Before entering politics, Jeremy worked in corporate finance for 25 years latterly as Managing Director of Deutsche Bank.

In 2008/9, he served on secondment as senior corporate finance adviser to HM Treasury, assisting them on the UK’s response to the financial crisis.

In July 2018, Jeremy accepted a role in the Government as a member of the Whips’ Office and was promoted to serve as a senior Whip (as “Comptroller of HM Household”) in July 2019.

In December 2019, Jeremy became Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office with responsibilities for the Government Commercial Function and other cross-Government programmes.
As Minister of State for Defence Procurement, Jeremy is responsible for the Defence Equipment Plan; relations with the defence industry; defence exports; defence science and technology; and defence estates and infrastructure.

Morag Stuart is Director General Commercial at Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S). Her previous roles include Transformation Director/Acquisition Transformation at MOD, and Director General Improvement at (DE&S) and Director of Commercial at MOD.

Jim is the interim Commercial Director, Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA), responsible for setting the commercial direction for the SDA and collaborative engagement of the extended Submarine Supply Chain. His role extends to directing Supplier Intelligence capability and supply chain risk management. His previous role was Commercial Director, Supply Chain, MOD, where he was responsible for the overall supplier and market interface, helping transform MOD’s supplier relationships and improving broader Industry engagement.
Prior to this, he was Transformation Director in the Cabinet Office Government Commercial Function, helping improve the capacity and capability of Commercial Specialists across Government, winning Best People Development Initiative at the CIPs Awards 2018. He’s had a 20-year Commercial career including Commercial Director at Network Rail, the UK's rail infrastructure provider, where his team procured and managed categories as diverse as ballast to business consultancy. For his transformation work at Network Rail, Jim won the CIPs Procurement and Supply Chain Professional of the Year Award in 2013.
Jim will be returning to the post of Commercial Director, Supply Chain before the event in June.

As one of the first former UK Special Forces members to talk openly to the media and reveal their true identity, Matthew ‘Ollie’ Ollerton has an incredible story to tell. A former Special Forces operative with both the SAS and SBS, Ollie has undertaken operations in some of the most dangerous and remote locations on the planet and is one of the most highly trained fighters in the world.
After leaving school and joining the Royal Marine Commandos, Ollie’s exploits in Northern Ireland Iraq soon earned him recommendation for the SAS. After joining the Special Boat Service, he undertook high profile missions involving hostage rescue, counter narcotics and counter terrorism, amongst other things. Ollie then went on to use his expertise as a private bodyguard where he was responsible for employing and training a 2,000 strong Iraqi guard force, before heading to South-East Asia to command a three man team infiltrating child trafficking rings, a cause that is still close to his heart today.
Once Ollie returned to the UK in 2014 after 13 years overseas, he started developing a concept that would put these years of training and experience to best use and would benefit others. With this, BREAK-POINT was born; a leadership and development course aimed at the public and corporate sector also supporting veterans suffering the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Tom O’Byrne BSc, MCIPS is the Head of Supply Chain Development at QinetiQ, responsible for QinetiQ’s overall approach to the development of its global supply chain. He leads a supply chain development team and is responsible for the delivery of its four strategic themes focused on efficient, sustainable, effective and collaborative procurement. Prior to this appointment, Tom was the Provider Network Lead for The Aurora Engineering Partnership, transforming the procurement approach across three partner organisations and wider industry, to drive benefits through the delivery of engineering services.

His career has centred on driving an organisation’s competitive advantage through its supply chain and has included past roles at AWE Plc and Hewlett-Packard. Tom’s professional experiences and skills are underpinned by his solid academic background which includes being a full (chartered) Member of the Charted Institute of Procurement and Supply.

Nigel Joined Lockheed Martin in 1996. He has over 40 years experience in the Aerospace and Defence business in a variety of senior positions. A mechanical and production engineer by training, he has extensive experience within manufacturing operations, production planning, manufacturing control and project management. With significant periods of time being spent in procurement, SCM, materiel management and contract management disciplines. Nigel as also spend periods of heis career supporting business development opportunities. Nigel spent a significant proportion of his career leading LM’s UK Industrial Particiaption function and working directly with the MoD on their Strategic Supply Managemet programme.

Nigel has functional leadership within LMUK for Supply Chain Management (SCM) focused on strategy, policy and governance, he also is the LMUK SME Champion, Supply Chain Director for LMUK’s subsidary business Seabed Resources Development Ltd, Strategic Supplier Management lead with the MoD and coleads LMUK Industrial Development Country Team.

Nigel also has the lead for strategic issues in support of Supply Chain Management within LMUK including aligning the supply network development, HMG functional liaison, Executive Group lead for LMUK in the DCPP (Defence Cyber Security Protection Partnership), trade associations relationships and professional bodies.

Nigel Chaired the UK ADPG (Aerospace and Defence Procurement Group) and remains an active member of this procurement supply chain industry group.

Prior to joining Lockheed Martin Nigel’s last post was Commercial and Strategic Business Director for a medium sized Midlands based aerospace engineering company engaged in mechanical, avionic and engine components sub-systems.

He has extensive experience of working in and with the UK SME community

Nigel is a Fellow (Chartered) of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

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