Dr John Akerele is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader in Security and Risk Management at the University of Portsmouth within the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. He has over two decades of combined professional and academic experience spanning the security sector and higher education.

Prior to entering academia, he held senior leadership roles within the security sector in the United Kingdom and overseas. Since joining the University of Portsmouth, his work has focused on bridging gap between academic and professional practice.

Dr Akerele contributes to the wider academic and professional community through research and external engagement. He is an Executive Member of the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime and the Lead for Risk Communication and Risk Perception within the Centre of Excellence in Defence, Risk and Resilience. He maintains strong links with industry through consultancy and professional services.