Founder & Director

Chris JonesThe Person Behind the Business

Global Security Leader · British Military Veteran · AI Pioneer · Essex Local

Ashvane Digital was founded by Chris Jones — a British Military veteran with 22 years of service, a former EMEA Security Director at Sony Pictures, and most recently Global Physical Security Regional Manager at Meta, where he spent nearly a decade leading AI-enabled security operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

After four decades at the forefront of leadership, technology and risk — and having personally championed AI-driven programmes at one of the world's most scrutinised companies — Chris launched Ashvane Digital with a single purpose: to bring the same enterprise-grade AI tools used by global corporations to local businesses across the UK, at a price that actually makes sense.

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22 Years — British Military Leadership, operational planning and crisis management in high-pressure environments worldwide

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10 Years — Sony Pictures Entertainment EMEA Director of Security, protecting people, productions and high-profile talent across Europe

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9 Years — Meta (Facebook) Global Physical Security Regional Manager, EMEA — championing AI-driven programmes at global scale with budgets up to $45M

Work With Chris

Career

Four Decades of Leadership

June 2016 — Present

Global Physical Security Regional Manager, EMEA

Meta · Europe, Middle East & Africa

Led physical security operations across Meta's complex, multi-site EMEA corporate portfolio — combining regional leadership, AI-driven technology innovation, financial stewardship of up to $45M, and incident-response accountability across multiple jurisdictions.

Championed global and regional AI-driven security programmes, using emerging technologies to modernise operations and strengthen predictive threat intelligence
Owned direct budget responsibility ranging from $26M to $45M across the region
Led critical incident response across EMEA, coordinating internal stakeholders and external agencies
Partnered with Facilities, HR, Legal and C-suite leadership across multiple countries
Built and mentored high-performing regional security teams across a multinational portfolio

June 2006 — May 2016

EMEA Director of Security

Sony Pictures Entertainment · Europe, Middle East & Africa

Directed all aspects of EMEA security for one of the world's most recognisable entertainment brands — protecting people, productions, intellectual property, high-profile talent, and facilities across a dynamic international environment.

Led executive protection programmes for senior leadership and high-profile talent during international travel and major events
Managed comprehensive travel risk, event security, and crisis-management operations across EMEA
Built strong relationships with law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and senior business stakeholders
Oversaw third-party vendor selection, procurement, and performance management across the region

January 1984 — January 2006

Senior Leadership Roles

British Military · United Kingdom & International Deployments

Served with distinction for 22 years in the British Military, building an exceptional foundation in leadership, resilience, operational planning, risk assessment and crisis management in high-pressure environments worldwide.

Led teams in demanding operational settings where disciplined planning and rapid decision-making were essential
Developed deep experience in operational risk, crisis response, personnel leadership and mission execution
Built the judgement and resilience required to operate in ambiguous, high-tempo multinational environments

Why Ashvane Digital

AI Experience That Goes Beyond the Buzzword

Chris didn't discover AI last year. He spent years designing and deploying AI-enabled programmes at Meta — one of the most technologically advanced organisations on the planet — using emerging technologies to modernise operations, improve prevention, and streamline response across an entire region. That's a very different starting point from most people building AI agencies in 2025.

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Real AI Experience

Designed and led AI-driven programmes at Meta — not as a user, but as the person responsible for deploying them across an entire region with real accountability.

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Operational Discipline

Four decades of military and corporate leadership means every project is delivered with structure, accountability, and the rigour your business deserves.

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Security First

Every site and chatbot we build comes with enterprise-grade security protocols built in — because the person building them knows exactly what can go wrong.

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Global Standards, Local Focus

Operated at the highest levels of global business — now applying those same standards to help local Essex businesses compete and win online.

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Stakeholder Confidence

Briefed C-suites and global leadership teams. Communicating complex technology clearly to business owners is second nature.

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Community Commitment

Based in Frinton-on-Sea and proud of it. The first goal is to help businesses right here in Essex before expanding further across the UK.

"I've spent my career protecting organisations at the highest level — from military operations to global corporations. Now I want to use everything I've learned to help local businesses not just survive online, but genuinely thrive. Every small business deserves access to the tools that the biggest companies in the world take for granted."

Chris Jones, Founder — Ashvane Digital, Frinton-on-Sea, Essex