Who
We Are
Blackpanda is Asia’s premier cyber security incident response group, comprised of an elite cadre of special risk and security experts from best-in-class international special forces, intelligence, forensics and law enforcement backgrounds.
We are hyper-focused on cyber security incident response and are the leading digital forensics and cyber crisis management firm in Asia, positioned throughout the region and incorporating the best of both Western and Asian business disciplines. Drawing on our military special forces background, Blackpanda maintains both the specialized technical expertise and client-centric cultural understanding necessary to lead our clients through crisis and beyond.
Our Co-Founders
Blackpanda is Asia’s premier cyber security incident response group, comprised of an elite cadre of special risk and security experts from best-in-class international special forces, intelligence, forensics and law enforcement backgrounds.
We are hyper-focused on cyber security incident response and are the leading digital forensics and cyber crisis management firm in Asia, positioned throughout the region and incorporating the best of both Western and Asian business disciplines. Drawing on our military special forces background, Blackpanda maintains both the specialized technical expertise and client-centric cultural understanding necessary to lead our clients through crisis and beyond.
Our Co-Founders
MATT PECOT
Group Chairman, Co-Founder
Matt Pecot is Chairman and Co-Founder of Blackpanda Group. Pecot previously served in the U.S. Army Special Forces and is the current Barclays Head of Markets for Asia-Pacific, a member of the Asia Pacific Executive Forum and Global Markets Executive Committee.
Matt has worked in Asia-Pacific for over 30 years in both the military and private sectors, previously serving as Head of Prime Services and Head of Equities Distribution at Credit Suisse in APAC.
GENE YU
Group CEO, Co-Founder
Gene Yu is Co-Founder and CEO of Blackpanda Group. A computer science honor graduate from West Point, Gene previously served in the U.S. Army Special Forces, and has authored three books. Gene has served in Asia across military and private sectors – as an equity swaps trader at Credit Suisse in Hong Kong and with Palantir Technologies’ Asia business development team in Singapore.
Gene is currently best-known for leading one of the fastest recorded recoveries of a family friend, kidnapped in eastern Malaysia by Filipino Abu Sayyaf terrorists in late 2013.
Board Director
Management Team
CHRISTINA GAW
Board Director
Christina Gaw serves as Blackpanda Group Board Director in addition to her role as Managing Principal and Head of Capital Markets at Gaw Capital.
Christina brings over 20 years of investment banking and investment management experience in Asia-Pacific. Blackpanda Group is proud to have Gaw Capital as a key investor.
GENE YU
CEO and Co-Founder
Gene serves as CEO and Co-founder of Blackpanda Group. He is a West Point computer science honor graduate, and author of three books. Gene previously served in the U.S. Army Special Forces, having completed two tours in Iraq and two tours in the Philippines.
Gene has also worked across Asia in the private sector, previously as an equity swaps trader with Credit Suisse in Hong Kong and Palantir Technologies’ Asia business development team in Singapore.
LESTER LIM
COO
Lester Lim serves as COO of Blackpanda Group. He has worked across Asia and Europe, with over 30 years of experience in investment banking, private equity and corporate M&A in various capacities, including finance, operations, HR, investing, and risk, both as a principal and as an intermediary.
Lester has also held leadership roles at Hill & Associates, GE Equity, and Peregine Capital Limited. He has also occupied the role of COO across a number of risk consulting firms, providing specialized advice to corporates.
MARK WHITTLEY
VP Digital Forensics & Incident Response
Mark is the VP of DFIR at Blackpanda, bringing with him over 30 years of professional IT experience, including 15 years in digital forensics and high-tech crime law enforcement.
He previously served as Senior Digital Forensic Examiner with the Australian Federal Police, following a prior private sector role as Head of Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigations at Novartis in Basel, Switzerland, and Head of Digital Forensics at The Global Fund in Geneva, Switzerland.
KEVIN McCAFFREY
VP Revenue
Kevin McCaffrey is a founding member of Blackpanda. He previously served in the U.S. Army Special Forces, having completed four tours in Iraq.
In addition to his special operations experience, Kevin is a practiced graduate of a number of highly specialized intelligence, reconnaissance, and military risk programs, specializing in crisis response and cyber warfare. Kevin received his bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
NICK GRAHAM
Executive Advisor
Nick Graham serves as an Executive Advisor to Blackpanda, overseeing the development and implementation of cyber risk consulting and incident response.
Nick previously served in the U.S. Army Special Forces where he led an intelligence-focused twelve-man team, specializing in intelligence and human terrain analysis. Nick completed two tours in Afghanistan, one tour in Iraq, and one tour in the Philippines. He attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business and holds a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Cincinnati.
Our Core Values
BALANCE
We want our people to actually like what they do. Knowing that life is more than work, we strongly encourage and support personal time and growth. We know we can do both. The quality of our minds determines the quality of our decisions – and the quality of our decisions determine the quality of our lives.
GRIT
We don’t sugar coat bad news and setbacks. We also don’t quit at the first sign of risk; we face it head-on and assess how to mitigate. We will work with you in order to overcome obstacles or die trying. And, we never take more money from anybody than we absolutely need to survive; we permit no one to control our freedom.
AMBITION
The man at the top of the mountain didn’t get dropped off there, he climbed to the top. We strive to be the best in everything that we do, personally and professionally. We aren’t here to take part – we are here to take over.
SINCERITY
We do what we say, we say what we do. That simple.
INNOVATION
We are unconventional thinkers and are not satisfied with the status quo or tradition. We aren’t afraid of technology or new ideas and approaches. We strive to improve every aspect of our work and aren’t afraid to break through chains and walls to get there.
UNITY
We work together. Check your ego at the door. Ego is the fountainhead of man’s progress and innovation, but it is also the greatest source of man’s mental pain and suffering, particularly with one another. We work smarter, harder, and faster together, and are better because of it.
EFFICIENCY
Timing beats speed, precision beats power, and leverage beats strength. We strive in every aspect of our work to minimize waste and to maximize production.
HUMILITY
Humility forms the basis of honor, just as the low ground forms the foundation of a higher elevation. We listen, then we act, and then we listen again. We earn your respect like every day is Selection all over again.