Hirsch Group, a global leader in high-assurance security solutions, announces the appointment of Darren Learmonth as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In this newly strengthened global role, Learmouth will lead technology, innovation, and R&D strategy across all Hirsch Group entities worldwide. The group has also appointed Jackie Grant as Chief Marketing Officer.

Learmouth’s appointment marks an important step in Hirsch Group’s evolution. Until now, the Group’s R&D and innovation activities have been driven by highly skilled regional teams operating across different geographies, delivering numerous successful and innovative projects. With Darren’s arrival, Hirsch Group is taking the next leap forward—bringing greater coherence, alignment, and long‑term strategic vision to its global technology and innovation roadmap.

“As Hirsch Group continues to grow globally, it is essential that we strengthen how we think about technology and innovation across the entire Group,” said Eric Thord, CEO of Hirsch Group.

“Darren brings the seniority, experience, and forward‑thinking mindset needed to connect our outstanding teams worldwide, structure our R&D efforts, and help us anticipate the future needs of our customers.”

As Global CTO, Darren Learmouth will work closely with Hirsch Group’s leadership and engineering teams to elevate and structure R&D initiatives across the Group, ensuring innovation is driven by both current and future customer needs. Innovation and technology sit at the core of Hirsch Group’s strategy, enabling the delivery of solutions that address increasingly complex security and operational challenges.

Hirsch Group’s global R&D organisation brings together more than 180 engineers across the Group, forming a strong foundation for innovation. Learmouth will leverage this collective expertise to foster collaboration, break down silos, and accelerate the development of next‑generation security solutions.

“Hirsch Group has an exceptional depth of technical talent across the Group,” said Darren Learmouth, Chief Technology Officer at Hirsch Group. “What excites me most is the opportunity to connect these brilliant teams, encourage collaboration across regions, and build a shared vision that helps us innovate faster and smarter for our customers.”

He brings a wealth of experience from a wide range of industries and technologies. His background spans real‑time operating systems, underwater autonomous vehicles, highly secure cryptography devices, residential electronic door locks, and enterprise access control solutions. He has previously held senior technology leadership roles at HID, Nortek Control, and acre security, among others.

“I’ve been fortunate to be part of many amazing companies in very different industries,” Darren said. “I am driven by the people in the team and an inherent curiosity to differentiate and do things differently—to continuously raise the bar.”

With this appointment, Hirsch Group reinforces its commitment to innovation, global collaboration, and technical excellence—laying the groundwork for the next generation of secure, scalable, and future‑ready solutions.

Jackie Grant

Hirsch Group has also announced the appointment of Jackie Grant as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). This strategic appointment marks a new chapter in the Group’s development and reflects our ambition to fully embed marketing as a key driver of growth, brand value, and international expansion.

Jackie Grant first joined Hirsch Group eight months ago in an interim capacity. Following a period of close collaboration with the Group’s teams worldwide, she now officially takes on the role of CMO.

“Appointing a Chief Marketing Officer is a key milestone for Hirsch Group. Marketing now sits at the heart of our growth strategy. Jackie’s vision and international experience will be instrumental in accelerating the global rollout of the Hirsch brand and strengthening our presence across markets.” Eric Thord, CEO, Hirsch Group

“Hirsch Group has more than 45 years of legacy, a strong global presence, and genuine ambition. The foundation is there. The opportunity now is to build on it with the clarity and consistency that a truly global brand demands.”Jackie Grant

Marketing at the Heart of Hirsch Group’s Growth Strategy

The creation of a Chief Marketing Officer role is a major step in Hirsch Group’s ongoing transformation. It underlines the Group’s commitment to structuring and strengthening its global marketing function, fully integrating it into the company’s strategic development.

As we continue the global rollout of our unified Hirsch brand, marketing now plays a central role in supporting business acceleration, expanding into new markets, and reinforcing our impact in established regions.

Over the past eight months, Jackie has worked with Hirsch’s international marketing teams to align multiple businesses under a single, coherent global brand identity.

“We’ve been unifying multiple businesses into one coherent global identity — not erasing what came before, but evolving it into something stronger, more consistent, and better positioned for what’s ahead,” she explained.

A Leader at the Intersection of Brand, Strategy and Commercial Impact

With nearly thirty years of experience, Jackie Grant brings a unique blend of creative, strategic and commercial expertise. She has built and scaled brands across FMCG, retail, B2B and enterprise environments, always with a strong focus on delivering measurable business outcomes.

“Creative by training, strategist by nature, storyteller at heart,” Grant adds. “What’s always fascinated me is people: their psychology, their behaviour, and what moves them. That’s what great brand-building is built on.”

Her career, spanning both the creative and corporate strategy worlds, gives her an end‑to‑end perspective — from defining long-term direction to shaping customer experience and driving execution.

“It helps me connect brand, customer, and commercial impact clearly, and move quickly from idea to execution,” she said.

Building a Global Brand with Ambition

Hirsch Group sees Jackie’s appointment as a key enabler of its long-term vision: building a strong, consistent and enduring global brand capable of supporting sustained growth worldwide.

We warmly welcome Jackie Grant as CMO and looks forward to this new phase of development.

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