Irish IT managed services and digital transformation company HCS has launched a dedicated governance, risk and compliance (GRC) practice to help organisations strengthen resilience, improve governance and meet evolving regulatory requirements. The new offering expands the company's operational support for businesses facing increasing cyber, supply chain and compliance challenges.

Writing by Irish Tech News said that the practice provides governance, compliance and data protection maturity assessments, continuous compliance monitoring, governance framework development and vendor risk reviews. It also supports artificial intelligence readiness, ISO preparation, information security policy development and ongoing compliance management.

HCS said the practice is designed for organisations operating in regulated or high-trust environments, including healthcare, technology, professional services, public sector supply chains and critical service providers. The company added that it is also intended for mid-sized and scaling organisations that require governance expertise without establishing dedicated in-house compliance teams.

The practice combines governance framework design with implementation, workforce training, business continuity planning, monitoring and continuous improvement to help organisations embed governance into day-to-day operations. HCS said the service is supported by its ISO 27001 certification for information security management and ISO 9001 certification for quality management.

To support the expansion, HCS has appointed Lesley Whelan as Head of Risk and Compliance. Bringing 20 years of governance, risk and compliance experience in the IT sector, she will lead the development of the practice, expand its customer base and oversee its strategic growth.

Lesley Whelan, Head of Risk & Compliance at HCS, said: “For many organisations, governance and compliance are no longer viewed as box-ticking exercises; they are now central to winning business, maintaining trust, supporting growth, and demonstrating operational maturity. HCS is responding to that shift by building a practical and scalable service that connects governance and compliance support with resilience, awareness, and real-world security needs.”

Pamela Farrell, Managing Director Pamela Farrell, said: “Cybersecurity, compliance, and resilience can no longer sit solely within the IT function. They are now business-critical issues that require board-level visibility, clear ownership, and ongoing accountability.” She added that the new practice formalises HCS's existing expertise and is intended to scale alongside customer demand over the coming years.