Adrian Searle, Former NCA NECC Director, Joins TRM as Senior Advisor

This month, TRM Labs — the leader in blockchain intelligence solutions — welcomed Adrian Searle as Senior Advisor to the company’s leadership team.

Adrian brings over two decades of experience at the forefront of economic crime, cyber security, and national security in the United Kingdom (UK). Most recently, he served as Director of the UK’s National Economic Crime Centre (NECC) and the UK Financial Intelligence Unit (UKFIU), where he led the country’s operational response to fraud and wider economic crime.

In his role at TRM, Adrian will advise executive leadership on enhancing partnerships with UK government agencies and financial institutions, reinforcing TRM’s growing presence and commitment to the UK as a critical market in the global fight against illicit finance.

“Adrian’s leadership across economic crime, cyber threat response and national security gives him a rare, multidimensional perspective,” said Esteban Castaño, co-founder and CEO of TRM Labs. “His insights will be invaluable as we deepen our work with UK law enforcement, regulators, and financial partners to build a safer financial system.”

“I’m delighted to join TRM’s mission at this important time,” said Adrian Searle. “The threat from fraud and financial crime is increasingly complex, fast-moving, and international. Tackling it effectively requires innovation, agility, and partnership across public and private sectors. I’ve been impressed by TRM’s deep technical capabilities and genuine commitment to supporting frontline efforts.”

An accomplished leader across government and the private sector, Adrian oversaw several landmark initiatives during his time at the NECC. These included launching a world-first data fusion program with major UK banks, collaborating with the tech sector to disrupt industrial-scale scam operations in Southeast Asia, and providing oversight of the NCA’s largest-ever operation against global illicit finance.

Prior to his tenure at the NECC, Adrian held key leadership roles in both government and industry. He served as Head of Security and Data Risk at NatWest, where he advised the board and CISO on cyber security. Earlier, as Head of Incident Management at the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), he led the response to nationally significant cyber incidents. Adrian’s broader career spans operational and policy roles in national security, military service in the British Army, and time as a television documentary filmmaker.

Adrian joins TRM at a time of accelerating demand for technical solutions that empower governments and private sector companies to investigate, detect, and prevent digital asset and AI-enabled crime.