Wade Lyons is a security professional and business leader with nearly two decades of experience in public safety. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Black Onyx Investigations, a firm focused on background investigations, private security, and executive protection services.

He began his career in 2006 with the Austin Police Department. Over the next 17 years, he moved through a range of roles, including patrol, investigations, and strategic intelligence. He later became a Police Commander, where he led both operational units and the department’s training and recruiting division.

In that role, he oversaw programmes that supported more than 2,000 officers and civilian staff. He managed large teams, developed training systems, and helped modernise recruitment efforts. His work included improving hiring standards and expanding community engagement in the training process.

Wade Lyons is known for his structured approach to leadership. He focuses on clear processes, strong accountability, and practical decision-making. His experience reviewing critical incidents and leading large teams shaped how he approaches risk and performance.

In 2024, he moved into the private sector and founded Black Onyx Investigations. The firm supports organisations with hiring decisions, risk assessments, and security planning. His work now centres on helping clients reduce exposure and make informed decisions.

He holds a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and is completing an MBA. His background in law enforcement continues to influence his work in private security.

Q: You began your career in law enforcement. What drew you into that field?

I grew up in Houston and originally planned to go into medicine. During my final semester at Texas A&M, I did a ride-along with a police officer. That experience changed everything. I saw the impact officers could have on people in real time. I applied to the City of Austin shortly after graduating and started my career there.

Q: What were your early years in the Austin Police Department like?

I started in patrol, which is where you learn the job properly. You respond to thousands of calls and see every type of situation. It builds your judgement. I later moved into investigations and worked on cases involving violent crime and narcotics. That period taught me how to manage information, interview people, and build cases step by step.

Q: You later moved into leadership roles. How did that transition happen?

I was promoted through the ranks into supervisory and command roles. As a sergeant and lieutenant, I managed teams and handled operational planning. Eventually, I became a Police Commander. I led area operations and later the Training and Recruiting Division. That role involved managing over 100 personnel and supporting the development of more than 2,000 officers and staff.

Q: What stands out from your time leading training and recruiting?

We had to rethink how we trained officers. One example was moving away from long classroom sessions and introducing scenario-based training. I remember watching an officer go through a simulated call where communication made the difference between escalation and resolution. That moment reinforced how important realistic training is.

Q: Recruiting has been a major challenge for many departments. What did you learn from that experience?

Recruiting is not just about numbers. It is about selecting the right people. I reviewed many background investigations. One candidate had strong test results but showed a pattern of dishonesty in previous jobs. That disqualified him. You cannot train integrity. That lesson stayed with me.

Q: What led you to leave public service and start your own company?

After 17 years, I wanted to apply what I had learned in a different environment. I saw a gap in how organisations handle risk, especially in hiring and internal investigations. In 2024, I started Black Onyx Investigations to focus on those areas.

Q: What does your work look like now?

Most of our work involves background investigations and security consulting. We help organisations verify candidate information and assess potential risks. Each case follows a structured process. We define the scope, collect and verify information, and provide a clear report.

Q: How does your law enforcement background influence your business approach?

In policing, you work within strict procedures. You document everything and base decisions on evidence. I use the same approach in my business. Clients need clear, accurate information. That is what allows them to make informed decisions.

Q: What are the most common issues clients come to you with?

Hiring risk is a major one. Organisations want to know if a candidate’s background aligns with the role. We also see cases involving internal concerns, where companies need a structured review of a situation.

Q: Looking ahead, how do you see your work evolving?

I expect continued growth in private investigations and executive protection. Organisations are paying more attention to risk management. My focus is building systems that maintain quality as we expand.

Agencies

keeps a buy on tata steel

It has also reiterated a Buy on Tata Steel, underscoring strong balance sheets, import protection and margin expansion as key sector tailwinds. The price targets on JSW Steel, Tata Steel and Jindal Stainless imply an upside of 13-19% from Tuesday’s closing prices.

Ahead of DTX in Manchester Dan Giannasi, detective inspector at the North West Cyber Resilience Centre, talks about cyber resilience

It’s Manchester Tech Week this week, with the Digital Transformation Expo (DTX) and the Unified Communications Expo (UTX) running today and tomorrow at Manchester Central. Ahead of DTX, Dan Giannasi, Detective Inspector at the North West Cyber Resilience Centre, tells BusinessLive why he believes cyber resilience needs to be tackled at a local level.

Tell us about your role at the North West Cyber Resilience Centre

I’m a police officer seconded to the North West Cyber Resilience Centre. My background is in serious crime, and having led responses to cyberattacks against diverse organisations, I’ve seen firsthand the devastating human and financial impact. That’s why my role is so important, raising awareness and helping businesses defend themselves will reduce the risk and impact of cybercrime before it happens. At the CRC, I lead a dedicated team focused on building local partnerships and supporting small organisations, ensuring they have the tools to stay resilient.

Why do you believe cybersecurity needs to be tackled at a local level?

Cybersecurity can feel like an abstract, global threat, but the impact is always felt locally, on our high streets and in our regional supply chains. Working locally means we can build partnerships and engage with business communities across the region to reach a wide range of organisations and provide support. We can break down the ‘it won’t happen to me’ barrier by using regional examples to show that these threats aren’t just hitting big global companies, they are hitting businesses right here in the North West.

Can you tell us about your speaking session at DTX Manchester?

The panel discussion brings together a variety of perspectives on cybersecurity and focuses on sharing responsibility for cyber across an organisation. It’s crucial that cybersecurity is seen as a business enabler that is considered across all functions for it to be effective. We’ll be discussing how to make it a business priority despite increasing limitations on resources and funding. Hopefully the audience will learn about the importance of considering cyber security in all aspects of an organisation, and get actionable strategies to help them identify and respond to their biggest threats.

What are your top five tips for organisations today to help them improve their cyber resilience?

Master the basics – implement MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) and use unique, complex passwords. These are the simplest but most effective barriers to entry.

Build a ‘no-blame’ culture – train your team to spot phishing, but more importantly, ensure they feel safe reporting a mistake. Speed of reporting is your best defense.

Update regularly – criminals target ‘known vulnerabilities.’ Updating software and hardware regularly closes the door before criminals can walk through it.

Secure your supply chain – you are only as secure as the weakest link in your network. Encourage, or require, good cyber hygiene from your suppliers and customers.

Aim for Cyber Essentials – this government-backed certification isn’t just a badge; it’s a framework that ensures you have the fundamental controls in place.

• Dan Giannasi is detective inspector at the North West Cyber Resilience Centre. He is set to speak on the DTX Main Stage on Thursday 30th April, taking part in a panel discussion around ‘Shared responsibility, singular success: Building a unified front against cyber risk’.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has launched a public consultation on proposed revisions to its listing rules, aiming to attract New Economy companies, foreign firms, SMEs, and startups. The initiative reflects SET’s vision of positioning Thailand’s capital market as a “Trusted Gateway to Inclusive Opportunities,” while enhancing competitiveness and investor confidence.

Under the proposed changes, New Economy companies would benefit from lower market capitalization thresholds and reduced revenue track record requirements. Firms promoted by the Board of Investment (BOI) and Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) would gain access to a special track, while foreign companies would no longer need to demonstrate direct economic contributions to Thailand, such as local manufacturing bases. Secondary listing criteria would also be streamlined for firms from unrecognized jurisdictions, aligning them with those from SEC-recognized countries.

The consultation further addresses shareholder lock-up rules, with silent period requirements being harmonized with international standards. Strategic shareholders would be required to maintain a minimum stake post-IPO, while unprofitable firms in New Economy and infrastructure sectors would see their silent period shortened from three times to twice that of profitable companies.

SET is inviting public feedback until May 8, 2026, through its website and consultation form. The exchange emphasized that the revisions are designed to balance investor protection with market accessibility, ensuring Thailand remains an attractive hub for innovative and globally competitive enterprises.

Source : Open to listening to opinions on reviewing registration criteria to attract New Economy and foreign companies to register.

Other People are Reading

Apple is close to unveiling iOS 27, and a new report has revealed some of its upcoming features for the Photos app, which will usher in additional artificial intelligence experiences.

Multiple Apple Intelligence-powered features will reportedly arrive in the Photos app in the next version of the Apple smartphone operating system, which would help users easily edit their photos.

Apple’s iOS 27 Is Adding New AI Features to Photos

Bloomberg reported that Apple will add a new section called “Apple Intelligence Tools” to the Photos app, which has three features to choose from.

First, there is a feature called “Extend,” which Bloomberg said will deliver a generative AI feature to create additional image content beyond its frame using Apple’s generative AI.

For example, users could take a close-up photo of an image and ask Apple Intelligence via the Photos app to give them a landscape view. The tool will fill in the space based on how large they want it by dragging the edges of the original photo.

Next, Bloomberg said that there will be a feature called “Enhance,” which can automatically tweak the photo with improvements to its quality, focusing on its color, lighting, and more.

Lastly, the third AI feature reportedly coming to the Photos app is the “Reframe” feature, which 9to5Mac said is set to allow users to shift the perspective on the image, which can be done on a spatial photo.

Apple Intelligence on Photos App

The report from Bloomberg also reveals that Apple is still struggling with the generative AI features on its iOS platform, including the Photos app. Current internal testing of these three features is reportedly not going as planned, particularly the Extend and Reframe tools.

Apple may delay or scale back these AI-powered features once iOS 27 arrives, and it would reportedly depend on the improvements or tweaks they make before launch.

Apple Intelligence previously launched via iOS 18 to deliver generative AI features to eligible devices, but it is known that Apple was greatly held back by it because of issues with the model’s development.

Back then, Apple Intelligence features like Image Playground on the Photos app and other Apple apps were delayed by the company for a long time before they made their way to public availability.

Originally published on Tech Times

Operator

Good morning, everybody, and welcome to Westgold’s Q3 FY ’26 Quarterly Webinar. Your first speaker for today’s call is Wayne Bramwell, CEO and Managing Director. Over to you, Wayne.

Wayne Bramwell
CEO, MD & Executive Director

Thank you, and hello, everyone. Welcome to Westgold’s March 2026 Quarterly Results Call. Joining me today is Aaron Rankine, our Chief Operating Officer; and Tommy Heng, our Chief Financial Officer. I’ll begin with a high-level overview of the quarter and the broader business context before handing to Aaron and Tommy to cover operations and financials in more detail. Then we’ll open up the line for Q&A. Let’s start with the highlights.

Slides 4 and 5 represent the Q3 numbers. Q3 delivered continued cash generation, solid production delivery and further balance sheet strength. Westgold produced 93,145 ounces of gold during the quarter at an all-in sustaining cost of $2,931 per ounce, excluding the ore purchase agreement. With the ore purchase agreement, all-in sustaining costs rose to $3,338 per ounce.

Importantly, the business delivered an underlying cash build of $285 million before growth capital, exploration spend and one-off items. This translated to a $202 million increase in treasury, closing the quarter with $856 million in cash, bullion and liquid investments. These outcomes reflect the business that is now starting to operate with scale, resilience and growing financial flexibility and importantly, do so while remaining unhedged and fully exposed to the gold price.

Now let’s turn to what’s driving that momentum, Slide #6, the waterfall. This slide highlights the momentum that has been building steadily across Westgold’s business. Year-to-date