Speakers

Helen Almey

Head, Centre for Defence Enterprise

In April 2008 Helen was appointed Team Leader of the newly launched Centre for Defence Enterprise. The CDE team are based in Harwell, Oxfordshire and provide a gateway into the MOD for people with innovative ideas that have possible defence applications. After joining DRA in 1990 as a research scientist, Helen held various MOD posts including those involving research into all aspects of canine behaviour and the use of dogs within the Services, explosive detection and counter-terrorism

Mark Briers

Programme Manager, QinetiQ

Mark joined QinetiQ as a Research Scientist in 2001. In 2003, he was awarded a Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Industrial Fellowship Award. As part of this award, Mark successfully completed a PhD at Cambridge University’s Engineering Department. Mark has led a number of research projects at QinetiQ, including the Argus II Defence Aerospace Research Programme, which won an award for its collaboration between industry and academia, and several Data and Information Fusion Defence Technology Centre projects for the UK MOD.

Jan Darts

Team Leader, Air

Jan was appointed Team Leader for Air in January 2008. He was previously Research Director for Expeditionary Logistic Support and Air Littoral Manoeuvre – his other SIT posts have been within Ground Manoeuvre and Output 8. Most of Jan’s MOD career has been within the acquisition community involving such projects as Nimrod, Typhoon, Sea Harrier and Future Tanker. He has also spent two years with the F&CO as 1st Secretary Defence Procurement within the British Embassy, Paris.

Graham George

Team Leader, C4ISTAR

Graham became Team Leader for C4ISTAR in August 2009, having previously held the position of Research Programme Leader for the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) research programme since 2004. Graham joined the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment in 1977 and was involved in the design and manufacture of a wide range of research equipment for SATCOMs, radar and sensor materials. He has held a variety of roles associated with research management.

John Hunt

Team Leader, Land

John was formally appointed Team Leader for Land in January 2009. He is a Chartered Engineer with an extensive background in armoured fighting vehicle design and research and has operated in various posts as a project manager, technical manager and package manager, leading on high profile projects. Before taking up his current post within DTIC, John has been a Department Manager within Dstl covering various areas of Dstl’s business, capabilities and programmes.

Dr Gina Lindsley

Team Leader, Weapons

Gina was appointed Team Leader for Weapons in January 2008 having previously been the Research Director for Deep Target Attack within SIT. She joined RARDE Fort Halstead in 1978 and has undertaken various research projects on pyrotechnics, initiators propellants and gun systems. Gina has worked within the commercial department of DRA and has also held various management roles within DRA, Dstl and MOD, including managing the Indirect Fire systems research programme.

Jonathan Lyle

2* Director Programmes Office, Dstl

Jonathan has held various posts within Defence Procurement, including IPT Leader of the Offense Air System and as DG Helicopters. He has also held posts in the Office of Science and Technology in the Cabinet Office, where he led work across Whitehall on strengthening procurement of science and technology.

He became Director of the Defence Academy – College of Management of Technology in December 2007 and is currently the 2* Director Programmes Office, Dstl.

Major General Alan Macklin

Director, Programmes and Technology Group (PTG), DE&S

After completing an Engineering Degree at Cambridge, Alan joined the Royal Engineers and undertook various tours in the UK and overseas, including one as CO 39 Engineer Regiment in support of the RAF on two major air operations over Bosnia and Iraq.

He has also had various staff tours including those within Central Staff, JSDC and as Director of Equipment Capability and as JBTSE Team Leader. He became the AFV Group Leader in 2007 and Director of PTG in 2009.

Ian Reid

Chief technology Officer, QinetiQ

Ian joined GEC Hirst Research Centre in 1984 and headed up a VLSI CAD software research team, leading several major Alvey and Esprit projects.In 1996 he joined Rood Technology, a hi-tech engineering services and semiconductor subcontract assembly and test house, as MD of the UK operation, before taking over as CEO of the group in 1998. Ian joined QinetiQ in 2001 as a New Ventures Director, taking on various business unit management roles from 2002, including setting up the Air Division in 2005 in the run up to IPO. He has recently been appointed to Chief Technical Officer.

Dr Alex Rogers

Reader in the Intelligence, Agents, Multimedia Research Group, School of Electronics and Computer Science, University of Southampton

Alex is Reader in the Intelligence, Agents, Multimedia Research Group in the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton. His research has addressed the challenges of developing and applying agent-based algorithms and mechanisms for the control and coordination of decentralised systems; particularly decentralised information systems such as sensor networks, groups of unmanned autonomous vehicles, and energy networks. He is the applications theme leader of the ALADDIN project, and principal investigator of a SEAS DTC-funded project on the ‘Control and Management of Autonomous Mobile Sensors’.

Dr Frances Saunders

DG Science & Technology and Chief Executive, Dstl

Following her graduation from Nottingham University, Frances began her career in the motor industry. She joined the Civil Service at the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment (RSRE) at Malvern as a research scientist in the Liquid Crystal Device team. Following a variety of research and technology management roles within the Ministry of Defence, she became Director for the Centre for Defence Analysis.

Starting in January 2000, Frances spent four years in the Office of Science and Technology at the Department of Trade and Industry, taking the lead for the management of the interface with the seven Research Councils.

Frances joined the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) as Technical Director in 2003 and was appointed Chief Executive of Dstl in August 2007.

Guy Tomlinson

Programme Director, Complex Weapons, QinetiQ

Guy works within Weapons & Energetics Services, QinetiQ, as the Programme Director for the Complex Weapons Centre for Defence Technology. He is a Chartered Engineer and a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Following 23 years service in the RAF, Guy joined QinetiQ in 2006 in the military radar research area. During his time in the RAF he held air worthiness responsibility for VC-10K and Hercules C130K aircraft. Guy spent the last 7 years of his military service with the Defence Intelligence Staff where he was the Scientific & Technical Analyst for airborne electronic warfare threat systems.

Phil Woods

Chief Technologist, BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre

Phil joined BAE Systems in 1988 as part of the research aerodynamics team. He worked on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software for a number of years, eventually leading the Fluid Dynamics Research Group. He then managed BAE Systems' University Partnership Programme for novel Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) run out of Cranfield University.

Phil's more recent roles have included Head of Project Management within the Research and Technology function at the Military Air Systems business within BAE Systems, which included management of a large UK collaborative programme aimed at the certification of UAVs in UK airspace – ASTRAEA.

In early 2008, Phil was appointed Chief Technologist for the BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre, where he is currently working on technology strategies to meet the future needs of BAE Systems and its customers.