Speakers - Talent Acquisition & Management

Jo Rayson, Managing Director Training, Babcock International

Dr James Cook OBE, Director, Programme Castle, British Army

I am delighted to be leading the British Army's team that is looking at how we manage our Human Capital better. It includes how we move soldiers and officers through the ranks on promotion, how we quantify their performance and how we reward them.

It is underpinned by the evolving Army Talent Framework (ATF) which seeks to define every job I the Army and every employees output so that we can manage our human capital to be in the right place at the right time. How we define our people and our appointments is the focus of our next significant task - if you think you can help - i'd be interested in hearing from you.

CASTLE is a team of about 40 from across the Army, contractors and civil servants. It is stronger for this mix and I am particularly happy that many of our team routinely work from home (pre-CV19) to be better able to manage their lives, families and other commitments.

Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Gary Waterfall CBE, Senior Military Advisor, Clarion Defence & Security

Gary served with the RAF for 34 years, retiring as AVM. His time with the RAF included multiple leadership roles including Harrier and Typhoon Force Commander, Air Officer Commanding No1 Group and UK National Air Defence Commander, Deputy Chief of Joint Operations, Permanent Joint Headquarters (UK), as well as serving as a Team Pilot for the Red Arrows. Upon his retirement in 2019, Waterfall turned to advising and mentoring across the leadership, defence and aerospace sectors, working both inside and outside of the Ministry of Defence with the professional mantra of ‘making good better’. He joined DSEI as Senior Advisor at a time of significant innovation and growth in the military aerospace and space sector.

Richard Holroyd, Managing Director and Client Partner – Defence, Fire and Security, Capita

 

Leader of complex Operations, Turnaround and Transformational Change. Has led operations on a large scale, designed and delivered strategic change, streamlined business activities and reduced costs significantly, in complex, matrixed environments, globally. Reputation for delivering results, driving significant improvement in customer service and business health and building capability to ensure enduring performance. Deep experience in building digital and Agile capability, business planning, and technical delivery/operations across the energy, telecoms, defence and public sectors. Global experience spans Europe (UK, Norway, Germany,), North America (Canada, US), Asia and Far East (Malaysia, India) and Middle East (Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, UAE).

Claire Fry, Director Functional Integration, Defence Digital

Claire Fry was appointed Director Functional Integration for the Ministry of Defence Digital Function in December 2020. She is the lead for driving cohesion and integration across the Digital Function including aspects such as Governance, Performance, Portfolio and Programme Office, Comms, Head of Profession and Information Rights.

Starting off in the private sector, she has now worked in Defence for 20 years, primarily in Digital roles, including working as a Head of CIO in a TLB (setting the Information strategy, driving IT efficiency and delivering business value), leading Digital Programmes and as the IT Head of Profession being responsible for setting up the first Digital Apprenticeship and Graduate programmes and for the professional development of up to 14000 Digital Professionals. She has driven Portfolio development of up to £26Bn and is grounded in ITIL based processes such as Configuration Management, Business Change and driving value from Technology in the business. As a Certified Management Consultant (CMC), running the internal consultancy team for Defence the team was awarded the Institute of Business Consultancy (IBC) premier practice status, delivering business process engineering, organisational development and team building.

Phil Pauley, Director, ESTA and Futurist

Phil Pauley is an internationally recognized innovator and futurist.  His work has regularly featured on high profile technology, lifestyle and popular science websites.

He established PAULEY Interactive in 2010, an award-winning Digital Management Consultancy (SME) whose immersive 3D, Data Visualization and VR/AR tech team specialize in developing next generation knowledge and asset management solutions engaged with organizations such as Siemens, NTAR, NCHSR/HS2 & Hitachi.

Phil was one of two people honoured by the world renowned Green GOOD DESIGN Award and he was the only designer to have 3 innovations featured in the INNOVATION IS GREAT BRITAIN campaign for the Queens Diamond Jubilee and London Olympic Games celebrations.  The campaign featured his work alongside 120 others including 76 Nobel Prize Winners in Science and Technology.  Phil has also been involved in Arctic and Ocean conservation projects and is an advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group.

His passion is developing innovative solutions to tackle global CSR and believes immersive technology can empower engineers through accelerated learning.  He has recently incorporated his futuristic designs into an inspiring young adult (STEM) science fiction book series to engage future engineers.  He pioneered floating solar farms as an emerging global renewable energy industry and designs self sustainable underwater habitats.

Andrew Kinniburgh, Director-General, Make UK Defence

Professor Anu Ojha, Director, National Space Academy

Professor Anu Ojha OBE is Director of the UK National Space Academy, a member of STFC Council and ESA’s Human Spaceflight and Exploration Science Advisory Committee (HESAC) – the senior science advisory body to the Agency’s Director of Human Spaceflight and Exploration. Invited by the Secretary of State for Defence to contribute to the 2020 Integrated Review, he is heavily involved in HMG’s strategic programme of allowed collaborations in space science with China through the UK-China Joint Laboratory in Space Science and Technology in which he is the UK lead for skills, education and human spaceflight/robotic exploration. In 2021 he was appointed as a Member of Court (Governing Body) of the University of St Andrews.

Air-Vice Marshal Maria Byford, COS Personnel and Air Secretary, Royal Air Force

Air Vice-Marshal Maria Byford was appointed Chief of Staff Personnel and Air Secretary in February 2020. She joined the Royal Air Force in 1991, following graduation from Kings College London with a Bachelor in Dental Surgery and for the first half of her career looked after her patients in dental centres and military hospitals across the globe. She was appointed Queen’s Honorary Dental Surgeon in December 2016.

Leaving clinical delivery behind, Air Vice-Marshal Byford has since served in a wide variety of command and staff appointments across Defence and on operational deployment, always with a strong focus on people. Aligned with her role as the RAF Deputy Diversity and Inclusion Champion, she is passionate about fair, transparent and inclusive treatment of the Whole Force. Air Vice-Marshal Byford is very proud to be Honorary President for Staffordshire Wing RAF Air Cadets and was delighted to accept the invitation to become the Defence Hindu Network Champion in June 2021.

Air Commodore Mike Wilson, ACOS RAF Digital, Royal Air Force 

Rear Admiral Phil Hally CB MBE, Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel Capability), Royal Navy

Hally joined the Royal Navy on 18 September 1991. He served as logistics officer on the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious as part of the relief effort for Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. He went on to become Programme Leader for the Defence Support Network Transformation Programme in September 2014, Assistant Chief of Staff Resources and Plans in November 2017, and Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff, People Transformation in May 2019. He also became Naval Secretary in January 2020.

Hally was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) on 26 February 2015, and was made an Honorary Captain of the Volunteer Cadet Corps in December 2019. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2021 Birthday Honours. 

Lance Corporal Jack Kanani, Royal Marine Commando, Chair, Royal Navy Race Diversity Network

Matt Smith, Director of Analysis, Shephard Media

Matt Smith is the Director of Analysis at Shephard, where he leads the company’s content operations as a member of the leadership team. He has over 15 years’ experience managing analysis and insight in defence and other industries. Prior to joining Shephard in August 2018, Matt was Head of Research and Insight at Capita Plc. Earlier in his career Matt held roles in strategy at BAE Systems Land and Armaments and worked on defence economics and military forecasting at IHS Jane’s.

Matt holds an MA in Politics and International Relations from the University of Aberdeen and a Master’s degree in War Studies from Kings College London. He has a keen interest in the opportunities and challenges offered by the application of digital technologies and data in defence.

Jenny Sandham, Defence Social Mobility Champion

General Sir Nick Carter GCB CBE DSO ADC Gen, Former Chief of the Defence Staff, Ministry of Defence

General Sir Nick Carter joined the Army in 1977 as an 18 year old and commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst into The Royal Green Jackets, an infantry regiment. During his early career he served in Germany during the Cold War, in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, in Cyprus with the UN and in command of a battalion on operations in Bosnia and Kosovo.

Latterly he has had tours of duty in Iraq as a brigade commander in 2003/4 and repeated tours of Afghanistan between 2002 and 2013. He was responsible on his first tour for the initial design of Provincial Reconstruction Teams and the Afghan National Army. He commanded 55,000 NATO troops in Regional Command South during the Afghan ‘surge’ and in his last tour led the transition process with the now President Ghani as the Deputy Commander of the NATO mission.

Between these deployments he has had appointments in personnel policy and training, running the Army’s Resources and Programme in the Ministry of Defence, as the Director of Land Warfare, and he led the team that reorganised the Army following the 2010 Security and Defence Review – what is known as Army 2020.

He has been the Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army since 2014, leading it through the most recent Security and Defence Review in 2015. He assumed the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff in June 2018.

Rear Admiral Paul Marshall CBE, Director Naval Acquisition and UK Defence Engineering Champion  

Rear Admiral Paul Marshall CBE joined the Royal Navy in 1988. He was promoted to Captain in March 2012 and served in Navy Command Headquarters where he was programme director for support improvement, engineering support and project “Faraday” which revitalized training and professionalism in the RN’s engineering branch. As a Commodore, he served as Programme Director for Type 26 frigates and established the Navy Command Ship Acquisition Programme Management Office, stepping up on promotion to Rear Admiral as the Senior Responsible Owner for delivery of the T31 Frigate and Fleet Solid Support Programme.  Navy Transformation has expanded his remit further to include equipment and systems, services and support, and Future Commando Force as Director Navy Acquisition.  He is currently the UK MoD Engineering Skills Champion, leading a team tasked with influencing policy makers to enhance the appeal of Defence Engineering to both current and prospective engineers, and is also the Disability Advocate for the Royal Navy.

Lieutenant Commander Norma Muyambo, Defence People - TESSR - Skills Policy, UK Ministry of Defence

Graham Ball, Deputy Director - MDI Change programme, UK StratCom

Graham Ball is a Senior Civil Servant at the Ministry of Defence. He is currently Deputy Director and Head Multi-Domain Integration Change Programme at Strategic Command, working to a pan-Defence mandate to the Vice-Chief of Defence Staff. Previously he was the Deputy Director responsible for the creation of Strategic Command.

Graham was Deputy Director Defence Innovation at the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in 2017, setting up the Defence Innovation Unit. Prior to this, Graham was Deputy Director Nuclear Policy, and responsible for detailed preparations for the UK’s Parliamentary Debate & Vote in July 2016 on which confirmed the retention of the Trident nuclear weapons system.

Graham joined the Civil Service Fast Stream in 2002, after a brief career in marketing and working for celebrity chef Raymond Blanc. He has held a series of posts in the Ministry of Defence and across the UK Government and served in Afghanistan as part of Task Force Helmand in 2011 with 3 Commando Brigade RM and 7 Armoured Brigade.

Outside of Defence, in 2007-08 he was part of the team that wrote the UK’s first ever National Security Strategy for Prime Minister Gordon Brown. In 2012 he was lead Home Office Official overseeing the military contribution to the London 2012 Olympics security operations, working to the then Home Secretary, Theresa May.

Graham holds a BA in International History from the University of Leeds and a MA in the History of International Relations from the London School of Economics (LSE), and has just completed an Executive MSc in International Strategy & Diplomacy at the LSE examing UK National Security responses to Russia through the paradigm of Cold War relations.

Lieutenant Colonel Mike Fernando, Commanding Officer - Defence School of Healthcare Education, UK StratCom

The Army Medical Services Training Centre is responsible for the collective training and assurance of medical capabilities prior to operational deployment or being held at readiness.  Appointed Chief Instructor in June 2019, Mike has led development of digitised and deployable solutions across the centre, allowing AMSTC to provide the remote simulation and assurance of medical facilities across any environment. 

He commissioned into the Royal Army Medical Corps as a Medical Officer in April 2000.  His early career spanned UK and Germany, various overseas commitments and deployments to Iraq in 2005 – 06 (Operation TELIC 7) and Afghanistan in 2011 – 12 (Operation HERRICK 15).  His final clinical post was as Senior Medical Officer to 1 Medical Regiment in Germany.

Following Intermediate Staff and Command Course (Land) in May 2013 he was assigned to 2 Medical Regiment in Germany, initially commanding 28 Medical Squadron and the Regimental Rear Operations Group during Operation HERRICK 19. He took command of 29 Medical Squadron in August 2014, as it supported to 1 (UK) Division’s ‘Adaptable Force’, with personnel deploying across twenty-seven different countries in the next nine months.

In July 2015 he moved to the Army Headquarters Medical Capability Directorate as SO2 Future Concepts.  There he worked on the healthcare input into the Army’s projected forces concepts as well as developing the Joint Deployed Hospital Care and Land Pre-Hospital Care concepts, and coordinating a Tri-Service Capability Investigation into Prolonged Care.

In July 2017 he was deployed as the UN Military Advisor for the Jubaland State of Somalia (Operation PRAISER), advising the 1* UN Senior Military Advisor on Defence Sector Reform strategy in the state, and his UN Regional Head of Office on political and strategic effects of military action.  He facilitated regional aspects of the Somali National Army (SNA) international capability audit and National Security Transition Plan, as well as reporting for the UN and UK on operations against insurgent groups across the state.

In July 2018 he was assigned as the Military Assistant to the Chief Executive Defence Academy and Commandant Joint Services Command and Staff College. As well as the routine delivery of military education across over 400 courses, the Defence Academy also undertook significant re-structuring into faculties to improve output efficiency.

He promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in June 2019 on appointment as Chief Instructor Army Medical Services Training Centre.          

As well as a BM in Medicine, Mike has a BSc (Hons) and MPhil (Res) in the field of Molecular Biology, and is a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners.  

Dr Craig Marsh, Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of the Lincoln International Business School, University of Lincoln

Craig has 32 years’ experience in the field of management learning and development, as a teacher, consultant, researcher, and senior manager. After graduating from Oxford University in 1987, Craig joined the RAF as a pilot; he then spent the early part of his career in Organisation Development, working on HR transformation projects in BP and Marconi, where he acquired a particular interest in the performance and development of operational leaders. This expertise he then developed into his own consulting business, designing and delivering leadership development, change management, and strategic change projects to public and private sector clients across the UK and continental Europe for over 10 years.

He then transitioned into a more academic career, while retaining a core interest and expertise in the practice of management and leadership. To this end he continued to design and deliver executive education programmes, while taking his doctorate in Management Learning at the University of Lancaster in 2006, studying the leadership work of Police Sergeants. He followed his thesis with a postdoctoral fellowship in the Centre for Performance – Led HR at the University of Lancaster.

For the last 13 years, Craig has worked in senior academic leadership roles, both as Chief Academic Officer for the UK with Laureate Online Education, and in his current role as a member of the Senior Leadership team at the University of Lincoln.

With Craig’s guidance, in 2021 Lincoln became the academic partner for all the Royal Navy’s training, including leadership training, for the next 12 years (‘project Selborne’).

He is an external adviser to the Initial Officer Training Course at RAFC Cranwell, is the vice – Chair of the Regional Employer Engagement Group, is a CBI Councillor for the East Midlands, and is a member of the East Midlands Military Education Committee.

Craig has also worked for the last three years with the RAF’s Tedder Academy of Leadership on the ‘Tedder Talks’ (lincoln.ac.uk/home/lbs/tedderacademy).

Eleanor Ramsey, Selborne Programme Director, University of Lincoln

Angela Owen OBE, Founder, Women in Defence UK

Angela’s Army career spanned 30 years and included tours in the UK, Germany and NI during the ‘Troubles’. One of the very first mothers to re-join after the rules changed in the early 90s, Angela has always cared deeply about helping women progress with a passion for equality of opportunity. In 2011, Angela founded Women in Defence UK, best known for its annual Awards, now in their 6th year, ground-breaking cross defence sector mentoring programme and its collaborative work with the MOD and industry on the Women in Defence Charter.

In addition to her Women in Defence UK work, Angela is a Senior Advisor to PA Consulting, a member of the CMI Women’s Committee, a Vice Patron of the Royal Air Force Air Cadets Council, a Companion of the CMI and a judge for the CMI Management Book of the Year and the Rural Business Awards. She recently reprised her early (Commonwealth Games and Combined Services) athletics career and enjoys sprinting in Masters’ competitions, albeit much more slowly than in the 1980s.  She was appointed OBE in the New Years’ Honours List 2021 for her services to women who work in the Defence Sector.

Hashim Hassan, Science Adviser: People and Training, DST

Hashim Hassan is currently a Science Adviser (on People and Training) working within Air Command. Hashim is an engineer and training technology specialist, having worked within multi-disciplinary teams of psychologists, analysts, and synthetic environment specialists over the past two decades, currently in DST and previously within the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl is an executive agency, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence).

He has led themes of research within the UK MOD Future Workforce and Human Performance research programme, focusing on training data exploitation and the analysis of transformative training technology. He has also been a panel member of several NATO groups examining the Cost-Benefit of Military Training and the Optimisation of Simulation-based training. The broad theme of his work in DST/Dstl has been to explore methods to report upon and better quantify the tangible benefits of investment in military training, at individual, team, collective and integrated levels.

Rusmat Ahmed, SVP Sales - EMEA, Bohemia Interactive Simulations

Rusmat is SVP Sales, EMEA for Bohemia Interactive Simulations since 2014 and leads all sales and business development activities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He has a wealth of business experience in defence, for projects for armies and air forces, and in both civil and military training and simulation.

Following a military flying career, Rusmat worked for Racal and Thales in business development, strategy, and bid and project management roles. He ran business units in civil and military avionics and was project or operations director on large, multi-company PFI projects. Moving increasingly to customer-facing roles, he was a sales director at L-3 before joining BISim. Rusmat has an MBA from INSEAD France and a degree in economics from the University of York.