Adam Meadus is an industrial strategist at PA with extensive experience in complex procurement and transformation within the defence supply chain. As Programme Director for the Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme (DSCCP), Adam has been instrumental in shaping and delivering initiatives that enhance the resilience, innovation, and scalability of the global defence ecosystem.

Since the programme’s inception, Adam has led the DSCCP delivery team, working closely with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and industry partners to strengthen the UK's warfighting edge, improve supply chain resilience, and drive growth in the defence sector.

His expertise spans supply chain risk management, strategic supply chain design, industry collaboration, and market shaping – all critical components in building a robust and agile defence ecosystem.

At DPRTE, Adam will provide insights into the DSCCP’s approach and key achievements over the past year, offering a deep dive into how the programme is transforming defence supply chains to meet future challenges.

Aimie is ADS Group’s Chief Economist and has been at ADS for six years. Aimie leads on all ADS procurement, production and dissemination of industry and economic data. In a cross-sector role, Aimie works to providing evidence to policy issues, including tax, supply chain impacts and the cost of doing business. A significant part of Aimie’s work over the last 18 months has been working to evidence the needs for greater support for the UK’s industrial base, including through challenges faced around access to finance. Prior to ADS, Aimie has a background working for trade bodies representing interests of both automotive and food and drink manufacturing sectors, providing a similar role in

evidencing policy positions with economic analysis and supporting on customs and trade issues.

Air Cdre Will Dole joined the RAF in November 1991.

Early tours as a junior officer included personnel, financial management, infrastructure, instructor, and outer office-related appointments across a variety of UK and overseas units.

Promoted to squadron leader in November 2000, Dole was posted to RAF Innsworth as Officer Commanding Station Services Squadron. Staff tours then followed as the Personal Staff Officer to Air Officer Administration and Air Officer Directly Administered Units and to PJHQ as the lead desk officer for the infrastructure requirements of the Permanent Joint Operating Bases.

After completing Advanced Command and Staff Course (ACSC 10), during which time he was promoted to wing commander, Dole was assigned to the staff of Director General Media Communications and then to RAF Aldergrove as Officer Commanding Service Support Wing. Staff appointments followed to the Air Staff of the British Embassy Washington DC, the RAF’s Career Management Directorate, and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

Promoted to group captain in September 2016, Dole was assigned to Headquarters Air Command as the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff Infrastructure Plans. This was followed by appointments as Head of Recruiting and Selection for the RAF and a return to the RAF’s Career Management Directorate. Dole was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2022 and was promoted to air commodore in August 2023, whereupon he assumed the appointment of Hd RAF Infrastructure.

Operational tours include Op DENY FLIGHT (1995); Op TELIC (04/05) and Op HERRICK (12/13).

Alistair Leuchars is the recently appointed Deputy Director – Cyber & Digital at ADS Group. Al’s role entails close working with UK Ministry of Defence and other UK government departments, as well as ADS member companies across the four ADS sectors.

This role covers technology areas existing and emerging, including cyber, Artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, Internet of Things/ connected places, and how they impact and exist within the areas of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space.

Al joined ADS just over 2 years ago and prior to this worked for the New Zealand Defence Force for over 8 years, based in the New Zealand High Commission in London, as well as in MOD Main Building. Al has a masters degree in Cyber warfare and international affairs from the Defence Studies Department of Kings College London, as well as an international business and commercial law bachelors degree from the University of Auckland in his native New Zealand.

Anastasia Cucino is the International Defence Adviser at ADS Group, dedicated to championing SMEs in the defence sector, recognizing them as the backbone of innovation and agility. With a strong background in international relations and defence, she brings a global perspective to her work, and works to represent the interests of UK industry both at home and abroad. Passionate about fostering collaboration and driving strategic engagement, Anastasia plays a key role in ensuring the UK’s defence sector remains competitive and forward-looking on the global stage.

Andrew has a background in European and domestic defence acquisition and transformation, having worked as a civil servant and consultant. He has delivered transformations of commercial functions with a multi-billion pound per annum spend by performing radical changes to their commercial operating model, developing and implementing user-driven digital strategies and using best practice procurement assurance frameworks to inform future strategic direction. Recently, he co-ordinated the publication of Defence’s first ever Acquisition Pipeline, which shared future contracting demand with industry.
In addition, he has experience managing a diverse range of procurements from inception to contract management. During the past decade, Andrew has managed procurements for programmes worth up to £11.5bn: developing procurement strategies, acting as the link between requirements development and ITT drafting, and leading market engagement strategy development. He has managed rigorous negotiation plans to assist a multi-billion pound defence acquisition and has also supported complex negotiations more widely in the public sector.
He is currently leading the co-ordination of the Accelerating Commercial Pathways programme, which aims to improve the pace of acquisition and make Defence adaptable to future challenges, by exploiting flexibilities in policies and processes.

Andrew Kinniburgh is Director-General of Make UK Defence, the Defence Trade Association belonging to Make UK – the Manufacturers’ Organisation. He joined Make UK in 2019 from the Cabinet Office where he was Wider Government Engagement Lead for the Government Commercial Organisation, following a 25 year career in the defence and security industry.

He spent nearly 10 years with Serco Defence, followed by senior appointments with Smiths Detection and two Ministry of Defence trading funds and a 7 year spell as an independent consultant. He holds a BA in Business from Heriot-Watt University and an MSc in International Defence Marketing from Cranfield University / UK Defence Academy.

Andrew has been involved with Defence Ministries and businesses in the Defence and Security sectors across most European countries and in North America, as well as the UK. Make UK Defence represents over 300 UK Defence Suppliers ranging from SMEs and mid tiers, to major Primes and is the lead Trade Association for the MOD’s Defence Suppliers Forum SME Working Group.

An accomplished senior executive with an extensive background driving substantial commercial partnerships, strategic procurement, and complex transformations across diverse sectors including Retail, E commerce, Distribution, Services, Public Services, and Financial Sectors.

In Andrews current role as Deputy Supply Chain Director MOD he:
• Represents the Ministry of Defence Supply Chain capability across government
and partner organisations contributing to the broader commercial and defence
reform programme.
• Provides overall professional leadership and strategic Director for the MOD Supply Chain, including the design, architecture and future state development of the end-to-end supply chain capability.
• Owns the development of the MOD’s digital and technology strategy for the supply chain, driving transformation to achieve an integrated, efficient and effective capability.
• Enhancing the maturity and performance of the MOD Supply Chain focusing on people, processes, technology and resilience while fostering a culture of performance and collaboration.

Previous roles include:
• Director of Supplier Management, Sainsburys (UK’s 2nd largest grocer)
• Group Head of Strategic Supplier Management Procurement & Change, Dixons Carphone (Uk’s largest consumer electronics retail)
• Head of Commercial & Ecommerce, Walgreens Boots Alliance (Global leader in healthcare retail & wholesale)

Andrew Otterbacher brings over two decades of experience at the intersection of technology, intelligence, and national security. At Scale, he leads the development and application of cutting-edge solutions for government agencies to include Defense, the Intelligence community, DHS, FBI, State Department, and other critical partners.

Prior to joining Scale, Andrew served more than 20 years in the State Department and Intelligence Community, collaborating with key government stakeholders to drive innovation and operational excellence. His career spans private equity, venture capital, fiber networks, optimization software, and engineering — experience that informs his strategic approach to complex challenges. A former commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, Andrew applies a mission-driven mindset to the application of AI.

He holds a B.S. in Engineering from Purdue University and an M.S. in Engineering Management from Northwestern University.

Avril left university with two degrees in Engineering, including a Dip Ing in Nuclear Engineering and joined the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on the Science and Engineering Fast Stream in 1995.
She worked in a number of operational policy areas, such as Bosnia, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan and worked on contingency planning for Homeland crises. Her first SCS post was the MOD’s Head of Export Policy and Assurance, where she was responsible for the assessment of military equipment export clearances against counter-proliferation legislation.

In May 2011, Avril joined Thales UK as Director Anglo-French Relations. In 2015, she took on the role of Head of Policy and International Relations, representing Thales UK across all aspects of senior Government policy making and understanding the UK’s strategic international relations position. She was also a company director for Thales Alenia Space UK, the UK arm of Europe’s largest space company. In Sept 2022, Avril re-joined MOD as the Director General for Industry, Trade and Economic Security, leading on a number of key policy areas including industrial strategy, exports, economic and investment security, space, climate change, levelling up and the Union. She is also responsible for MODSAP and other UK activities in Saudi Arabia.

Aydin is a Landscape Architect and a Senior Technical Director, leading the Arcadis UK Landscape, Masterplanning and Urbanism team. Aydin has over 30 years of private and voluntary sector experience in urban regeneration and community engagement, and is a Fellow member of the Landscape Institute.

Ben’s significant professional experience and, in particular, his most recent position as Director of Operations, Planning and Delivery for the John Lewis Partnership (John Lewis and Waitrose), means he will bring knowledge and skills to CIPS that are crucial at this stage of the organisation’s development. This experience includes procurement and supply chain management, membership, operations, digital transformation, and experience of the charity sector where he is the Chair of the Invictus Games Foundation Programme Board, he is the Chair of the Forces Employment Charity and is the Founder and organiser of the Blackthorn Rally which combines motorsport and conservation in Africa.

Ben had an illustrious early career in the military during which he achieved the rank of Colonel at a very young age, he was Commanding Officer of the Irish Guards, serving extensively around the world, and was awarded an MBE aged 29.

Bill has over 30 years defence experience and is the Defence Account Director at Costain, with extensive experience of consulting, delivery and now business development in defence & security environment. His comprehensive knowledge and experience of complex project delivery across defence/nuclear, built infrastructure and defence equipment brings the broadest perspective to client needs. He has worked with both public and private defence organisations aiding delivery and enabling change across their projects, programmes and portfolios

Brinley joined the Defence Manufacturers Association (DMA), at first on a temporary basis, in July 1985, having graduated from Sheffield University with a BA in Ancient History & Classical Civilisation. He worked for the DMA in a number of roles, before being appointed to the position of Exports Director in June 1999. In October 2009, on the creation of ADS through the merger of the DMA, APPSS and SBAC, he became the new organisation’s Director - Overseas & Exports.

The vast majority of his work at present constitutes providing ethical, offset, industrial participation and export controls-related help, advice and assistance to British companies. In this capacity he acts as Secretary to the Export Group for Aerospace, Defence & Dual-Use (EGADD), the Business Ethics Network (BEN), the Defence Export Strategy Group (DESG), and the British Industrial Participation & Offset Group (BIPOG) special interest groups.

As Secretary to EGADD, he tries to provide help and advice to companies on export control matters and liaises closely with the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU), Ministry of Defence (UK), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Department for International Development (DfID) and Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC), as well as with other Industry bodies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). He is also a Member of the Board of the London Trade Roundtable (LTR) as well as of the Export Control Profession (ECP).

Bruce is the Arcadis UK Director for Climate Smart and Sustainable Land Management. He is the President-elect of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), current Past President (and a Trustee) and a Fellow of the British Society of Soil Science (BSSS). He is also Chair of the BSSS Working Group who lead the preparations for and delivery of the World Congress of Soil Science which was held in Glasgow in 2022. He is also a member of the CIWEM Natural Capital Network Steering Group and sits on the Canal and River Trust Environment Advisory Panel.

Dr Caroline Paradise has extensive work experience in research and innovation in the field of design. Dr Caroline began their career as a Research Assistant at the Design Research Unit, Welsh School of Architecture from September 2005 to January 2009. Dr Caroline then joined IBI Nightingale as the Head of Research and Development from January 2009 to June 2014. During their time at IBI Nightingale, they project managed an Education research project in collaboration with Salford University and coordinated the development of innovative healthcare product BedPod in collaboration with Billings Jackson Design and manufacturer SAS International. Dr Paradise has been working at AtkinsRéalis since July 2014.

Three companies worked on Tornado to Tempest project led by DE&S with contributions from Rolls-Royce and Additive Manufacturing Solutions Ltd (AMS).

Individual parts from retired fighter jets have been ground down and 3D printed into new components suitable for the UK’s next generation of military aircraft – a first of its kind initiative for the Royal Air Force.

The innovative recycling project – led by our Defence Recycling & Disposals Team (DRDT) – has seen parts from old Tornado aircraft turned into powered metal and used to 3D print new components suitable for Tempest jets.

The development could save money, reduce the UK’s reliance on global supply chains of critical and high value metals and produce components that are lighter, stronger, and longer lasting than those made through traditional forging techniques.

Many of the Ministry of Defence’s surplus assets contain strategic metals, including high quality steel, aluminum, and titanium, and the Tornado 2 Tempest project team have been identifying whether some of these components could be atomised into powders – known as “feedstock” – for additive manufacturing to make new parts.

Tornado parts containing titanium, including jet engine compressor blades from a low-pressure air compressor, were selected. They were cleaned, successfully atomised and recycled into a 3D printed nose cone and compressor blades by Additive Manufacturing Solutions Limited (AMS) for Orpheus – Rolls-Royce’s small engine concept that is part of the MOD’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme delivering Tempest.

Chris is a drone expert whose main role is as Chief Commercial Officer of Flare Bright Ltd,a cutting-edge machine learning drone software company. He is also a Director of ARPAS, the drone industry trade body, and Co-Chair of the wider industry body, ADSGroup’s DPAC (Drone Platform and Counter Drone group at the ADS).

He also sits on the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Remote Piloted and Autonomous Aircraft Systems group. He is a regular industry speaker and commentator, and is well known for his insightful
and frank views.

Chris served a 5-year Short Service Commission with British Army’s elite Parachute Regiment, and has maintained his involvement with Reserve Forces since, currently a member of the Honourable Artillery Company. He has worked in the aerospace and defence industry for a number of high profile companies, including Hybrid Air Vehicles, whose Airlander airship was the world’s largest flying aircraft until recently.

Chris spends 1-day a week as the Royal Society Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Oxford University Mathematics Institute. He sits on the EPSRC’s Mathematical Sciences Srategic Advisory Team, which funds academic maths in the UK. He is also on the advisory group of the new UK National Academy of Mathematics and is a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.

Chris, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) and Chair of the CIPS Thames Valley Branch, is a Chartered Procurement professional with over 15 years of experience delivering complex infrastructure projects. He is passionate about sustainable procurement, embedding best practices to ensure responsible and impactful outcomes.

Chris has a strong background in construction procurement strategy and extensive knowledge and experience procuring and managing NEC contracts (Service and Construction). His expertise includes strategic procurement and commercial advisory within the infrastructure sector, particularly relating to asset-intensive organisations in defence, transport, environment and utilities. A dedicated mentor, Chris is also passionate about guiding procurement and commercial professionals to achieve their full potential.

Chris has over 30 years of experience, including 17 years in Europe and the Middle East, focusing on defence infrastructure engineering planning, design, construction, program management and weapon system integration. Chris joined Jacobs in 2021 after 25 years of military and civil service for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Department of Army.

A Chartered Engineer, licensed professional engineer and certified program and project manager, he holds a civil engineering bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University. He is also a Fellow with the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) and the Society of American Military Engineers. In his current role, Chris leverages his extensive knowledge and expertise in defence buildings and infrastructure, providing Government and industry aerospace, defence and security clients with solutions to enable their defence and security programmes.

Chris joined the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO) to support the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Defence Digital Commercial function in March 2019 as Head of Commercial to lead the Commercial Networks team with a mission to drive best practice from across MOD, Crown Commercial Service (CSS) as well as across Central Government and wider industry to enable Commercial to become more effective and efficient.
Prior to joining the Department, Chris was General Manager for Procurement at BT where he was responsible for a number of different procurement category teams including Business Customer Premises Equipment (LAN and WAN equipment and services), Conferencing Solutions and Consumer Devices. Chris also led the procurement teams supporting Openreach and the categories of Engineering Field Services, Materials and Automotive & Fleet.
Before BT, Chris was a Senior Procurement Manager at Aviva where he was responsible for Data Centre Procurement (hardware, software and services) and also previously worked for ESRI, a software company, responsible for contracts of supply to government (both local and central) as well as industry.
Chris has a law degree (LL.B Hons) and completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and became a Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS)
in 2005. Chris has more recently been awarded Fellowship, the highest grade of membership within the CIPS, together with the award of Chartered Procurement & Supply Professional from March 2019.

Claire has 30 years extensive commercial experience working in public and private sector across industries, including manufacturing, construction, financial services and working overseas. Claire holds a degree in Politics and Economics and is MCIPS Chartered since 2002.

“Following a 20-year private sector commercial career, I joined the DIO, to lead an exciting programme to develop a leading-edge Commercial function delivering Military capability through Infrastructure. Our vision is to be a high performing team consistently delivering value for money and commercial outcomes across Defence Infrastructure. Building on the values of the wider Defence commercial family and the Government Commercial Function, aiming to strengthen and leverage Government scale and purchasing power and driving better value for money for the taxpayer and partners.

Working closely with Defence colleagues, Ministers and Industry Partners, we are shaping and delivering services and outcomes across the infrastructure sector. I am passionate about the social value we can create, and I am incredibly proud of my record working with SME’s, Voluntary and Third Sectors, alongside more established Partners.

At all times we work with integrity, alongside driving sustainable results and value. I build strong teams, relationships and I am a champion of Diversity.”

Dstl is one of the principal government organisations dedicated to science and technology in the defence and security field.

Dstl supplies specialist services to MOD and wider government, working collaboratively with external partners in industry and academia worldwide, providing expert research, specialist advice and invaluable operational support.

Colonel Harvey Pynn is the Head of JHub MED, the innovation hub for the Defence Medical Services that seeks solutions to reducing battlefield morbidity and mortality on future UK operational deployments. Harvey is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine (EM) at Bristol Royal Infirmary and a Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine (PHEM) Consultant with Great Western Air Ambulance Charity. He has deployed in support of multiple operations overseas in both EM and PHEM roles.

Harvey will be sharing his unique insights into the Defence Medical problem set and how industry and defence can work effectively together to deliver innovative change.

Cdr Jamie Royston joined the Royal Navy in 2001 as a Warfare Officer and volunteered to serve on Submarines. Having served across the world on Trafalgar and Astute Class Submarines and conducting various Operations, his final seagoing role was onboard HMS AMBUSH, where he transitioned the Submarine into service with the Fleet. From 2015, Cdr Royston then conducted roles within the Dreadnought and Future Submarine procurement programmes working within what is now DG NUC, where he graduated as top student in his Defence Acquisition Management MSc. Following a brief respite supporting and planning Maritime Operations within the Middle East, he then joined Navy Command as part of the Submarine in service capability management team, prior to stepping back into the Operational space by planning maritime specialist Operations with UK STRATCOM. Following a highly satisfying role within the murky world of international Defence Intelligence policy, Jamie promoted to Commander in 2024 when he joined Navy DEVELOP, where he currently serves as the Capability Sponsor with responsibility for the processing, exploitation and dissemination of underwater data within Defence, including the AUKUS AI for Acoustics project.

Described as a pragmatic futurist, Dale is driven to transform project delivery through innovative use of digital technologies and offsite manufacturing, collaborating with clients and contractors to harness the advantages of new manufacturing methods through kit-of-parts approaches. By integrating artificial intelligence into interdisciplinary workflows, he aims to revolutionise the approach to design complexity and future challenges including net zero. His global team is actively engaged in delivering cutting-edge projects. Dale is involved in many forums, helping stimulate and drive change in the built environment industry and he regularly talks at round table events, gives keynote addresses and publishes industry guidance.

Dan brings extensive expertise in construction, specialising in modern methods of construction (MMC). His portfolio includes delivering complex projects, from seven-storey critical care facilities to above-secret working environments.

As the leader of BeaverFit’s secure division, Dan drives global business development while advocating for innovative construction methods, such as offsite solutions, to meet the demanding requirements of high-security environments. Acting as a vital link between clients and BeaverFit’s secure team, Dan ensures seamless collaboration across projects for the UK MOD, Defence Primes, and Government Agencies, in the UK and Globally.

Dan is a Managing Director at Daintta and previously Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Deputy Chief Information Officer for NHS Blood and Transplant and lead for the NHS’s National Cyber Programme from post WannaCry through to the 2nd wave of COVID when he was at NHS Digital.

In the NHS, Dan was accountable for the secure design, delivery, and operational running of the technology and infrastructure that underpins the NHS’ Blood, Organ, Tissue, and Plasma services, a significant amount of which is underpinned by Critical National Infrastructure assets. Dan was accountable for the Cyber Security of the organisation as a whole and had responsibility across people, process, and technology.

Dan joined the Daintta Senior Leadership team as a Managing Director for strategic growth in 2023, with Daintta recently being included in the Tussell | techUK Tech200 list of the 200 fastest growing technology companies in the UK public sector. He is also on the Technical Advisory Committee for the Cyber Monitoring Centre and is a Cyber Leader in Residence at the University of Lancaster where he teaches on the NCSC Accredited CEMBA and Masters’ Courses.

Daniel has over 20 years’ experience in various senior commercial, procurement and supply chain roles on high profile, multibillion-dollar projects and programmes both in the UK and Internationally.
With a proven record of successful delivery in challenging environments Daniel has held strategic leadership roles across multiple areas of industry including the defence, civil nuclear and major
infrastructure sectors. He currently operates as Procurement and Supply Chain Director for Babcock’s Nuclear Sector and prior to that was KBR’s Commercial Director on the Sellafield Programme and
Project Partners (PPP).

Dave is Team Leader for the Capability Acceleration Team, which makes up part of the DE&S Future Capability Innovation team. As part of the DE&S Gateway Dave’s team is working to mature capabilities rapidly to deployable capabilities or a position where they can be onboarded by Core teams in DE&S for full scaling. Having been through previous transformations, Dave has seen first-hand how DE&S change has been implemented and embedded and is now being refined through more recent change to accelerate the pull through of experimentation and innovation into recognised projects that will deliver capability to the end user

Having taken a First in English at Oxford, David joined the British Civil Service, where he worked on the commercialisation of government R&D.

Having received a government scholarship to study marketing at the Kellogg School in the USA, he negotiated a series of major technology exchanges with the US DoD.

After 15 years as a public servant, David was recruited by Serco Group to lead the growth of the company’s science business.

Having secured a contract to operate the National Physical Laboratory, he became an executive on the NPL board and, as BD director for Serco’s Science Division, supported Serco’s successful bids to operate AWE and NNL.

In 2010, David was invited to head up market and sales for Serco Global Services and went on to become a member of the Serco UK and Europe Executive team.

On retirement from Serco, AWE asked David to work on engagement with UK industry and academia, a role that continues, with a focus on the Astraea programme.

Co-ordinates the Maritime pillar within Commercial X, supporting and challenging MOD to change processes and behaviours to support the acquisition, development and scaling of innovation at the pace of relevance. Previously worked across central government bodies and across the MOD and its Arms Length Bodies in a variety of procurement and change management roles.

Dharvinder has over 20 years of experience in commercial and procurement consulting, account delivery, solution development and sales. He has worked with clients across various industries, specialising in commercial strategy creation, complex sourcing, strategic supplier relationship management, opportunity assessments, cost optimisation, target operating models, transformation projects, and business case development. His industry experience includes defence, infrastructure, IT, healthcare, and financial services. Dharvinder has presented at industry events, led large consulting teams, and engaged with C-suite client executives in the UK and overseas.

Dina is a Deputy Director in the MOD and has been Head of the Software and Cloud Services category in Defence Digital Commercial since 2019. She has commercial ownership of circa £2bn pa of spend across the Cyber, Crypt Key, Cloud Services, Intelligence, Software, AI and the Foundry portfolios that span all areas of Defence

She has 17 years of Commercial and Procurement experience in Private and Public sector and joined the MOD from Worldpay, the UK’s largest payments processing company. A recognised innovator with a passion for digital transformation as well as building, developing and motivating high performing teams to maximise value and capability.

Dina created and now leads the Commercial X programme alongside her Defence Digital role. She is committed to simplifying the way MOD procures digital, innovation and technology products and services.

Elizabeth has a substantial track record co-creating social value and community strategies with multi-national organisations, private, public and third sector clients.

Inspired to champion social value in Defence communities during her PhD fieldwork on the impact of institutional determinism within overseas SFAs she now oversees a small, agile SME of Defence spouses and veterans, delivering support, guidance and the lived experience into Defence contractors and operators. Working with a national construction and facilities management organization she successfully secured grant funding in 2020 to develop e50K Communities which receives the profit from all e50K Strategic Advisory’s contracts.

Since the company’s inception Elizabeth has overseen a range projects from large scale multi-billion pound Defence contracts with the MOD and DIO through to targeted SME support operations and accelerator programs.

Prior to completing her PhD, Elizabeth was much sought after for her extensive research in multi-national financial and professional services expansion projects.

Stephen provides best practice advice to major public sector projects on the design and execution of evaluation elements of their procurements, including criteria development and weighting, value for money trade-offs and cost evaluation.

Luke has a strong grounding in the Science behind electromagnetism, where his passion lies. Following on from graduating with a master’s degree in physics with Astronomy from the University of Nottingham, he furthered this accomplishment with a PhD in Physics and Electronic Engineering, with a particular focus on electromagnetic wave propagation through waveguides and their interaction with the infrastructure they encounter.

Since starting at Global EMC UK Ltd. Luke has helped develop a number of new solutions to RF security problems through his research and scientific knowledge and published white papers on the subject matter.

Edward Carden is a Senior Desk Officer in UK Defence & Security Exports where he helps UK industry to export to Australia and New Zealand. Before joining in DBT, Edward was a civil servant in MOD, working in Strategic Command.

Ellen is an Associate Director in Ecology and has been part of our AtkinsRéalis team for over 14 years. Part of an award-winning team, Ellen has a wealth of knowledge and experience in ecological impact assessment and mitigation design, delivering for a wide-range of projects and clients in the UK. She has proven experience in designing and undertaking large-scale European Protected Species Mitigation (EPSM) under licence having written the first route-wide EPSM licence for dormice across South Wales and having led a trapping and translocation scheme of one of the largest populations of great crested newts in the UK.

Ellen is dedicated to protecting the environment and biodiversity and encourages a multi-disciplinary approach to drive sustainable development, creating a better future for our planet and its people.

Ewan Sime is Procurement & Supply Chain Director for Babcock International Group, responsible for the Land sector. A passionate procurement leader with over 19 years’ experience of global procurement and supply chain operations across a number of sectors, with extended exposure to the Defence industry. Having lead a number of successful functional transformations, Ewan has developed a desire to drive change and innovation at all levels within the supply chain. As we move forward in an ever adapting world with a number of high profile challenges, Ewan is excited to maximise the use of digitisation and technology across the global supply chain to drive effective and sustainable supply chain solutions in support of our partners and environment.

Dr. Gareth Brown is a Fellow in Quantum Technologies working for the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). He works across the supply chain supporting industry, academia, and wider government to deliver the goals of the UK National Quantum Technology Programme, pulling though technologies for Defence and Security. Dr Brown is lead technical advisor to the Department for Science Innovation and Technology’s (DSIT’s) Quantum Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Mission and technical authority for Dstl’s Quantum Project. He works with the Front Line Commands to help them understand the opportunities Quantum Technology can offer, as well as helping to manage the hype. Dr. Brown joined Dstl in 2007 after completing a PhD in theoretical physics; he has published work relating to signal processing, Bayesian inference, and the modelling of physical systems. His work includes techniques for passive geolocation and anomaly detection using measurements of micro-gravity.

Graham has over 25 years of software experience with large and small companies both in the UK and internationally, covering private and public sector, in domains as diverse as insurance, publishing and e-commerce through to education, health and defence. A mathematician by training, Graham was attracted to the innovation and challenge of software. Starting as a developer he has performed the full range of roles across the software development industry before starting 2iC.

Guy is a Senior Desk Officer in UKDSE, supporting British partnership and exports with Japan and Taiwan. He previously worked in UK Strategic Command and as an engineer for BAE Systems Maritime Services supporting the Royal Navy.

Hannah is the Associate Commercial Head for Artificial Intelligence, Data and Analytics and Modelling and Simulation Categories in the UK Ministry of Defence. She has commercial ownership of circa £500M (per annum) of spend across her portfolios that span all areas of Defence and is responsible in shaping and managing the overarching commercial strategy for procurements and partnerships for AI-driven initiatives.

Adopting a risk-aware yet forward-thinking approach, Hannah is a champion for innovative solutions that address the evolving challenges of Defence. She is passionate about fostering collaboration between industry, academia, and government, ensuring that cutting-edge AI technologies are effectively harnessed to advance the UK’s defence objectives while maintaining agility and resilience in a rapidly changing technological landscape.

With a robust background in commercial management, procurement, and law, Hannah combines a deep understanding of public sector regulations with the expertise needed to navigate complex public sector governance.

Harrison is the Ministry of Defence’s Deputy Director for Industry Collaboration and Strategic Supplier Management. He is responsible for improving the MoD’s approach to strategic engagement with the Defence Sector via the Defence Industrial Join Council, its approach to engaging industry in capability development and acquisition, MOD’s Policy towards Small to Medium Sized Enterprises and approach to managing existing important suppliers.

Helen is a senior commercial and procurement leader with significant experience driving transformational change, optimizing operating models, and leading complex procurement strategies across defence, aerospace, and nuclear sectors. Her focus is always on developing commercial solutions that enhance efficiency, mitigate risk, and drive value in highly regulated environments.

She has a proven track record of delivering major capital projects, leading large-scale commercial functions, and influencing at the highest levels of government and industry. She is known for her commercial acumen, strategic vision, and ability to challenge convention to achieve game-changing outcomes.

Helen joined the Ministry of Defence in September 2019, working across a variety of functional roles delivering:

A clear commercial function strategy for Defence that delivers departmental, cross-government, and functional objectives, driving increases in productivity and efficiency.
A step change to commercial capability, unlocking capacity which allows teams to focus on value-adding activities and champion innovation.
A refreshed policy and knowledge management approach, capitalizing on new legislation to drive early market engagement, unlock opportunities with SMEs, and achieve the right commercial outcomes.
A move towards more efficient, automated systems, using management information to drive decision-making, ultimately increasing pace across the acquisition lifecycle.
More recently, she has moved back into operational delivery, working in Defence Equipment & Support to embed the new DE&S Operating Model and drive improved outcomes across acquisition and in-service portfolios.

Helen is the Senior Responsible Owner for the Accelerating Commercial Pathways programme, which aims to improve the pace of acquisition and make Defence adaptable to future challenges by exploiting flexibilities in policies and processes.

Huw Walters is a Senior Civil Servant in the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), holding the role of Director of Economic Security & Statecraft. He leads the teams responsible for Defence’s contribution to countering economic threats to UK national security and on the use of economic statecraft to deliver defence and security objectives. This includes working with allies to develop international collaboration in these areas. Huw is also the UK Principal on the five nations (Australia/Canada, NZ,UK, US) National Technology and Industrial Base (NTIB) programme.

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Before taking on his current role, Huw was the Director of Defence Industrial and Export policy. Previous defence experience includes serving as a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the MOD’s Oil and Pipelines Agency. He was also the senior civilian adviser to the UK’s Vice Chief of Defence Staff.

Huw has previously worked in a variety of Senior Civil Service roles including leading the Aerospace, Marine and Defence Industrial Strategy teams within the Business Department. He was also responsible for overseeing the delivery of a network of new National Further Education Colleges, ranging from High Speed Rail to Creative and Cultural Skills.

Huw has an MBA from Imperial College, London and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Wales. He is a Chartered Psychologist and a member of the Institute of Directors.

Ian is the Arcadis UK Solution Lead for our Site Evaluation and Restoration team, who specialise in supporting management and development of brownfield sites throughout the UK. Ian has over 35 years' experience in delivering large scale and complex brownfield regeneration solutions for clients throughout the UK. As Chair of the Specialist in Land Condition (SiLC) Board, Ian is recognised as a highly accredited brownfield land and land contamination specialist.

Ian Vaculik is KBR’s Business Development Director for Central & Eastern Europe. In this role, he drives KBR support to the UK Ministry of Defence and wider allied re-investment initiatives in Defence, Security and Infrastructure. He joined KBR in 2019 and, previously, he supported Business & Strategic Development for KBR Government Solutions’ Nuclear, Infrastructure and Advisory teams. Before this, Ian worked in Business and Strategic Development as well as Advisory and Government across the Aerospace, Defence, Security and Critical National Infrastructure realms in the UK and Canada. He holds both a BA & MA in International Relations History from the University of Toronto and an MBA from London Business School. He completed the Managing the Defence Enterprise Element on ACSC 25 at Shrivenham.

Since launching in 2006, Amazon Web Services has been providing world-leading cloud technologies that help any organization and any individual build solutions to transform industries, communities, and lives for the better.

Jacob is part of the UKDSE SME Engagement team, with experience organizing SME networking events, facilitating international Meet the Buyer sessions, and supporting the UKDSE Export Faculty.

A professional with over 28 years of experience within the construction industry, specialising in the management of complex engineering and technology projects.

Experience has been gained both operationally and commercially, business central and on projects across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East with construction values up to £750 million.

James a proven customer focused approach to delivery by implementing robust strategies to enhance business performance with vast experience liaising with developers, end user clients, engineering and cost consultants, contractors, and the supply chain to ensure that ultimately, projects are safely and sustainably delivered to programme, with the highest quality standard upheld and with costs controlled correctly.

James Gavin is the Head of the Future Capability Group (FCG) at Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S).

The FCG exists to help explore new capabilities so that they can then be exploited at scale. Increasingly projects are ‘Agile By Default’ to deliver early operational advantage. The Group works closely with all the Front-line Commands, Dstl and central MOD areas such as the DIU and DASA. James has served in the military, the civil service and industry before joining DE&S. He is a passionate advocate of delivering Operational Advantage through a better application of strategic thinking on innovation, inclusive cultures and sustainability.

As a National Head of Design for AtkinsRéalis, James passionately believes that good design has the power to transform people’s lives. With a fervent dedication to creating innovative architecture, James has made significant contributions to the field over a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years.

Throughout this extensive career, James has garnered a wealth of experience in Design Review, both within and outside of AtkinsRéalis. This expertise has been applied across a diverse range of sectors, including Defence, Education, and Commercial, showcasing a versatile skill set and a deep understanding of multiple building typologies.

James’ work is not confined to the UK; their influence and projects extend across the globe, reflecting a commitment to excellence and a broad perspective on architectural design. This international experience underscores a career marked by innovation, leadership, and a relentless pursuit of design that enhances the human experience.

James has over 25 years' experience in the environmental and contaminated land sector. He is a practical, commercially minded, environmental consultant with a proven track record in resolving contaminated land issues. James specialises in the investigation, assessment and remediation of contaminated land; with a particular expertise in the downstream petroleum and property development sectors. An excellent communicator, providing clear pragmatic advice, James has overseen the investigation and remediation of 1000s of sites across the UK with project values ranging from £1,000 to over £1M.

Jeremy manages techUK's defence programme, helping the UK's defence technology sector align itself with the Ministry of Defence - including Defence Digital, DE&S, innovation units and Frontline Commands - through a broad range of activities including private briefings and early market engagement events. It also supports the MOD as it procures new digital technologies.

Prior to joining techUK, from 2016-2024 Jeremy was International Security Programme Manager at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) coordinating research and impact activities for funders including the FCDO and US Department of Defense, as well as business development and strategy.

Jim Carter is the Submarine Delivery Agency’s Commercial Director, responsible for leading all commercial activity for the organisation, as well as developing a Defence Nuclear Enterprise commercial operating model that delivers best for enterprise outcomes. Jim’s previous role was Commercial Director, Supply Chain, at the Ministry of Defence (MOD), where he was responsible for the overall supplier and market interface, helping transform MOD’s supplier relationships and improving broader industry engagement.

He’s had a 25-year Commercial career across the private and public sector including Director roles at Cable & Wireless, Commercial Director at Network Rail, and Transformation Director in the Cabinet Office, where he was tasked with improving the capacity and capability of Commercial Specialists across government. For his work at Network Rail, Jim won the CIPs Procurement and Supply Chain Professional of the Year Award, and he’s won 7 CIPS Awards across his career.

Joanne was appointed Chief Regulatory Officer in June 2022.

Joanne is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified accountants who qualified with the MoD working across the Commercial Function. She has subsequently worked in the defence industry at GEC Marconi Avionics, BAE Systems and Raytheon, progressing through a variety of commercial and senior finance roles. A constant has been overseeing the finances of and providing a financial business partnering service to long term contracts from initial bid, through delivery to contract closure. Joanne also has wider experience in the public sector, including the introduction of IFRS accounting at Hertfordshire County Council and most recently as a Finance Director in HMRC, which included overseeing the Building our Future Locations Programme the first stage of the Government HUBs programme.

Joanne holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Open University.

Joe Tilley joined the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) in May 2019 as a senior civil servant. His current role as Sustainability Director is to lead the new enterprise-wide Sustainability Team to enable better outcomes for the public sector across our entire product and service offering. He is responsible for CCS' advisory offer to the whole public sector, working with the supply chain, and linking with colleagues across government to drive sustainability efforts across policy implementation, commercial, and delivery.

Joe is based in Hertfordshire and also forms part of the Buildings Pillar senior leadership team with a focus on Strategic Portfolios, such as PFI hand back and transition.

Joe has over 14 years’ experience across industry, private and public sector, in business development, sales, strategy and start-up leadership roles. He is a mentor to start-ups backed by Unreasonable, whose companies believe in the power of companies to drive lasting change, and have raised over £7bn in capital to bring solutions to life. He brings a passion for sustainability, technology as a force for good, and social impact. Joe believes collaboration is critical in all walks of life, between public and private sectors, and also in one's personal life and takes a keen interest in mentoring colleagues around race and social mobility.

Johann serves as the Field CTO in the global AI Solutions Organization for Dell Technologies. Major focus of this Organization is working closely with an Ecosystem of Customers and Partners to drive joint Solutions in Business Applications, Artificial Intelligence and Cloud native Applications.

Over 35 years of experience in the international ICT industry with Profit and Loss Responsibility at Companies like Cisco and Huawei.
Based out of Munich, Germany, Johann is an active member of the working group for Security and Foreign Policy run by the State of Bavaria

Highest level of Education: Master degree in electronic Engineering and Computer Science

LinkedIn: Johann Strauss | LinkedIn

John Hansford has worked in the Defence Industry for over 30 years, for the first 20 years as an Engineer in the Royal Air Force and for the last 10 supporting the delivery of Infrastructure projects for Boeing Defence UK and now within Mott MacDonald as the Defence Advisory Principal Account leader.

John has worked for the Ministry of Defence since 1989, primarily in policy and secretariat roles, working on a number of high-profile policy reviews including terms and conditions for Ghurkhas, service children’s education and official entertainment.

He has been involved in a variety Strategic Supplier Management roles since 2012, managing relationships with some of the largest defence contractors. John is currently responsible for managing the Defence Suppliers’ Forum, which is the UK MOD’s strategic engagement with the defence industry.

John Rodigan is a Business Development Manager for DCI, with nearly two years of experience helping SMEs and Prime Contractors grow in the public sector and defence markets. Drawing on his sector expertise, John identifies opportunities and supports clients in expanding their market share. Passionate about driving growth, he delivers tailored solutions that help organisations succeed.

John Russell joined the SSRO as Chief Executive in July 2023. John was a Senior Director at Ofwat from 2016. He has also worked in Shell’s group strategy and business environment teams and had a long career in Whitehall where, amongst other roles, he was the Chief Operating Officer for Infrastructure UK and Deputy Director for Growth and Productivity in HM Treasury.

Jordan leads on the ESG activity at ADS, committed to helping our members on their sustainability journey. ADS is the UK trade association advancing leadership in aerospace, defence, security and space, to enable prosperity and clean, secure growth for our nation.

Josh is the Deputy Head of Defence, Shipping and Space within UK Export Finance having first joined in 2014. Josh has also spent time outside of UK Export Finance working at the Department for Business and Trade and British International Investment, being the UK’s development bank and has a proven track record supporting customers access finance.

Julie has worked in the Defence industry for three decades, predominately in Procurement and Supply Chain roles; leading in various private sector organisations and as an operating Board member, since 2003. She joined MOD as Commercial Director, Supply Chain in January 2023, bringing a valuable perspective, fresh from her leadership role within Thales UK. She joined Thales UK as Chief Procurement Officer in 2018 and was responsible for all procurement and supply chain activity across UK divisions including Defence, Cyber Security, Civil Aerospace and Ground Transportation.

Julie has led numerous successful transformation programmes across her roles within the Defence Industry and brings a huge amount of industry insight to her role in the MOD.

Karolina Anderson MBM MCIPS has extensive experience in sustainable procurement and supply chain management across multiple industries. Currently serving as Procurement Manager for Social Value and Sustainability at Thales, previous roles include Sub-Contract Manager Team Lead at Thales and Procurement Director EMEA at Interface Ltd, primarily in aerospace and defence industry.

Karolina holds a Master's degree in Management from Poznan University of Economics and Business and completed The Prince of Wales's Business & Sustainability Programme in Sustainability Leadership at the University of Cambridge in 2020. She is the Chair of the Modern Slavery Working Group at Thales and a Trustee on the board of Invisible Traffick, a not for profit organisation tacking modern slavery and human trafficking.

Keith has been delivering projects in the Defence sector for most of his career, initially as a civil servant on the client side but predominantly as a contractor. Since joining Galliford Try in 2015, Keith has overseen our rise to become one of the market leaders in the sector, delivering a variety of challenging projects from training simulators, explosives facilities, perimeter security systems as well as the more traditional office and living accommodation across the Defence estate.

Lee started his career working for IBM in a variety of sales and delivery roles. He moved to the public sector in 2013 and worked to establish a Supplier Relationship Management team across the Digital & Technology space at the Ministry of Justice. Lee has now established the SRM strategy at the DIO, which has been fundamental to driving DIO commercial forwards in recent years. He would like the DIO to be a client of choice in industry, meaning an organisation which is easy for suppliers to do business with and create win/win strategies for the future.

With over two decades' experience of helping Defence organisations to overcome supply chain and operations challenges, Len is an international authority in the use of additive manufacturing in supply chains. A highly accomplished, award-winning and respected professional with a rich background in the aerospace, defence and several other sectors, he has supported clients ranging from the MoD and established industry leaders to innovative start-ups.  A former Royal Navy Engineer Officer, Len is an Executive Committee member of Project TAMPA, the joint MoD-Industry task force working to expand the use of additive manufacturing in the Defence sector.  He is a Board Director of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals and a Fellow with the Institution of Engineering and Technology.  Len is a sought-after speaker, MBA lecturer and author, and his ground-breaking bestseller, "Supercharg3d: How 3D Printing Will Drive Your Supply Chain", was published by Wiley in 2019.

Elizabeth (Libby) Vallance Bull is an AI and Technical Strategy Advisor for the British Army, MOD and NATO.

Libby is a graduate from the Universities of St. Andrews, Aberdeen and Cambridge, a Fellow of the Geological Society, and Honorary Fellow of the University of Exeter (Centre for Public Understanding of Defence and National Security), guest lecturer at the Universities of Buckinghamshire and Cambridge. She started her career with the MOD, Army, Royal Signals during the period of the Bosnian Conflict. Emerging as a Geophysicist from her studies, Libby has spent a privileged three decades, travelling the world and its major oil capitals, working as an exploration geophysicist and latterly digital transformation strategist, within the largest multinational Oil and Gas organisations globally.

Libby brought her experience of solving complex hydrocarbon exploration challenges to Defence and National Security, where she has provided, technical and strategic advisory to Defence Primes, SMEs, and MOD. She brings a wealth of expertise, in the practical application of artificial intelligence, and machine intelligent process to defence and national security.

Over the last 12 months she has worked alongside an ecosystem of niche SMEs and met with over 60 other SMEs, during mobilisation demonstrating how data centric, SMEs can work at pace to deliver brilliance.

Llyr Jones joined Chemring on 8 February 2021 as Group Strategy and Corporate Development Director. Llyr has been working within the defence, national security and aerospace sectors for over 30 years. His career spans five continents, and specific international assignments have included Japan and France. Over this time, he has held a wide range of leadership posts focusing particularly on strategy, mergers and acquisitions, business development, industrial policy, and international affairs.

Previously he has been a Board Member of Canning House - the UK’s leading forum for informed comment, contacts and debate on Latin American politics, economy and business, a Policy Fellow and Development Board member at the Centre for Science and Policy, Cambridge University, a Member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Advanced Manufacturing and a Non-Executive Director of the Strategic Planning Society.

Llyr is a Chartered Director and Chartered Engineer as well as Fellow of the Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He holds degrees from several UK universities – including a PhD from the University of Southampton and an MBA from the Loughborough University School of Business and Economics.

Major General Phil Prosser was commissioned into the REME in 1992. After an inservice Mechanical Engineering degree he served 5 Airborne Brigade Logistic Battalion; 19 Regiment Royal Artillery Workshop and 5 Battalion REME where he was selected for promotion to Major. During this time deployed to Kosovo (19 Regiment RA) and Iraq (5 Battalion REME).

As a Major he served as SO2 Officer Recruiting at RHQ REME; commanded 8 Field Company (Para) in 16 Air Assault Brigade deploying on Operation HERRICKs 4 and 8; Directing Staff at the Initial Command and Staff Course (Land); and as DCOS 4 Mechanized Brigade deploying on Operation HERRICK 12. During this time, he was selected for promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and attendance on Advanced Command
and Staff Course 15.

His initial SO1 Post was twofold: SO1 Personnel Operations and SO1 Manpower Operations in Army Headquarters. In the SO1 Personnel Operations role he delivered Personnel input to the operational planning process and for the notification process for all Army deaths (including the delivery of Op PABBAY the Army repatriation parade for personnel killed on operations).
From 2014 to 2016 he commanded 1 Close Support Battalion REME in Catterick. During this time he re-roled the Battalion to the Adaptable Force; lead on the design and delivery of a CSS exercise in Kenya; deployed on the 1st Op TEMPERER and delivered Defence Engagement activity in Nigeria. On completion of command he led a 3-month business improvement sprint assessing future fleet management options
for Warrior CSP, his team included consultants from McKinsey and Babcock.

From 2016 to 2019 he was employed in Defence Equipment and Support as the Team Lead responsible for the provision of In-Service Support to the majority of Army vehicles and worked on the strategy of support, and how to place data at the heart of business decision making. He also attended Higher Command and Staff Course in 2018.

In July 2019 he assumed command of 101 Logistic Brigade in Aldershot. His command tour took an unexpected detour in March 2020 when he deployed to HQ NHS to help with the distribution of PPE as part of the National response to COVID19; he then returned in November 2020 to assist with the Distribution of the Vaccine. He also led the Brigade HQ through a validation exercise to ensure they were ready to deploy as part of the Warfighting Division.

Previously employed as Assistance Chief of Staff Equipment in Field Army Headquarters. He was responsible for ensuring the right equipment, is in the right place at the right team to deliver mission effect safely. He assumes the role of Director Joint Supply in Strategic Command in February 2023 where he will be the lead Joint User for the end to end Supply Chain.

UKDSE is a government organisation that helps UK defence, cyber and physical security companies to export and overseas defence companies to invest in the UK.

Mandy Savage is the Executive Director Engineering at AWE. She leads the Engineering function who provide the critical engineering capability and expertise to deliver for the programme and our mission.

Mandy has a wealth of experience as an engineer and is an industry recognised leader with extensive experience in the Defence and Aerospace industry. She has a BSC Hons in Physics and Electronics and is a renowned and well-respected engineer.

Mandy has held both Engineering and Programme Leadership positions leading large functions and complex strategic programmes for Lockheed Martin UK, Cobham Plc, Raytheon Systems Limited and most recently BAE systems.

Mandy has experience in leading international teams with diverse cultural backgrounds to deliver programmes across a broad spread of technologies in multiple locations including Australia, Europe, USA. Her skills and experience of transforming business capabilities to deliver complex bids and programmes has resulted in Mandy being a decisive, committed, results focused business leader.

Passionate about engineering as a profession, Mandy is a Fellow in the Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET), a Chartered Project Management Professional (ChPP).

Before joining AWE, Mandy gained experience at a number of different businesses including most recently at BAE Systems where she was Head of Engineering, Project Management, Quality and Technology.

Marc Brooker is Customer Success Director and UK Government Relations Lead for Adarga, the British AI leader specialising in information intelligence. With 10+ years experience leading customer engagement in the Commercial, Defence & National Security sector, Marc has been at the heart of driving adoption of AI solutions within Adarga’s customer base.

Meet Marc Del-Valle, a veteran with over 23 years of Army service under the Royal Corps of Signals. Now the CEO and co-founder of SudoCyber Ltd - an innovative gamified cyber training platform.

In 2002, Marc Del-Valle joined the MPCT which was a significant turning point in his life. It served as the foundation for a successful Military career that he finished with the rank of Sergeant Major. However, knowing that one day he would need to reluctantly retire from Military service, Marc and his business partner took it upon themselves to launch SudoCyber Ltd.

Their mission is simple but effective - To make learning cyber security fun, engaging and accessible to all through promoting the acquisition of real-world skills via gamified learning.

They truly believe that a gamified approach to learning caters for multiple learning styles. They are proud to have built accessibility features that cater for their neurodiverse community of users.

Being the current training provider for the whole of the UK Police and having successful partnerships in the UK, Japan, UAE, and the USA is a testament to the platform's efficacy. They also take great pride in delivering bespoke training for the Defence sector, which to date has been a huge success.

In addition, Marc and his team are proud of their company's ethos and values as they employ veterans, spouses of veterans, and reservists, continuing their contribution to the veteran community.

Recently, they were shortlisted in the Welsh Veterans Awards for the 'Veteran owned company of the year award'. They feel humbled and honoured by the recognition and look forward to networking with an ever-growing community, of veterans doing extraordinary things.

Maria Eagle was appointed Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence on 8 July 2024. She was elected as the MP for Liverpool Garston in July 2024.

The Minister of State (Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry) is responsible for overseeing a wide range of critical areas within the defence sector. This includes defence procurement, driving the Defence Industrial Strategy to support economic growth and export campaigns, and fostering strong relationships with the defence industry. The role encompasses leading acquisition reform, managing the Equipment Plan, and overseeing the Defence Estates through the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO). Additionally, the minister supervises Defence Digital, advancing science and technology, and promoting research and development initiatives. Responsibilities also extend to ensuring compliance with single source contract regulations, supporting shipbuilding efforts, and engaging in multi-lateral capability programmes and organisations to strengthen international collaboration.

Mark Dearden is AWE’s Infrastructure Portfolio Director, who is responsible for overseeing the significant investment that government is making in the organisation’s infrastructure. He has extensive experience in a range of sectors, founded across a range of UK and International projects, programmes and portfolios in the oil and gas sector, combined with working on the CASD/submarine programme. Most recently, he led the MEH Alliance at Sizewell C and brings this understanding of the nuclear sector to AWE. Mark is passionate about infrastructure and the opportunities it presents to the supply chain and from a skills perspective.

Mark has a proven track record of driving revenue growth through tailored solutions and strategic market expansion. His ability to build long-term partnerships and lead high-performing sales teams across multiple sectors has been key to client acquisition and retention.

Mark has collaborated with leading companies such as Leonardo, BAE Systems, Mitie, VIVO Defence Services, VINCI and the DIO, strengthening his ability to deliver tailored solutions for complex defence projects. He has a proven track record of driving growth, leading teams and securing client success in the defence sector.”

Marin is the Space Program Procurement Manager at Airbus Defence and Space. Airbus is a leader in designing, manufacturing and delivering aerospace products, services and solutions to customers on a worldwide scale. With around 134,000 employees and as the largest aeronautics and space company in Europe and a worldwide leader, Airbus is at the forefront of the aviation industry and build the most innovative commercial aircraft and consistently capture about half of all commercial airliner orders. Thanks to their deep understanding of changing market needs, customer focus and technological innovation, they offer products that connect people and places via air and space.

Matt is a Director at Heligan Group, a specialist advisor to companies operating in the National Security, Crime Prevention and Public Safety sectors. Matt is a Chartered Accountant and has been advising companies for 10+ years on raising growth debt / equity and assisting Shareholders with their M&A strategy.

Matt Dabrowski is a distinguished advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and economic equality, renowned for his visionary leadership in advancing diversity and inclusion within the business community. As the CEO and founder of OutBritain and OutScotland, the UK’s pioneering LGBTQ+ Chambers of Commerce, Matt has been instrumental in transforming the landscape for LGBTQ+ owned businesses. His journey began in Connecticut, USA, where he served as the Executive Director of the Connecticut LGBT Chamber of Commerce before relocating to the UK in 2019.

Recognizing the increasing importance of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting and the substantial benefits that structured diversity in procurement and supplier management offers to LGBTQ+ owned businesses, Matt embarked on a mission to introduce the Chamber of Commerce model to the UK. His efforts culminated in the founding of OutScotland in 2020, followed shortly by OutBritain. Through these organizations, Matt and his team have established a robust framework to support, platform, and empower LGBTQ+ enterprises, notably through the introduction of the LGBTBE® certification in the UK. This certification not only enhances the visibility of LGBTQ+ owned businesses but also facilitates meaningful collaborations with corporate partners committed to supplier diversity.

Matt's expertise and impact have not gone unnoticed. He was honored by Attitude Magazine as one of "101 Trailblazers Changing the World in Business." As a recognized Supplier Diversity Expert, Matt has collaborated with some of the world’s largest corporations, the UK Cabinet Office, the UK Department for Business & Trade, and the US Department of Commerce, further solidifying his reputation as a leader in driving economic inclusivity on a global scale.

Matthew Osmond is an accomplished industry leader with over two decades of experience in sustainable resource management. As the Director of Marketing & Business Development for Industrial, Water & Energy at Veolia UK, he spearheads the company's marketing initiatives and drives the development of innovative, complex solutions in water management, energy services, and total waste management for industrial clients.

Having joined Veolia in 1999, Matthew has demonstrated long-term commitment and deep industry knowledge. He led the development of outsourced recycling and recovery solutions for regional and national commercial clients, supporting their ESG goals and enhancing sustainability practices.

Since 2023, Matthew has led Sales & Business Development teams in creating collaborative, cutting-edge solutions across three key sectors: Water (Municipal & Industrial Water Cycle Management, Process Water Efficiency, Water Recycling & Effluent Solutions), Energy (Decarbonised Building Energy Services, District Heating & Heat Networks, Technical Hard FM Asset Management, Energy Flexibility & BioEnergy), and Waste (Industrial Total Waste & Resource Management, Industrial Site Services & Decommissioning).
Matthew's strategic vision extends beyond business development; he currently leads

Veolia's Marketing function, focusing on elevating the company's brand presence and refining marketing strategies to solidify Veolia's position as a market leader in key service areas and growth markets across the UK. With his extensive experience and forward-thinking approach, Matthew continues to drive Veolia UK's growth and innovation in sustainable resource management, helping clients achieve their environmental goals while optimising operational efficiency.

Michael has worked for Experis for over 20 years and leads our Experis Academy, bringing together industry leading training providers with experts from global brands to deliver bespoke training solutions for customers to access sustainable and cost effective talent pipelines for difficult to hire skillsets. Michael’s responsibilities include: ownership of overall delivery of Academy programmes, creation of programmes aligned to building capabilities for our customers.

Natalie Desty is the Founder and Director of STEM Returners, an award-winning solution to an industry wide problem. After building a progressive career in recruitment, where she was Director of Maritime Engineering at a large recruitment company, Natalie was struck by the apparent lack of progress in diversity and inclusion within STEM industries. She was particularly concerned by the insurmountable barriers that people who have had a career break face, when wanting to return to STEM roles and so set up STEM Returners (in 2017) to work with leading STEM organisations to change the way they view professionals who have a career break.

Following a successful private sector career in Retail Buying delivering customer-led initiatives at Halfords and later Boots UK, Natalie joined the DIO Facilities Management (FM) Project Delivery team in 2021 bringing together her professional experience with her knowledge of the Defence Estate. Natalie is currently leading a Programme to ensure the continuity of FM services at five strategically important Defence establishments when their respective PFI contracts expire, and is focused on the optimisation of Defence resources through the future delivery of FM.

Natalie holds a BA (Hons) Business Studies degree and is APMQ qualified.

Neil Jackson is a Senior Sustainable Procurement Manager for BAE Systems Plc. He is responsible for overseeing the Social Value aspects of Sustainability, including the development of the BAE Systems UK SME Action Plan. Neil has worked for BAE Systems for over 25 years and has extensive experience in Supply Chain and Business Management across both the Air and the Maritime Sectors. He has led the Supply Chain Sustainability activities within one of the largest Business Units and has a passion for delivering real business performance in this vital field.

Neil really enjoys working with people and has a natural interest in learning and development. This stems from his previous Commissioned Officer roles as both a Flying and a Small Arms Instructor within the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training) Branch. He continues his affiliation with the Air Cadet Organisation through his current role as Chair of a local Air Cadet Squadron.

Neil has a desire to build upon the BAE Systems UK SME action Plan through developing connections and improving ways in which SMEs can connect with relevant areas of the business. He is also committed to sharing our Sustainability journey through connecting with great Social Value opportunities such as the UK Armed Forces Covenant.

Neil is the Engineering & Technology Director, within the Marine Sector of Babcock International Group. He also heads up the wider Babcock Group Engineering Leadership Team.

As Engineering Director, he is responsible for 1,000 engineers with a strong focus on marine systems and ship design in both in-service support and new builds. His engineering team ranges from concept engineering, which manages the Royal Navy’s Naval Design Partnership; new naval ship designs such as T31; in-service support for naval surface ships and submarines. Neil is also responsible for the Digital Facility development at Rosyth, heading up the Innovation team there.

Neil is a visiting Professor at the University of Edinburgh and was instrumental in the generation of an Innovation Campus on Babcock’s Rosyth Facility in partnership with University of Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Fife College and Fife Council. The first operational technology center is the University of Edinburgh’s FastBlade facility that will allow accelerated fatigue testing facility for tidal blades.

Neil also Co-Chairs the Academic Interface working group as part of the Defence Suppliers Forum People and Skills group.

Before joining Babcock Neil spent 20 years in the oil and gas industry working globally and delivering 50+ Floating Production Storage and Offloading systems (FPSOs), used for deep water oil field development. He also managed a technology portfolio with wide ranging technologies from water treatment, solids transportation, separation and waste to energy.

Neil is a Chemical Engineer by profession and a Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers. Neil is also a visiting professor with the University of Edinburgh.

Niall McManus is a Senior Solutions Analyst at Sayari, with six years of experience in Defence. He has held various roles within the UK Government, focusing on intelligence analysis, science and technology innovation, and data analytics.

Niall specialises in network analysis, graph technologies, and entity resolution, and holds an MSc in Data Analytics from the University of London and a BSc in Geography from the University of Glasgow.

Nic Sarginson is a Product Manager at Yubico, focused on the YubiKey hardware. An industry veteran, Nic has held a range of roles within networks and security. Throughout his career, Nic has focused on ensuring that businesses deploy secure, low friction solutions that enhance both the overall business, enterprise and user experience.

Nick Barras has worked in Commercial, Procurement, BPO and Business Transformation for over 20 years. With a background in management consulting, he has worked across many industries such as Consulting, life sciences, BPO, FM, Mining, Infrastructure, Aviation, IT and Telecoms, NHS, Public Sector as well as geographies covering from South-East Asia to the Americas and Europe.

He has led a wide variety of procurement and business transformation programmes and several large Procurement and Commercial teams for a variety of public and private sector clients. He has also owned and delivered significant commercial programmes in both the public and private sectors.

Nick joined Defence Digital in March 2019 as Head of Contract Management, SANGCOM and the Professional Services category. He joined Defence Digital, formerly Defence Information Systems and Services cluster within Strategic Command, to deal with the unique challenges of scale and complexity which exist in IT within MoD, which don’t exist anywhere else in the private sector or public sector. He is using his extensive background and Commercial acumen to drive better engagement and alignment with the business while also driving better and more meaningful engagement with industry and key partners.

More recently, Nick has delivered the Crown Commercial Services Digital and IT Professional Services Framework, which is operated by his Professional Services team. The DIPS Framework is designed to help change how we deliver Digital outcomes in defence by working closely with DIPS partners to co-design and co-create better solutions and outcomes for Defence.

Nicky leads on all things skills and engagement around Sustainable Procurement, focussing on sourcing and developing training and learning resources. We support both our internal community and also our SME suppliers with the aim of providing first class material to enhance Sustainable Procurement skills and knowledge to help us achieve our ESG aims with the supply chain.

She has been with MBDA since 2009 and held various roles in the business including Chief of Staff to the Deputy Managing Director and Head of UK Sites Procurement.

Nicky is a qualified personal development coach and has had the privilege of using both within the business and also with a handful of external private clients.

She's a mentor and mental health ally in MBDA and also contributes to the Company's People Management Community panel, connecting inspiring and supporting people managers to lead thriving teams.

Nicola graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in Chemistry. She worked for Proctor and Gamble for a year supporting the analytical division testing laundry and dish detergents. She then moved into QC in pharmaceuticals for two years before moving to Reading to start at AWE.

In the nine years Nicola has worked at AWE she has been an analytical chemist within the explosives area, representing AWE at technical conferences and meetings and moving into managing science and engineering graduates and the development scheme. For the last two years she has worked in the External Technical Partnerships Office helping to pioneer AWE's reintroduction to the UK marketplace, industry partnerships and ways to innovate our technologies and processes.

Nicky has worked at AWE for over 20 years as Systems Engineer and Engineering Manager, now leading a department of 190 construction and engineering managers who work in multi-disciplinary, technical teams. Nicky’s role is to sustain and enhance the competent technical engineering capability needed to deliver AWE’s multi-year and multi-billion pound infrastructure programme, and she is accountable for engineering people capability, resource management, processes, tools and systems.

Saab UK currently employs over 500 people across eight sites which focus on a wide range of specialisations including software engineering, underwater robotics, radars, armed forces training and more. Saab supports many thousands of British jobs through a multi-million-pound supply chain and expects this to increase further in the coming years. By partnering with UK customers and industry, they deliver innovative, solutions to complicated, multi-dimensional problems. Saab anticipates the threats of tomorrow and through collaboration ensures that its thinking edge pushes the boundaries.

Odilon Serrano is a Programme Director and is leading a joint venture in the delivery of design and assurance for a major defence infrastructure programme. He has over 40 years of experience in the nuclear industry having led delivery across the entire project lifecycle. He brings expertise in partnering and collaboration in delivery of large and complex projects and programmes.

Patrick is responsible for growing the operational and commercial benefits of the Networks, Telecoms and Space Solutions available to all UK Public Sector organisations through Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Frameworks and Purchasing Systems.

Before joining CCS, Patrick was Deputy Director in the Cabinet Office’s Strategic Partnering Programme with responsibility for developing Suppliers to the UK Space Sector and the Strategic
Partner Management of five of the top twenty ICT Strategic Suppliers to the UK Central Government.

He was involved in supporting the then Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in the development of the National Space Strategy and with the Crown Commercial Service in the construction of a Dynamic Purchasing System that gives the Public Sector better access to products and solutions enabled from outer space to improve key public services such as healthcare, the environment, transportation and infrastructure.

He joined the Cabinet Office in May 2014 after a 20 year career in senior management roles with IT companies Sun Microsystems and Dell Computers where he managed commercial operations in the UK, Europe, USA and Asia/Pacific regions and completed international assignments in the USA, Netherlands and Singapore. Patrick holds a BEng. in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Strathclyde.

Patrick Goudkuil started working for D J Goode on a part time basis whilst studying a MEng Civil and Environmental Engineering degree at Imperial College London. On completion of his degree in 2002 he joined on a full-time basis working on various projects requiring the design of counter terrorism measures for the Ministry of Defence, Home Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and a large number of commercial clients around the UK and internationally.

Having worked in this specialist field for over 15 years, he has successfully delivered a variety of projects in relation to counter terrorism with emphasis on security, access control, hostile vehicle mitigation, perimeter security, blast resistant design and ballistics.

Paul Ceely is responsible for the medium to long-term technology strategy for Digital Catapult, looking at future digital technology landscape and identifying priority areas to focus on. In addition he leads Emerging Technology within Digital Catapult including Quantum Technologies and Digital Security.
Paul has over 25 years’ experience in technology strategy and network strategy, covering mobile, internet, security, quantum and technology evolution in general. He led network strategy in the operators BT and EE in the UK, developing the 5G strategy for BT, was instrumental in the strategy for EE’s 4G launch in 2012, as well as taking a leading role in the network strategy during the merger of BT and EE, and Orange and T-Mobile to become EE. He played a fundamental role in the set up of SONIC Labs, a DCMS funded facility and collaborative programme for testing the interoperability and integration of open, multi-vendor, software-centric networks. He graduated from Cambridge University in Physics, focusing on astrophysics and quantum.

Paul studied engineering and materials science and initially worked in corporate R&D before moving into Venture Capital for a US company. After an MBA at Imperial College, he moved into senior executive roles with two global industrial companies involved in mechanical engineering and construction materials respectively.

After four years working in Private Equity on re-structuring and performance enhancement, he started my own consultancy focusing on advisory services for fund raising and strategy in infrastructure projects and technology companies.

Paul has substantial experience in change management, NPD, strategic global marketing of technologies and knowledge of a wide range of overseas markets and business cultures. He is also a research associate at the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, where he has collaborated on projects around risk and resilience in specific areas of materials and civil engineering.

As Executive Director and Lead Solutions Architect for e50K Strategic Advisory Quincey is an expert in the design, development and delivery of Social Value, ESG and Sustainability.

With specialisms in innovation, concept ideation, bid writing and effective impact measurement, Quincey works with a myriad of clients from global corporations to micro-SMEs to enhance their impacts outside of operational obligations.

Quincey supports management teams to understand and fully utilise their current offering, and its place in the market, alongside supporting their long-term strategic planning and creating bespoke programs of change. For those organisations without a definitive and developed policy, strategy or plan Quincey works with all relevant stakeholders to distil their company ethos, objectives and specific GRI/SDG/MAC based goals into formalised written documents to support thier future social developments.

Since the company’s inception in 2020 Quincey has delivered upwards of 40 strategic design programs and had eyes on over 150 social value bid responses with contract budgets ranging from 70K to 900 billion.

Prior to directing e50K Strategic Advisory Quincey spent 10 years in procurement reviewing for contracting authorities, managing tendering opportunities and writing reponses with specialisms in Social Value, GDPR and Health and Safety.

Richard joined SEA as our Managing Director in January 2021. Throughout his career, he’s taken on senior technical and leadership roles in the UK and US, developing skills and people across the aerospace, defence, simulation, training, entertainment, and scientific sectors.

Richard Whalley has over 35 years of operational and leadership experience in UK Defence. He and his team support UK prosperity by delivering and managing a programme of Government Defence Exports and Sales to allies and partners.

The team are based across the UK, with a Head Office in Bristol, and form part of the UK MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support organisation (DE&S).

The team provides the Government-to-Government gateway to access acquisition expertise from DE&S as well as the direct sale of surplus UK military capabilities and systems; they work
closely with the MOD Trade teams, Defence Security Exports in the Department for Business and Trade, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office and others, to provide a “One Defence” approach to global exports.

Rob Saunders is a Principal Intelligence Officer within the Specialist Intelligence Unit of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s primary competition and consumer law enforcement agency. Rob has been at the CMA since 2015 and has worked in both the investigation and intelligence teams. He acted as Lead Investigator on a number of civil cartel cases before moving to the intelligence team to manage projects focussed on spreading awareness of competition law and proactively identifying anti-competitive behaviour.

Rory leads the Living team at Arcadis UK Architecture + Urbanism. An award-winning and innovative architect, Rory possesses a wealth of experience in designing and delivering residential and mixed-use projects globally, particularly in the UK, he has a proven track record in projects ranging from £50-250 million.

He is a dedicated sustainability advocate with a vested interest in sustainability-driven design of buildings, communities and cities enabled by digital technology and underscored by a commitment to people and planet positive design.

Russell is a Principal Data Scientist within Cyber and Information Systems Division at Dstl. His main interests are in the areas of sensor fusion and autonomous sensor management with a number of years of experience working on technical projects in these areas.

He currently leads the sensor fusion and management project within the future sensing and PNT programme. Russell holds Masters and PhD degrees in chemistry from Heriot-Watt University.

Sam Zwolinski, DASA

Sam Zwolinski is DASA’s Partnerships & Impact Partner for the Royal Navy, Defence Nuclear Enterprise, and Climate Change & Sustainability. Prior to joining DASA in 2021 Sam has worked in analytical roles for the Royal Navy and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

Commerce Decisions provides the AWARD® strategic procurement solution and expert services to support the effective planning, preparation and execution of procurements

We have a long and highly successful relationship with the MOD, beginning with the first deployment of AWARD® in 2001. AWARD® and our services have subsequently been widely adopted across MOD and a corporate license was put in place in 2013.

We work alongside the MOD to maximise efficiencies and standardise procurement processes across the organisation. Since 2001, we’ve supported thousands of MOD users on many projects.

ADS is the UK trade association advancing leadership in aerospace, defence, security and space, to enable prosperity and clean, secure growth for our nation.

Scott has extensive experience in complex procurement and transformation within the Defence and aerospace supply chains. Scott leads the development of the Supply Chain Architecture capability as part of the MOD’s Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme (DSCCP), which aims to enhance the flexibility and scalability of Defence supply chains to ensure they are resilient and adaptable to future demands.

Sherin became the Ministry of Defence's first Director of Infrastructure in August 2019, responsible for the strategic oversight of both global and domestic infrastructure and the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio worth over £5bn. She is also currently the MOD Race Champion, where her aim is to promote and champion ethnic diversity in the department, supporting colleagues from different backgrounds.

Previously she was Head of Commercial Office business at Lendlease, where she was responsible for a range of regeneration projects, including the office and leisure components of International Quarter London in Stratford, Silvertown and Euston, with a gross development value of over £5bn. She also led the company’s social impact strategy.

In Whitehall, she held the dual role of Head of Government Property Unit and Head of Property Profession and Function for the Civil Service. She led, devised and executed the property strategy for government, looking at how they could use their portfolios effectively to create growth as well as saving over £1bn in running costs and £3.6bn in capital receipts. Through the creation of the One Public Estate programme, she has also been a strong part of the Government’s social change agenda with a particular focus on creating more homes and jobs.

She is an architect by background and has led large scale infrastructure and regeneration projects around the globe.

Finally, Sherin is also a trustee of the Imperial War Museum and has won the Asian Women of Achievement Awards in the inaugural Real Estate, Infrastructure and Construction Category. She has been in the Property Week Power 100, 40 under 40 and Bisnow’s 51 Most Influential Women in UK Real Estate. Recently she was awarded an honorary doctorate from UCEM for contributions to the built environment.

When she is not working in Defence she enjoys drawing. Her artwork can be found on her Twitter account @archidame which she also uses to raise money for the Armed Forces charity, SSAFA.

Simon Skinner has over 30 years' experience in the training and simulation industry and was for 11 years the CEO of XPI Simulation Ltd. (now a Thales group company). He is the Product Policy Leader and Product Line Manager for Simulation Capabilities and Digital Twins for the worldwide Thales Training & Simulation business. Simon has an honours degree in Electronic Engineering, is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the UK Institution of Engineering Technology. He is appointed by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) as a national member of the NMSG and is also the co-chair of the NMSG research task group on Digital Twins.

Stacey Crump is a member of the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) Senior Management team and Group Leader responsible for Partnerships and Impact. Stacey has a wealth of knowledge and experience having worked within Defence for over 25 years, operating in areas which include large scale transformation and innovation within Human Resources, Medical and Dental, Electromagnetic Spectrum sharing and digital for Defence. This has seen Stacey work with regulatory authorities, large and small private sector organisations, charities and at every level of Government.

In her current role Stacey leads three of the underpinning teams in DASA – Defence, Security and Business Growth and Finance. The teams are heavily focussed on building and sustaining collaborative partnerships across the National Security ecosystem. Delivering services to help build the business behind innovation, nurturing suppliers of innovation for the national security market.

Steve Collins has been a Project and Programme Manager for over 20 years. As a Warfare Officer, in the Royal Navy, Steve served in a number of seagoing appointments and led naval units up to 200 strong. His project experience started whilst still in naval service where he led a major initiative to reorganise the Defence Medical Services and continued following the transition to civilian life.

Joining the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in 2014, Steve managed two government funded improvement programmes in the automotive sector, Long Term Automotive Supply Chain Competitiveness (LTASC) and the automotive variant of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels (NMCL Automotive).

Joining ADS in 2023 as SC21 Programme Manager, Steve is committed to increasing the amount of improvement activity that takes place in the programme and broadening its scope to include more companies from the Defence, Space and Security sectors.

A digital transformation specialist, Steven Wood is a Senior Commercial Manager for Digital Catapult. Responsible for helping large, established companies (Thales, Seagate Technology, Pwc, ViiV Healthcare, Visa etc) to undergo successful digital transformation he provides a primary interface between the Digital Catapult and businesses in the UK. Steven is also the Catapult’s market lead for DLT technology (Blockchain).
Bringing over 20 years’ experience of working in the digital sector, Steven was responsible for writing BT’s first e-business strategy for B2B clients and turning the concepts into actual services.
Steven also co-founded a start-up venture which grew to operate in seven countries and served over 600 companies in the global advertising and publishing industries. Prior to joining the Digital Catapult, Steven was Head of Business Services at EngineeringUK, an organisation which led the way in encouraging young people to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Stewart is a highly accomplished procurement and supply chain leader with over 25 years of experience across diverse sectors (Defence, Property, IT, Facilities Management, Infrastructure), holding full MCIPS chartered status. Proven track record in full procurement lifecycle delivery, strategic supply chain sourcing, cost and commercial management, and team leadership, Stewart is passionate about fostering collaborative environments and delivering exceptional results.

Stewart is the head of cyber within Thales UK, where he provides technical and strategic leadership to embedding and assuring cybersecurity and resilience within Thales products, solutions and services.

With a rich view of cybersecurity and resilience best practice across numerous verticals and technologies, Stewart also directly supports MOD’s development of its Secure by Design approach and was a key contributor to the recently released Defence Standard for cybersecurity and resilience in products solutions and services; DefStan 05-139.

He was previously employed within the Cyber Competency Centre as the Cyber Design Authority, where his responsible was for the oversight and provision of guidance and specialist input to the embedding of Cyber Security and Resilience into Thales Products, Solutions and Services.

Prior to joining Thales, Stewart had a rich career in the Royal Air Force. His career as both an Aircraft and Communications and Cyber Engineer placed him in key technical, operational and strategic roles. Throughout his career he has applied, with great effect, his unusual combination of deep technical and strong strategic and business skills. Stewart has succeeded in numerous leadership roles focused upon Air-Cyber Capability Development and Delivery. During his time at Aircraft Test and Evaluation Boscombe Down, he oversaw the assurance of integrating safety critical, smart weapons and Combat Aircraft digital system upgrades.

Whilst supporting Joint Forces Command, he led the conceptual and practical development of Offensive and Defensive Cyber Operations within the UK, focusing upon the full breadth of Information Systems, Industrial Control Systems, Platforms and Weapons. Responsible for delivering the MOD and wider government Cyber Programme, Stewart received an award from the MOD Permanent Secretary for his contribution to pioneering cyber policy and would be regularly required to brief Defence board members.

During his final years in the MOD, he delivered the MOD Cyber Programme and was the 1-Star MOD lead for the development of the UK Cyber Force.

Stuart has 25 years of experience across several sectors and thrives in building high performance capability in complex multi-faceted environments. Stuart’s experience has seen him lead on a number of major defence contracts and has been instrumental in Babcock penetrating new markets.

Previously the Procurement and Supply Chain Director for the Mission Systems business which saw success in the capture of the Skynet 6 Military satellite communications contract.

Stuart has recently moved roles to lead on major strategic infrastructure programmes required to support the current and future needs of the Naval Nuclear and Civil Nuclear sectors.

Suzanne joined Dstl in 2019 as part of Defence Commercial, supporting the Dstl Counter Terrorism and Security Division. She is also the Senior Commercial Manager, responsible for RCloud – Dstl’s dynamic route to market for research and development services - and oversees the team who look after the day to day running of the agreement.

Ted leads Moody’s Analytics industry practice in Europe & Africa. He has spent the last decade helping organisations harness data, analytics and technology to decode risk and unlock opportunity. Teds’ practise group drives innovation in Moody’s product strategy and helps their customers to make better, faster decisions in the era of exponential risk.

Ted is a regular contributor to global anti-corruption forums and an active supporter of public-private collaboration initiatives. He was a member of the winning team at the FCA’s Global AML TechSprint addressing beneficial ownership registry reconciliation. He is also a founding member of the DT4C (Data & Technology for Compliance) industry alliance, a collective advocacy group working to promote data access in the broader fight against financial crime.

Ted holds ACAMS certification and a Diploma in Financial Crime Prevention from the International Compliance Association. Ted is also a Director for a local social enterprise providing Renewable Energy to community organisations.

Teddy Loveridge is the Defence and Secure Government Client Manager at XMA. He has a background in the Royal Air Force and Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, specialising in physical security and intelligence gathering/monitoring. Teddy delivers secure solutions and innovations to enhance his clients' security, intelligence capabilities, and supply chain visibility.

Tess has worked in Military Simulation, Training, and Education for 20 years. A graduate of Russian & Soviet Studies, she first worked with the Royal Navy before becoming a fixture at a tank-park for a year trying to work out which media would enhance the training of arc-welding the bits of FV432s and her beloved motorbike. After a decade of trying to crack the code of MoD Requirements Documents as a Bid Manager and Business Development experiment, she became head of Joint Capability Business Development at CAE UK and worked on the central strategy board. 5 more years of working with more than 25 different militaries set her up nicely for a sojourn to the deserts of the Middle East where she worked independently as a Military Consultant to industry. Tess headed back to the UK with 15 years of Military Training and Simulation (MS&T) experience to make posh jam… A year later she was hired as PR Director of Bohemia Interactive Simulations. 2015 led to expansion of the Ruddy Nice client base and the setting up of DSET. Running awesome and relevant events for the military, industry and academia in MS&T are her ongoing passions.

Thomas (Tom) is a natural leader with experience in a wide range of environments and operations having previously worked in Oil and Gas, Security, and the British Army.

Tom joined Defence Digital in 2019 and is responsible for delivering IT capability to support fixed and deployed end users both at home and on operations. As current Head of Hardware and Services he is accountable for approximately £900m of digital contract spend across Defence.

Prior to joining Defence Digital Tom worked in Defence Equipment and Support, more specifically the Submarine Delivery Agency, where he was responsible for the commercial management of the nuclear element of the sub-surface fleet.

Before joining the Ministry of Defence, Tom has held several commercial roles in the private sector, and has also worked in consultancy, security, business operations and project management roles.

Tom graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS) and holds an MBA from Durham University Business school specialising in Leadership, Logistics and Management.

Tilly is sourcing and procurement professional with over 23 years experience. She has a track record in delivering complex solutions across various industries. With expertise in managing significant categories of spend - including Consultancy, Audit, Research & Innovation and Legal Services, Tilly focuses on establishing commercial strategies that require innovation, drive change and deliver value to customers and the UK taxpayer.

With a little over 25 years of IT experience, spanning internal IT departments and service providers across both the public and private sectors. Starting his career as a technical expert on a service desk for a dial-up ISP, Tim has risen to the forefront of IT as boxxe’s CTO. He is passionate about empowering customers to transform and achieve more through technology.

Dr. Tim Sheldon is the Chief Delivery Officer at Dstl, having taken on the role in April 2024. In this position, he supports the Chief Executive in managing the complex portfolio of defense and security work. He coordinates work across Dstl's Science & Technology (S&T) delivery units, while also overseeing the development and sustainability of S&T capabilities. His responsibilities include implementing a streamlined process for stakeholders to engage with Dstl, prioritizing demands, and ensuring the highest-impact outcomes.

Dr. Sheldon's career began after completing a Chemistry degree at Edinburgh University and a PhD in Organic Chemistry at Oxford. He joined the MoD in 1993, progressing through various roles in procurement and project management. Notable roles include leading the Defence Logistics Performance Management Programme and modernizing the Cost Assurance and Analysis Service (CAAS). In 2018, he became Head of Submarine Production, overseeing the delivery of Astute-class submarines, and later advanced to Director of Submarine Acquisition, responsible for major Royal Navy submarine projects. Throughout his career, Dr. Sheldon has played key roles in defense acquisition and transformation programs.

Tom Cripps is a Partner Development Manager at Microsoft Surface, specialising in driving digital transformation with a focus on secure, modern device solutions, Tom brings extensive experience in aligning technology with the unique demands of defence, supporting resilience, security, and productivity. At DPRTE 2025, Tom will share insights on how Surface devices matched with secure ecosystems are influencing the future of defence operations and procurement.

Tom is a Principal Environmental Engineer with 12 years of experience at AtkinsRéalis, specialising in the defence sector. Leveraging his extensive multi-disciplinary knowledge, Tom excels at uniting technical teams to drive environmental mitigation and benefits across infrastructure projects and programmes. Having developed the clean site service line within the business, Tom identifies environmental constraints and opportunities early in the project lifecycle before embarking on avoidance, survey, assessment, and mitigating activities – enabling projects to move forwards while balancing the needs of the natural environment. 

Tom McDonald is currently a Director at the UK National Audit Office, where he is responsible for leading value for money audit work on defence and national security expenditure. He has worked at the NAO since 2001 and has focused his career on the defence, health and international sectors. Since 2015 he has also been the NAO’s lead Director for cyber security across the UK public sector. Between 2010 and 2013 he was seconded to the Department for International Development to establish and run the Independent Commission for Aid Impact.

Before his NAO career, he worked in international affairs research and acted as an overseas election observer on behalf of the UN, EU and OSCE. He has degrees in modern languages, international relations and management from Bristol University and Ashridge Business School and is a fellow of the Centre for Science and Policy at Cambridge University.

Tony has 20 years of Defence sector experience, with a career that began in Agriculture before transitioning to Construction and the Automotive industry.

As the Market Head for Defence and Aerospace at Ricardo’s Performance Products business unit, Tony leads efforts to provide engineering and manufacturing solutions for driveline and component sub-systems across land, sea, and air domains. He works closely with industry partners to deliver the best of British high precision manufacture, supply chain management, and process control expertise to Ricardo’s clients.

He is a Certified 6 Sigma Black Belt and played a key role as Deployment Champion for the rollout of a major global OEM’s Production System at a facility supporting several Maintenance Repair and Overhaul contracts for British Army’s vehicle fleets. His background also includes working for a UK distributor that was franchise partner for several powertrain and driveline OEMs, as well as a Defence contractor - knowledge and experience that he applies in his current role.

Tracey leads the Business Growth and Finance team at DASA . The Business Growth and Finance team provides a suite of 1 to 1 support services to SMEs to help them become business, funding and supply chain ready . Our team of specialists bring their extensive experience from the worlds of consulting, business banking and company support to offer DASA funded companies the assistance they need to identify and access the expertise and funding required to scale, grow and supply into the defence & security sectors.

Tracey draws on her expertise from supporting portfolios of businesses in 30 years plus as a Senior Relationship Manager with a high street bank and meeting their complex funding and growth requirements.

Trevor Graham is CEO and Co-Founder of Ampliphae, a Belfast-based cyber-security software company, where he has led the team through successful venture fund-raising and product development since 2014. With three decades of experience in the networking industry, including global telecoms providers and equipment manufacturers as well as a series of Silicon Valley startups, Trevor has led global product development teams through to commercial triumph and successful merger and acquisition exits.
Ampliphae is a founding member of NI Cyber and member of NI Software. Their innovative software and hardware products are used by global enterprises to protect critical application traffic as it flows across the network and out to the Cloud.
Recently Ampliphae has turned attention to the growing threat from quantum computers, which puts citizen data and critical national infrastructure at risk of nation-state-level attack, introducing their Encryption Intelligence product which allows organisations to understand and address risks related to data encryption. The product won two GLOMO awards at Mobile World Congress 2024, the premier event in the telecommunications industry calendarm run by the GSMA, receiving both the Best Mobile Security Solution and the overall CTO Choice category award for Mobile Technology.

Admiral Kyte joined the Royal Navy as a Logistics Officer in 1987. Junior appointments included tours in the aircraft carrier HMS ARK ROYAL, Type 21 frigate HMS ACTIVE, and the staff of the Senior Naval Officer Northern Ireland. Roles as a Lieutenant Commander included the Logistic Officer of the Type 22 frigate HMS CHATHAM, on the staff at Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth and as the Deputy Base Logistics Officer in His Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport.

Promoted to Commander in 2002, staff tours included Flag Officer Sea Training and the Permanent Joint Headquarters. In 2006, he joined the amphibious assault ship HMS BULWARK as Commander Logistics, before moving to the Equipment Capability area of the Ministry of Defence, responsible for the Navy’s replacement support shipping programme.

He joined the Army’s 8 Engineer Brigade on promotion to Captain in February 2009, deploying later that year to Afghanistan as the Deputy Commander of the Joint Force Support HQ. He then took up the appointment of Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff (Logistic Operations and Plans) in Navy Command before assuming the post of Secretary to the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff.

On promotion to Commodore in August 2014, he became the Head of Defence Logistic Operations before taking command of the Standing Joint Force Logistic HQ and deploying to Oman for SAIF SAREEA 3. He assumed the role of Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Support Operations) and Chief Naval Logistic Officer in November 2018 on promotion to Rear Admiral. Responsible for the provision of strategic level policy, planning and direction in support of current and contingent operations, his tenure was dominated by the logistic challenges created by BREXIT, COVID and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He recently led a study for CDS focused on increasing Defence outputs and undertook a sabbatical with industry before assuming the post of Chief of Defence Logistics and Support on promotion to Vice Admiral in September 2023.

Admiral Kyte is a graduate of the Higher Command and Staff Course and the London Business School. He holds a BA in Modern History and an MA in Defence Studies, is President of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Surfing Association, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and is the Armed Forces Jewish Faith Champion. He was appointed a Companion of the Bath in the 2020 New Year’s Honours List for leadership of Defence’s response to the COVID pandemic.

Victoria is an experienced senior leader, with a multidisciplinary background and track record of achievement. Focused on strategic commercial leadership and effective relationship management to deliver tangible results for businesses and individuals alike.

Victoria has over 15 years’ experience in the Aerospace and Defence sector and has worked within corporate procurement, finance, sales, commercial, programme management and investor relations functions within FTSE100/250 organisations including BAE Systems, QinetiQ, Airbus and Unilever.

Victoria’s achievements were recognised by The Times & Sunday Times in 2019 as winner of We Are the City Top 100 Women Rising Star 2019 – Defence. Victoria was also awarded the Marshall of Cambridge Medal by the Duke of Edinburgh in 2012 for contribution to the aerospace industry.

Victoria is a chartered Aeronautical Engineer by background and holds an Executive MBA from Henley Business School. Victoria is a Non-Executive Council Member of The Air League Trust and trustee of the Inspiring Leadership Trust and plays competitive badminton in her spare time.