
Grace is the Canada Lab Manager at Lightship Security, where she oversees evaluation activities and supports the delivery of certification services. Since joining Lightship in 2018, she has grown into a Senior Project Manager role and has contributed to the development and maturation of systems supporting the Certification lines of business.
She brings a practical, solutions-focused approach to complex regulatory work and values clear communication, consistency, and collaboration. Her focus is on guiding clients and partners through technical processes to achieve efficient, well-executed certification outcomes.
James Ramage – CST Lab Director
James brings more than 30 years of experience in technology, project management, and people leadership. Over the past seven years, he has partnered with Lightship’s leadership team to build and strengthen a worldclass CMVP validation group, emphasizing technical excellence, collaboration, and exceptional customer service.
In his role, James serves as the primary liaison with the CMVP, driving team performance, advancing operational quality, and ensuring that customer expectations are consistently exceeded. He is also focused on supporting business growth within the Cryptographic and Security Testing (CSTL) industry.