James Cartlidge MP was appointed a Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence on 21 April 2023. He was previously Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury from 28 October 2022 to 21 April 2023. He was previously Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice and Assistant Government Whip between 17 September 2021 and 7 July 2022.

Andy studied electrical and electronic engineering at Portsmouth and management at Bournemouth. He completed a year at the Royal College of Defence Studies and has completed a Masters in International Security and Strategy at King’s College, London. Trained as an engineer, Andy spent the first decade of his working career in the space business, as a designer and programme manager of military satellite systems. His career progressed to leading a wide range of Aerospace and Defence businesses with a specialism in helping improve performance and drive strategic change. Andy has completed government secondments into the MOD and the Department of Trade and Industry. In the latter role he had responsibility for leading the UK Aerospace Innovation and Growth Team and supported the development of Defence Industrial Policy. He has been active throughout his career in supporting others and served on the UK Electronics Council, the board of the trade body TechUK, the board of Smart Africa, and is an active coach and mentor. Chief Executive of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) The Chief Executive Officer is the UK’s National Armaments Director and as the Accounting Officer for Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) is directly responsible to Parliament for the stewardship of DE&S’ resources. To discharge these responsibilities, CEO has delegated authority from PUS to lead and manage DE&S: • providing equipment and logistic support to current operations, including delivery against urgent operational requirements • delivering funded equipment acquisition and support outputs, as agreed with Front Line Commands and the Head Office • delivering projects to performance, time and cost targets, in accordance with agreed asset delivery plans • managing safety, risk and environmental issues in accordance with mandated requirements and appropriate best practice • representing UK interests in international military and political fora, including NATO and the EU

A naturally curious influencer who firmly believes in the benefits of having diversity of thought as well as a collaborative approach. Anita joined the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) from Home Office where she was responsible for increasing the UK’s resilience to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) attacks. This included collaborating with a wide range of partners to ensure that the UK could effectively respond to CBRNE attacks. Prior to this, her experience within Cabinet Office included providing strategic leadership for the assessment of national security risks and setting policy to ensure scientific advice is used effectively during emergencies. Before moving into the National Security field, Anita started her career in social research working in the private sector. Head of the Defence and Security Accelerator The Head of the Defence and Security Accelerator is responsible for the development, operation and leadership of the Accelerator and its staff. They will also build strong relationships between the Accelerator and defence and security departments within the UK Government, industry (including small and medium-sized enterprises), academia and other partners, to deliver value to the security and prosperity of the UK. They report to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory Capability and Delivery Director and the Accelerator Development Board.

The UKspace Security and Defence Committee (SDC) maintains an overview of all defence and broader security interests affecting the sector. The committee has good working relations with MOD and its agencies, and frequently has guest speakers to keep members abreast of latest developments and thinking in the department. UKspace is the official trade association of the UK space industry, representing and promoting space to government and other key stakeholders nationally and internationally.

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.

Phil Blunden has recently become the [temporary] Assistant Head of Cyber Supply Chain Security. He has been in the team for five years as the Engagement Manager. Over the last 2 years he has been running the “interim process”, a short temporary solution to the online tool. Overall he has worked in Defence for over 20 years, including information security and being an application developer.

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.

Jon is Programme Director of Material Availability Services, an innovative engineering & manufacturing team within the Land Sector of Babcock International Group, focussed on enhancing Babcock’s ability to deliver world class Through Life Equipment Support. Jon has worked in the design, manufacture, maintenance, repair and overhaul of military equipment for 25 years, spanning Land, Sea & Air domains. Jon has enjoyed working at all phases of product & service lifecycle, and is now focussed on increasing asset availability through evolution of the support model for legacy & low volume equipment. Jon is also the Defence industry co-chair for the additive manufacturing accelerator programme in UK.

Steve graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a 1st Class degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering in 1986 and joined GEC Marconi in Basildon, Essex. During his time with GEC, he progressed through a number of engineering roles before focusing on Project Management, completing a Masters degree in Engineering Project Management at Lancaster University. In 2000, Steve joined Racal in Wells, Somerset, to lead a transformation of their project delivery, heading up all project activity on site. Following the acquisition of Racal by Thales he was appointed to his first executive position in 2002 as MD of the Air Operations business and in 2006 he was appointed UK MD for the Air Systems Division. After a short period helping to start-up a Private Hospital, Steve joined Cohort plc to led SEA (one of its subsidiary companies). Over the next 10 years he led the growth of the business, acquiring and integrating a specialist maritime busines as well as disposing of non-core elements. During his time with SEA it grew both in volume and profit, becoming an international product business with customers across the world. In 2021, Steve stepped down as MD and is now focused on helping other businesses to develop and grow – as well as having more time for his family and pastimes.

Harriet Wollerton is the ADS Supply Chain Solutions Services Director. The Supply Chain Solutions (SCS) Framework is a single, simple access, cross sector programme, enabling suppliers to improve their competitive performance, highlight opportunities to invest in innovation and digitalization, as well as helping them make progress towards their sustainability goals and demonstrate advancement towards net zero. She began her career as a technical non-production purchaser at Lucas Aerospace Systems (now Collins Aerospace) and has more than 20 years’ experience of programme management, supply chain, supplier management, strategic sourcing, marketing and business development in the Aerospace industry. Harriet joined ADS at the beginning of January 2016 as Aerospace Operations & Business Development Manager, coordinating and leading ADS Aerospace industry business development activity, as well as supporting sector specific aerospace special interest groups.

Colin is Competitiveness Director at ADS, the national trade association for Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space industries, which represents over 1200 member companies. He is also a founder member of the CIPS’s Aerospace and Defence Procurement Group. Colin, an Aerospace and Defence Supply Chain procurement and CI professional, has spent over thirty years in the aerospace and defence sectors and has held in leadership roles at global Aerospace and Defence companies including Thales, Leonardo Helicopters, Eaton, AirTanker, Babcock, Meggitt, QinetiQ. He has extensive experience and track record in leadership, change management, negotiation, project and relationship management, and has successfully worked with customers, partners and major sub-contractors at all levels. Colin has experience of implementing both LEAN based improvements and embedding significant change programmes in both the defence and aerospace sectors supply chains proven to deliver reduced waste, costs and risk, whilst improving performance. In his current role as Competitiveness Programme Director at ADS Group, Colin is leading the SC21 community strengthen and develop the SC21 Competitiveness Programme, a cornerstone of the ADS Supply Chain Solutions Framework, to better accelerate the competitiveness of the Aerospace & Defence industry’s supply chain, prepare it for market growth and the needs of the increasingly sustainable digital 21st Century.

Mark Darvill is a Defence Industry Partner for the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA). DASA finds and funds exploitable innovation to support UK defence and security quickly and effectively, and support UK prosperity. Its vision is for the UK to have strategic advantage through the most innovative defence and security capabilities in the world. DASA achieve this by welcoming ideas from innovators small and large, providing support to those who have not previously worked with Government. DASA is a cross-Government team from a wide range of backgrounds including defence, security, the private sector and academia. We are co-located with Dstl at Porton Down and Portsdown West. They also have a London Hub based at Imperial College, White City and 12 regionally based innovation partners, covering the length and breadth of the UK including England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. By working locally, supporting and advising innovators of all shapes and sizes, DASA provide a critical link to pull through innovation to help the Ministry of Defence, Home Office, Department for Transport and other parts of Government keep the UK safe by staying ahead of the threats we face.

Simon Dakin joined the Ministry of Defence in 1992 after completing a degree in physics at Southampton University, followed by a Doctorate in nuclear physics at the Institute Laue Langevin in Grenoble, France. Simon’s first few appointments in MoD were in the Research Establishments at Farnborough and Malvern, developing software for the Special Weapons programme and helping to establish the Defence Research Agency. He was then seconded to the Department of National Heritage to develop policy for increasing investment in the UK Film Industry. Simon returned to MoD where he has over 25 years’ experience in a variety of acquisition roles, including policy, change leadership and delivery. Simon was leader of the Ground Based Air Defence Delivery Team from 2005, followed by promotion to the Senior Civil Service in 2007 to become Head of Project Management in MoD, working to improve professionalism across Defence. In 2010, Simon was lead author for the Science and Technology Chapter of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. For over four years from 2011, Simon led the DE&S team providing key capabilities for the UK Defence Intelligence community, followed by an assignment as the first Function Manager for Project Management in the Joint Enablers Domain, helping to develop and implement DE&S transformation. Appointed as DE&S 2* Director of Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) in 2016, leading a large and diverse portfolio supporting all Front Line Commands. ISTAR OC was renamed Integrated Battlespace Operating Centre (IBOC) in 2020 to provide focus into driving integration, digitisation and innovation in the battlespace. Simon is a Chartered Physicist, Registered Project Professional, graduate of the Major Projects Leadership Academy and Fellow of the Association of Project Management. He is married to Fiona with three children and a border collie dog. Simon devotes his spare time to long distance running with his family.

The Ministry of Defence are one of the biggest public procurement organisations in Europe, and the single largest customer for UK industry. Over the next decade, they are committed to spending over £190Bn on equipment and support. The MOD has a diverse range of requirements, including everything from military fighting vehicles to education services, nuclear submarines to facilities management. Its customers include our Armed Forces and national security agencies. The MOD's aim is to ensure that our customers are provided with the best capabilities to enable them to protect the UK’s security and to advance the UK’s interests, both now and in the long term.

As Head of Procurement Reform, Ben is responsible for leading the MOD’s defence and security elements of the Cabinet Office led Procurement Bill. Working closely with the Cabinet Office, Ben leads a multi-functional team, bringing together commercial, legal and change delivery expertise ensuring the provisions within the Procurement Bill meet the requirements of Defence and that these provisions are fully scrutinised via the Parliamentary Process. An equal priority for Ben focuses on preparation for implementation of the new rules. Working alongside colleagues within the MOD and CO, but also with colleagues from industry, Ben recognises the success of the new rules is dependent on sufficient training, understand and preparation ahead of the go live date. Ben is a career civil servant, working in the MOD for the past three years programme managing the development of the Defence and Security Industrial Strategy before joining Defence Commercial. Prior to the MOD Ben spent 10 years in the Ministry of Justice working in a variety of fields, including policy, strategy, operations, Private Office and estates. Ben has a proven track record of working in high-profile and pressured environments, bringing his enthusiasm and positivity to those challenges and always delivering on time.

Sharon is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (FCIPS) and a Fellow of the World Commerce and Contracting (WCC) association, and has over 30 years' experience in senior commercial positions within major UK defence companies. Sharon now acts as Commercial and Procurement Advisor for several clients in the defence sector, including the UK MOD.

Ian Schollar is the Head of CIPS Business Study Centre at CIPS and has had a progressive career in procurement and commercial roles spanning over 30 years in both public and private sectors. He started his career with Mallory Batteries (Duracell) in 1983, before spending 15 years working within both central and local public sector organisations. He was responsible for procuring a diverse range of categories from breathing apparatus for fire fighters to high tech radar systems for air traffic controllers. In 1998, Ian became a Senior Advisor for Crown Agents, an International Development Agency. He was project lead on numerous capacity building projects working in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe and headed up the procurement and supply chain training at their Training Centre. Ian has worked at CIPS since 2005 and has a particular passion for professional development. Ian is a Fellow of CIPS and holds a Master’s Degree in Management, Learning and Leadership from Lancaster University Management School.

As a Director of e50K Quincey leads the Strategic Advisory's work with Primes through to SMEs, heading the team which will supports you to understand your current Social Value, Sustainability and ESG offering, affectively convey your impact and strategize for your future. A Value Creation Advisor Quincey's team will also support you to create new, bespoke ideas which elevate your offer, exceeding the recognised standard and setting you apart from competitors, producing SMART initiatives which can be measured, reported upon and showcased in bidding. In her capacity as an accredited bid writer Quincey heads the team which supports you to convey your offer through recognized framework methodologies.

Dr Elizabeth Newman-Earl is CEO of e50K Strategic Advisory, has a substantial track record working in partnership with multi-national organisations, private, public and third sector clients to enhance their social value offer. Elizabeth became inspired to champion social value development during her spousal deployment to Cyprus where her PhD fieldwork highlighted the impacts of institutional determinisation on the isolated and vulnerable community of overseas army spouses. Elizabeth’s post-doctorate research (funded by UKRI) focused on supporting public engagement with those living with neurological conditions to empower and facilitate their involvement in academic research through co-design and co-production. Prior to completing her research Elizabeth was much sought after for her extensive research in financial and professional services expansion projects. Working with a national construction and facilities management organisation she successfully secured grant funding to develop the Strategic Advisory’s Ultimate and Parent (e50K Community Interest Company); a social enterprise not-for-profit to empower and engage with military communities based on four founding principles of engagement, education, employment, enterprise and environment.

Sam Staincliffe is the co-founder and CTO of Uplift360 a deeptech company developing chemical technology to recycle advanced materials. She is a circular economy and advanced material specialist. Her background is in defence operations and material technology development first for the US Air Force and then with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). She has also held strategic level roles for the Red Cross working in disaster response and climate change technology development. Her previous start-up Ferox was developing biomaterials to replace nonrecyclable plastics in the toy industry. Sam is an advocate for female tech founders using her recent Women in Defence award to develop pathways for future entrepreneurs.

With 20 years in software and organizational development, Henri leads Eficode's Global Advisory Services, specializing in Agile, DevOps, and Portfolio Management transformations. His career includes leadership roles in operational management and product ownership, focusing on enhancing organizational efficiency and employee satisfaction. Henri has managed complex, multisite software projects and transformations, prioritizing quality and effective methodologies. As former CEO of Contribyte, he concentrated on building future-ready organizations and has played roles at Nokia and Accenture. A veteran speaker, Henri frequently shares his expertise in agile practices, change management, and innovative strategies, underpinned by his skills in executive coaching and software product management.

Jake is Head of Business Awareness for the ECJU (Export Control Joint Unit), Department for Business and Trade. The Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) is part of the Department for Business and Trade which administers the UK’s system of export controls and licensing for military and dual-use items. ECJU’s mission is to promote global security through strategic export controls, facilitating responsible exports. They aim to deliver an efficient, rigorous and customer-friendly export licensing and compliance service. ECJU will be exhibiting on UKDSE’s stand, so please come to their stand if you have any questions.

Lee is currently working in Dstl as part of Defence Commercial where he has been Planning, Capability and Delivery Lead for over 5 years. He is currently leading the Science & Technology Research & Development Category Management initiative for the Defence Enterprise that are acquiring research. Lee has worked in Dstl and predecessor organisations for 28 years. He has undertaken secondments to Head Office, and Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S). Lee has held science leadership roles in Air and Weapons Systems, and Electronic Warfare Systems. He has successfully led organisational change initiatives and has been responsible for the successful delivery of science project portfolios and operational programmes. He has supported the return to health of a large complex procurement programme for which he has received the MOD Chief Scientific Advisors thanks. Lee has also received international research collaboration awards for scientific contributions in Electronic Warfare

DASA - We find and fund exploitable innovation to support UK defence and security quickly and effectively, and support UK prosperity. Our Innovation Partners are regionally based ‘technology scouts’, actively seeking novel ideas that could be used as solutions for existing challenges. For South East England, Mark Helliker is your local Innovation Partner.

Dina has been Head of the Software and Hosting category in Defence Digital Commercial since 2019. She has driven delivery to key areas such as cyber, Crypt Key, Intelligence, software enterprise agreements, Cloud and hosting services and the Foundry team through a strong category focus. She joined the MOD from Worldpay, the UK’s largest payments processing company and has worked in procurement and supply chain roles within financial services throughout her career. Dina now leads the CommercialX programme alongside her Software and Hosting role. She is committed to simplifying the way MOD procures digital, innovation and technology products and services through the pan-MOD CommercialX function.

Lee Rimmer is the Commercial Director for MOD Defence Digital having joined in August 2018 from HCL where he was VP Procurement EMEA. Lee’s role includes direct responsibility for the Defence Digital spend as well as responsibility for the Defence wide digital commercial category. Director for Defence. Lee has overseen the transformation of the commercial function through the implementation of a category based structure, a focus on measurable benefits generation, improved supplier relationship management and the development of a partnering approach with the wider defence organisation. Lee has had a number of commercial leadership roles at HVL Technologies, Level 3 Communications, CSC and British Airways. He has a wide category experience with a focus on digital and services.

Adam is an experienced Sales & Marketing Director with a career spanning over 15 years with over 10 years in supply chain globally. With a focus on supply chain reliance and managing accelerated growth within organisations Adam and Unipart are ideally situated to present to us today on how they can help in leading the way in the industry and how they could potentially help with the volatile situations we face and especially in global supply chain.

Adrian Bond is the Head of UK Engagement for the UK’s Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU). Adrian is responsible for the teams providing ECJU training to new and experienced exporters across the UK, undertaking compliance inspections for UK exporters using open licences and HMG liaison. Adrian has 23 years of experience of UK export controls and security through working in the Trade Department’s Business Awareness and Technical Assessment Units, as well as the Ministry of Defence’s Directorate of Defence Security. Adrian began his government career in the MoD where he was the Royal Air Force’s Technical Authority for air defence radars and became a Chartered Electronics Engineer.

As chair of Tetra Tech's Digital Technology Group, Alex leads the development of a digital culture in the business and steers the digital innovation strategy.

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 (SRM) 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.

Victoria will reflect on the dual challenge and opportunity that climate change and energy transition bring to defence. Victoria leads on client engagement for electrification and sustainability from the Chief Technology Office at QinetiQ. Her passion for facilitating conversations between technical disciplines and practical challenges has led her to work in human factors, cyber security, energy and power and sustainability. She is a chartered Ergonomist and Accredited Coach.

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.

Matt is currently the Senior Manager for the Fixed Wing Supply Chain Management team within Boeing Defence UK. Matt has a four teams located across six main sites in the UK delivering Supply Chain capability (Asset Management, Supplier Management, Supply Chain Planning, and Warehousing/Distribution) to BDUK’s three main programmes for UK MoD – P-8A Poseidon, E-7 Wedgetail, and C-17 Globemaster. Matt has worked at Boeing for just over 10 years across a number of platforms. Matt was previously the Supplier Management & Procurement Manager for the P-8A Poseidon team where he led a team of Procurement Agents to deliver Aircraft Support, Training Support, Facilities Management and Infrastructure activities for the programme. Prior to this Matt was the Supply Chain Lead for UK P-8A and was a key part of bringing the UK P-8A into service. Matt was also previously a Procurement Agent working on the UK AH-64E sustainment/training campaign and spent a number of this earlier years working on the UK TLCS programme supporting CH-47 depth maintenance, as well as Major Modifications and Upgrades such as Project JULIUS and Digital Air Flight Control System (DAFCS). Matt is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), an active Boeing Leadership NeXt programme Alumni (Class of 2022), and an Emerging Talent in Europe Council (ETEC) Alumni (2018). Matt has a BA Hons in Business Studies (First Class) from the University of the West of England in Bristol and is currently self-studying Norwegian as a second language.

The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) is a part of the Ministry of Defence responsible for the procurement, in-service support, and disposal of the UK’s nuclear submarines. Our work is of unparalleled strategic importance nationally and internationally, ensuring the security of the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent, and delivering some of the most technically complex programmes in defence. At the SDA, it’s our people that make us great. We believe that everyone should feel comfortable to be themselves and be supported to do their best work. As part of a diverse and inclusive workforce, our team will find a community to belong to – whether that’s alongside project teams with a shared vision or as part of an employee network of like-minded individuals. We believe that, by celebrating different backgrounds and different perspectives, together we’ll achieve the extraordinary.

Simon joined the civil service as Head of the UAS & RPAS portfolio in December 2022, following a period in industry and a career in the British Army. He is an experienced portfolio director with a background in delivering Defence programmes and business transformation. He has operated at cross-government level and has led GMPP procurement programmes to deliver armoured vehicle, ISR and CEMA capabilities. Simon holds an MBA, MSc in Defence Technology, BEng in Communication and Electronic Systems and is a chartered engineer.

Ian Crotch was born in Norwich, Norfolk in the UK. He received the BSc (hons) degree in Physics from the University of Essex in 1998 and the MBA from the Open University in 2008. He has worked at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston (AWE) UK for over 25 years, working on x-ray physics and hydrodynamics before moving into Project Management in 2002. Ian has delivered projects across the AWE enterprise and beyond including International R&D projects, conventional and nuclear new builds and re-kits, IT projects and transformations. From 2017 to 2019 Ian performed the role of Teutates Project Director accountable for the delivery of the AWE elements of a ~£1.5Bn joint programme of work with France. Ian was then seconded to Serco where he led the mobilisation and transition elements of a competitive bid for the M&O of the UK conventional defense infrastructure valued at ~£3.5bn. Ian is currently the Programme Director and is accountable for the delivery of the AWE elements of the UK’s Replacement Warhead. Ian is also a Fellow of the Institute of Physics in the UK and a member of the Association of Project Mangers (APM). He is married with two children and enjoys golf and running.

Spanning a 30-year career, Stephen has led successful global product marketing launches alongside procurement experts and finance professionals in both the public and private sector. As a longstanding contributor in the ever-evolving sourcing industry—from early OCR—to the establishment of eInvoicing Networks, Stephen now applies his extensive tech experience to Ivalua’s unified Procurement platform. A problem solver and industry thought leader, his product positioning is central to generating long-term customer value while streamlining user experience. In software development, adaptability is the key and Steve’s commitment to the future of procurement is propelling Ivalua toward the next generation of strategic payment solutions. Outside of his professional life, Steve is a published author and 17th Century historian.

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.

Prior to training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Capt Parkin attended the University of Birmingham, completing a BSc in Sports Science and Materials Technology and a PG Cert in the Science and Engineering of Materials. Since commissioning in 2014, she has served as Troop Commander, Operations Officer, and Squadron Second in Command. Deploying on exercises, construction projects and UK Operations, she has gained a breadth of combat engineering experience as well as leadership and management. Her career to date has taken her to France, Germany, Spain, Gibraltar, Norway, and the Falkland Islands. Captain Parkin is currently seconded to the Export Support Team, part of UK Defence and Security Exports, as the Military Engineer Advisor.

A passionate technologist and change advocate, Alex is Deputy Head of Business Change and leads a section of change implementation into a new DE&S Operating Model. Formally of DE&S’ Future Capability Group, Alex has a wealth of experience of developing new pathways for adopting innovation and disruptive technology in the UK MOD acquisition organisation.

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. We build the most innovative commercial aircraft and consistently capture about half of all commercial airliner orders. Thanks to our deep understanding of changing market needs, customer focus and technological innovation, we offer products that connect people and places via air and space.

Cal is the partnering lead for Alliance, as the industry-facing Programme Manager; the joint collaboration to bid for the British Army’s Collective Training Service. He joined Lockheed Martin UK in 2022 and he’s been responsible for developing the Alliance Network. This is the industrial eco system for Land Training capabilities in the UK. From 2017, at General Electric Aviation UK, Cal supported EMEA airlines for key engine service contracts; coupled with this role, nationally supporting the Aerospace Growth Partnership and driving a programme for BEIS to assess government investment in the aerospace industry. Regionally, he worked with the regional aerospace associations, including the Farnborough Aerospace Consortium, to support innovation networks and SME development. From 2020, Cal was the lead for QinetiQ’s Weapons Sector Research Framework for DSTL; bringing over 100 industry suppliers together to advise, be informed by, and deliver key novel weapon development programmes for UK MOD.

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.

Andrew is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience in the logistics industry. Throughout his career, he has held diverse roles in operational, IT, and commercial functions across different geographical locations. For the past 20 years, Andrew has been based in various Asian and European countries, gaining valuable insights into different markets and cultures. Recently, Andrew made the decision to return to the United Kingdom to apply his extensive experience and knowledge in a new role. He is currently leading the Supply Chain Transformation team for DHL Supply Chain, a division of DHL Group. In this capacity, Andrew is responsible for driving innovative solutions and spearheading the transformation of supply chain operations. DHL Group's Defense Strategy aims to capitalise on its global capabilities and dynamic partnerships to provide disruptive thought leadership and forward-looking solutions. Andrew's leadership and expertise will play a pivotal role in achieving these objectives and driving the organisation's growth in the ever-evolving logistics landscape.

Nicola Passariello is a Financial Crime Practice Lead at Moody’s Analytics covering the EMEA region. Nicola is a deep subject matter expert in financial crime prevention, and throughout his international career, he has gained extensive industry experience having worked for different global information providers and corporate governance advisors. Nicola also brings valuable regulatory experience having participated to the AMF – the French Market Regulator Commission. Nicola holds an Executive MBA from the French business school ESCP Europe, both the Post-Graduate and International Diploma in Financial Crime Prevention awarded by the International Compliance Association (ICA) in association with the UK Alliance Manchester Business School, and he is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists by ACAMS.

Professor Taylor joined RUSI from Cranfield University where he was head of the Department of Defence Management and Security Analysis and subsequently head of the Centre for Defence Management and Leadership. Professor Taylor previously served as Chairmain of the British International Studies Association and head of the International Security Programme at Chatham House.

Hershil is Arcadis’s Sustainability lead for Government and Public Agencies. He joined Arcadis after a successful 5 years at the Department for Education delivering construction and build environment policies, including developing the MMC strategy for engineering services, developing the standards, and secures funding, to make every new school in England Net Zero Carbon in Operation and keeping schools open during the pandemic. He thrives on solving complex problems in a holistic way.

James has over 25 years’ experience in the environmental and contaminated land sector. He specialises in the investigation, assessment and remediation of contaminated land; with a particular expertise in the downstream petroleum and property development sectors. James excels in providing clear pragmatic advice and has overseen the investigation and remediation of 1000s of sites across the UK with project values ranging from £1,000 to over £1M.

Darcy Lane has over 35 years extensive leadership experience in aviation fuel operations at international, strategic, and operational levels, also includes a long service in the military managing the maintenance & deployment of various fuel assets. He was appointed Managing Director at REDS Group in 2022 where he is responsible for leading and overseeing all business operations, people and ventures.

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.

Raised in a multicultural Indian and Irish household, as a teenager Joel successfully passed the Parachute Regiment basic training and P-Company selection. Joel earned the Maroon Beret as a paratrooper and subsequently deployed on operations around the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Upon leaving the Regiment in 2009, Joel enjoyed an extensive career as a commander within the Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officer (CTSFO) teams, tackling homegrown and international terrorism, leading and recruiting high performance teams at the spearhead of National Security. Following many years in the Defence sector, Joel then moved into the world of Staffing with particular focus on the Defence, Aviation and Aerospace sectors. With a passion for world-class teams and elite performance, his intimate knowledge of these markets and their people enhance the internationally recognised capabilities of Guidant Global. Joel’s specialities include: shaping and growing market-leading programmes, gaining widespread company buy-in, management information and data, scalable programmes, cost-saving methodologies, process efficiencies, and developing bespoke solutions. As true champions of DE&I, Joel takes pride in Guidant’s #ABetterWay ethos – our responsibility to support our clients with campaigns and initiatives that enable the defence sector to truly represent the society we live in.

Director of EMEA Pre-Sales Specialists at Dell Technologies. These specialists rage from the classic Data Management to the Generative AI (and traditional AI) specialists. His team works with customers, business partners and technology integrators across EMEA describing and designing platforms that help to make money and save money as part of their digital transformation. Author of two books, ‘The Life of AI’ and ‘The Shape of Data,’ Paul has a background in Cloud, AI, Application development and HPC. Before joining the IT industry, he worked for a Consultancy specializing in Business Performance Improvement.

Alan Fogarty is a Partner in Cundall and heads up their specialist environmental building physics group. He is a chartered Building Services Engineer who has specialised in passive building design and low carbon systems. He led the implementation of the WELL Building Standard for Cundall’s London office fit out, the first certified WELL project in Europe and offers health and wellbeing consultancy to clients on multiple projects.

Keith Richardson is a Principal Electrical Engineer with over 17 year’s experience and leads Cundall’s defence sector. Keith has a particular interest in the impact of net zero carbon (NZC) and Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) on the increasingly aging and fragile High Voltage (HV) infrastructures and how other technologies and initiatives can ease the strain. Keith is also passionate about changing the lived experience of the MoD estate for serving personnel by designing and delivering new Single Living Accommodation (SLA) throughout the UK to meet the modern standards required as well as assisting the DIO in preparing the Pragmatic Approach guidance for future single living accommodation (SLA).

Doing Business with Defence: helping suppliers access opportunities and innovation in the Defence supply chain.

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.

KBR partner with government and industry clients to provide purposeful and comprehensive solutions with an emphasis on efficiency and safety. With a full portfolio of services, proprietary technologies and expertise, KBR's employees are ready to handle projects and missions from planning and design to sustainability and maintenance. Whether at the bottom of the ocean or in outer space, our clients trust them to deliver the impossible on a daily basis.

KBR partner with government and industry clients to provide purposeful and comprehensive solutions with an emphasis on efficiency and safety. With a full portfolio of services, proprietary technologies and expertise, KBR's employees are ready to handle projects and missions from planning and design to sustainability and maintenance. Whether at the bottom of the ocean or in outer space, our clients trust them to deliver the impossible on a daily basis.

Ben has over 25 years’ experience working within Defence, joining British Aerospace (as it was) in 1995 as a graduate engineer. In 2000, he joined the Synergy Delivery Teams that delivered the value of the merger between British Aerospace and Marconi that created BAE Systems, transitioning across to Procurement. He has been in Procurement and Commercial ever since, working in a variety of senior roles in both the private and public sector. Ben joined DIO in April 2019 as Commercial Regional Delivery Head with responsibility for the Facilities Management contracts as well as PFIs, Accommodation and the adoption and Category Management. Ben has a passion for supporting the Armed Forces and DIO plays an integral role in their wellbeing.

Tom joined DASA in 2021 after working for 11 years in several departments within the Ministry of Defence. He joins DASA from Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) where he managed a team of scientists, engineers and mathematicians to provide safety guidance to many of the equipment programmes within the department’s procurement agency. This gives Tom a sound background in understanding the challenges in transferring innovation into the MoD’s equipment and support programmes. During this period, he also worked with the MoD’s national and international partners, both on collaborative research programmes and in standardisation of testing procedures across NATO, furthering his experience in the challenges faced by the department.

I have a career leading financial, commercial and transformational change across large blue chip organisations, and I am now privileged to be the CEO at Ploughshare. My experience covers the airline, utilities and telecoms industries. In the last 10 years of my private sector career, I brought my expertise and collaborative leadership skills into the telecommunications industry, being responsible for delivering the commercial model for Openreach on its establishment, and the transformation of the Vodafone UK Enterprise business, which works with many of the large UK businesses including public sector such as MOD. I joined Ploughshare as CEO in 2020, and under my leadership Ploughshare’s impact and presence across the public sector has been elevated as the focus on innovation has increased. Ploughshare was relaunched in September 2021, and is now focused on maximising the impact for society as a whole from government owned intellectual property. My commitment to being a leader of hope has driven our focus on creating an organisation which is diverse and inclusive and delivers real impact to society.

Ploughshare is the catalyst that brings communities together to enable the success of our ventures. We work across the full spectrum of innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, SMEs, corporates, not for profits, and public sector organisations to unlock innovation and get it into the hands of users.

Trevor leads the COMPLEX & AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS Research Portfolio in the Research, Technology & Innovation (RTI) group within Thales UK and is responsible for designing Research, Technology & Innovation strategy and ensuring its implementation to meet customers’ demands. Trevor over 38 years in high-tech Engineering, 30 years in the Defence industry, 22 years in Thales, working on diverse subjects like next-generation jammers, Air Traffic Management and Intelligent Systems.

Scott is ex-Army Intelligence, has over 17 years’ experience within the security space and is the Head of Capability Development for Leonardo’s Cyber Security and Resilience solutions. A decade of this experience was operating within areas such as; Signals, Imagery and Human Intelligence (SIGINT, IMINT and HUMINT) specialisations for UK Defence. Prior to Leonardo Scott helped to secure Jordanian cyber security maturity, working with the Jordanian Intelligence Services (GID), the Jordanian armed forces and Jordanian ministry of health. Scott was also the technical lead for the physical review of SWIFT’s international data centres. Within Leonardo Scott has designed the cyber security architecture for next generation compute for FCAS (Future Combat Air Systems), designed and delivered Ofgems approach to the initial rollout of NISD inspections across all UK Electricity and Gas, Defined the technical approach and delivery architecture for CVI’s as a service and defined the security strategy and implementation for a major UK Telco company. He is the NCSC Head Consultant for the NCSC certified services Leonardo delivers. Currently Scott is working with UK Defence to assist in enabling UK Security Strategy and IRR23 objectives. His outside interests include ethical hacking as part of capture the flag events, as well as analysis of real-world vulnerabilities associated with CNI (Critical National Infrastructure).

Christian is the Places UK&I Head of Cost and Commercial Management for Arcadis with 26 years of Cost Management experience across a variety of sectors - particularly the delivery of Defence, Security and Government Projects. Christian has operated in both a consultant and a client capacity and has extensive experience in capital project delivery, asset management and estates management.

Andy has 40 years of construction commercial management experience. He’s been with Arcadis 19 years and leads the Whole Life Carbon service line for the Places Business in the UK & Ireland. Andy contributed to the new RICS Professional Standard on Whole Life Carbon Assessment and the UK Green Building Council Publication – Embodied Carbon, Improving your Modelling and Reporting.

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.

Rebecca Jones leads Policy and Strategy teams for the Finance and Military Capability Infrastructure team Ministry of Defence. Rebecca has worked across the corporate sector and now spearheads the work MOD does for the built and land estate for Defence, in everything from building standards to climate resilience and Net Zero.

Will is part of the Energy, Security and Technology sales team at Jacobs, with a specific role of providing sales leadership for sustainability. Currently he is driving a campaign to integrate sustainability throughout the business by making it part of Jacobs' culture, and ensuring that client solutions have sustainability embedded in them. He is the industry co-chair for the Defence Suppliers Forum Working Group on Buildings and Construction which has been looking at the blockers and enablers to the delivery of a more sustainable future for Defence infrastructure.

Jamie Meighan is the Co-founder and CEO of Uplift360 a Deeptech startup that develops chemical recycling technologies for advanced materials, leading a team of 10 based in the UK and EU. Jamie is an RAF Veteran with 22 years of service focused on the development of innovative technologies in defence, security, and humanitarian sectors. Jamie has a broad experience in Defence procurement and customer consulting in support of National, coalition and NATO capabilities. Jamie also spent 2 years seconded to the United Nations HQ spending time in Western Africa. Jamie has substantial experience as Strategy and Program Management with a Masters in Leadership as well as a Masters in Strategy. He is currently an RAF Reservist teaching Operational Planning globally.

With 25 years’ experience Max has enjoyed a successful career growing businesses organically and through acquisitions across multiple business sectors including aerospace, cyber security, defence & security, IT global services, and energy. A FTSE250 executive with dual UK & Australian citizenships and with wealth of international experience, Max has maintained leadership, influencing, and consensus building roles in Airbus, IBM, L3 Harris, NCC Group, Ultra Electronics, and now KBR.

Tee has joined the Defence Digital Commercial Team as the Head of Business Partnering and Enterprise Relationship Management. With a robust background in commercial management and a track record of driving strategic initiatives, she is a seasoned professional adept at navigating complex landscapes having worked within a wide range of organisations such as the UK Health Security Agency, British Broadcasting Corporation, Transport for London, and Ministry of Justice. In previous roles, Tee served as the Head of Commercial for Logistics, Research and Global Health Operations, where her expertise in supplier management and contract negotiation proved instrumental. Notably, she was nominated by the Senior Leadership Team for leading the Commercial Action Plan and appointed as the 2023 Programme Director for RiSE, a development programme aimed at empowering and supporting ethnic minority staff within the Government Commercial Function into leadership roles. Her dedication to driving engagement, efficiency, and innovation underscores her commitment to delivering impactful outcomes in the public sector.

Tom is a data professional with 5 years’ experience working on data products across the Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Space, Defence and Intelligence sectors. He is currently working in DES Digital as a product owner on the development of several AI products with the Royal Navy.

Lucy is a data scientist with 3+ years’ experience. Worked in the defence sector for nearly 2 years, delivering benefits to the Ministry of Defence through DES Digital's ambitious AI roadmap. Worked on multiple AI projects including part failure analysis, image classification and maintenance optimisation/anticipation.

Rob is the Chairman and a founding member of Riskaware. In his role as Commercial Director, he is responsible for Riskaware's corporate and commercial development strategy and for providing direction to the company as a whole. This has resulted in the Riskaware being recognised internationally for its work in CBRN Defence and growing from its initial base of 3 employees to a total of almost 40 employees today. In addition, Rob has been responsible for leading the company's diversification strategy into areas such as Marine Oil-slick modelling, Cyber Mission Impact Assessment and Bio-surveillance and Epidemiological modelling

Dr Iain Miller serves as CEO of Presymptom Health, he brings extensive medical technology commercialisation experience, and a history of entrepreneurship, including the leadership of three medtech SMEs. His career has been split between the US and the EU, with commercial strategy experience base spanning GE Healthcare, Biomerieux, Myriad Genetics, Celgene, Amgen, J&J, Sanofi, Philips, Oxford Immunotec, Abbott Diagnostics and InnovateUK, in addition to various venture-backed SMEs and investor groups. At GE, Iain served as Global Head, Precision Medicine Strategy & Partnerships and, previously, at diagnostic leader Biomerieux, led strategy and business development for the precision medicine business unit. Within the UK Department of Health, Iain has also sat on the NICE Technology Appraisal Committee and, on an ongoing basis, serve as an assessor and panellist for Innovate UK, the leading funder of health technology innovation. Iain holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde and an MBA from Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt Business School.

Andrew has 40 years’ experience within the infrastructure sector in the UK and overseas. As both a project manager and an executive officer, he has been responsible for the delivery of many of the country’s major projects including High Speed One, London 2012 Olympics and Heathrow Terminal 5. He has held project management and executive positions at Systra, Kier Group and Balfour Beatty. After joining AWE as a Non-Executive Director in 2021, Andrew accepted the position of Executive Director, Capital Programme in early 2023. He is responsible for the delivery of the company’s infrastructure investment programme, which will support the manufacture of the next generation of the UK’s nuclear deterrent. Andrew is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He has served as a Vice President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and was previously named Civil Engineering Manager of the Year by the Institution. In 2020, Andrew led a study on behalf of the ICE into the performance of infrastructure project delivery that led to a report, “Defining a Systems Approach to Infrastructure Delivery”, which was welcomed across the sector. In December 2021, Andrew was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Sheffield Forgemasters Ltd, with specific responsibility for the investments in new infrastructure and equipment by MoD to support future at sea capability. In June 2022, Andrew was appointed as an Adjunct Professor at the John Grill Institute for Project Leadership, the University of Sydney, Australia.

Chris is an experienced leader and motivator, with many years of experience in major capital infrastructure procurement and commercial management. Bringing experience from Environment Agency, DEFRA, Thames Water, NDA and TFL, Chris is currently managing the largest Framework Alliance Contract of its kind for DIO, delivering the Defence Estates Optimisation (DEO) Portfolio's £5.1bn investment in modern, greener and more sustainable infrastructure.

Karen started her career in retail markets within the private sector before moving to the Public Sector working in IT hardware, software, and consultancy services. Karen expanded her commercial experience in the early 2000’s, switching to MOD (AIR) to manage contract requirements for Avionic Systems for various military aircraft. During this time Karen was at the forefront of a fundamental period of change for single-source procurement as contracting moved to availability-based commercial arrangements (Augmented Logistics Support / Contractor Logistics Support) delivering enhanced operational effectiveness and reducing costs. Karen was also seconded to a joint MOD / McKinsey Consulting Team to investigate Category Management within the MOD. This project ensured the department's buying power for individual categories was not compromised by the new contractual arrangements focussed on availability. Karen then joined the DIO (Defence Infrastructure Organisation) formally DE (Defence Estates) and gained experience in competitive tendering. Karen is a senior leader in the Major Programmes and Project Team in the DIO. As Commercial Lead for the LDP (Lossiemouth Development Programme), she delivered multiple concurrent construction projects, that were part of the UK’s overarching Defence Strategy. Karen currently leads on the development of Platform Approach Commercial Models, delivering optimal solutions through establishing strategic Alliance arrangements with Suppliers and Programmatic Category Approaches for geographic locations. Karen is a passionate advocate for Defence Construction and the DIO plays an integral role in supporting military capability and improving the lived, work, train and deployed environments of our Armed Forces.