Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan has over 30 years’ experience in the Metropolitan Police Service, a vast career that has seen him work in a leadership role in some of the most challenging areas of policing in the Capital. In his career, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Adelekan has served as a Base Chief in the Territorial Support Group, OCU Commander for the Met Command & Control at the time the largest command unit in the UK; Borough Commander for Newham, one of the most diverse and disadvantaged local authority areas in the UK. He was also responsible for establishing the MPS Violent Crime Task Force, which delivered a significant reduction in public space violence across London.

His time as Commander of Public Order and Major Events was critical for policing, facing significant challenges such as the global effects of COVID, Ease of Restrictions, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, Unlicensed Music Events (UMEs), national protests from Farmers, Just Stop Oil, and Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Extinction Rebellion, just to name a few. During his time as Commander of Security and Aviation in the MPS, he has led many challenging, highly sensitive and complex operations.  This work has led to his recognition by HRH King Charles, in being awarded the Royal Victorian Order for his dedication and service in delivering the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Ben Russell is Deputy Assistant Commissioner and Director of Intelligence in the Metropolitan Police. His responsibilities include frontline and specialist intelligence, oversight of covert policing and the Met’s response to serious organised crime. He was Commander of Intelligence and Covert Police from 2022-2024, completing the College of Policing’s Strategic Command Course in 2021 and moving across to the Met as the UK’s first Chief Officer to have never previously served in policing. Ben spent 12 years at the National Crime Agency (NCA), latterly as Deputy Director of the National Economic Crime Centre, leading the UK’s fight against fraud, money laundering and bribery & corruption. Prior to this role, Ben was a founding member of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, including as Head of Cyber Intelligence, leading teams of officers, analysts and technical staff across the UK and overseas. Before the NCA, Ben worked at the Serious Organised Crime Agency and Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre and, after graduating from the University of Cambridge, was Director of a youth leadership charity.