Speakers

Adriana became one of the first employees of Tesla Energy after pivoting career paths from the financial industry. During her 5.5 year tenure at Tesla, Adriana was part of the core team that set up the early-stage hyper growth Business Operations department for Tesla Energy. She managed B2B sales operations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In 2020 she moved to the vehicles side of the business, establishing the Service Quality department for Technical Engineering.

After her time on both sides of the business at Tesla, Adriana was awarded a merit scholarship to pursue her MBA at INSEAD. The MBA program further sharpened Adriana's commitment to solving the issues of climate change and sustainability from a business perspective. She is now Chief Business Development Officer at Fokker Next Gen, an aviation company working to make emission free flight fueled by liquid hydrogen a reality by 2035.

Antoine has spent more than 30 years in Airbus (civil aircraft) in charge of Digital Continuity for A350 program but also for DDMS program: Digital Design Manufacturing and Service.

He has also in charge of several transformations, in particular the Engineering directorate of civil aircraft.

He joined Capgemini to bring his experience and to enable defining concrete transformative solutions for our clients for Engineering, programs, Digital Continuity transformations and IT challenges.

Vice President, Aerospace & Defense, David Ziegler leads the Dassault Systèmes Worldwide Aerospace & Defense Business through the development of its Industry leading Solution Experiences, based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Prior to Dassault Systèmes, David held multiple positions in the Aerospace industry, including 12 years at Airbus both in France and the U.S., holding positions in Strategy, Sales and Business development, and most recently at Aéroports de Paris. A French citizen, David’s career in aerospace began when he obtained his Masters of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Supaero, followed by an MBA from INSEAD. Passionate about everything that flies, he also enjoys kite-surf.

Debbie Kempton is a Chartered Engineer and Certified Program Manager with 30 years of engineering experience in aerospace engineering, applied research, system testing, engineering management and engineering leadership. After graduating from the University of Texas with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Aerospace Engineering, she has held a variety of product delivery and functional roles in the US and the UK and is currently serving as the Director of Engineering for the UKAEA’s Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) program. Debbie has had experience working in Manufacturing, Finance and Business Development as well as in the areas of strategy, risk management and engineering governance. She is also a Foundation Governor at her local Primary School and is passionate about inspiring young people in STEM.

Eric serves as Joby Aviation’s Chief Product Officer. He most recently led the Elevate team at Uber, developing software tools that built on more than a decade of experience enabling on-demand mobility. His experience in aerospace research, electric propulsion, energy storage, vehicle autonomy, and composite structures led him to the CEO position at Zee Aero, where he spearheaded the development of Cora, an autonomous air taxi vehicle. Eric holds a PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford, an MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford, and a BS from the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Gareth is the CIO for Leonardo UK. Gareth oversees the Digital Solutions function and has accountability for all IT, Data and Digital Transformation across Leonardo UK. He is pioneering digital technology across the Defence industry including the use of Public Cloud and ethical adoption of AI technologies.

Following a short career in the Royal Air Force as a helicopter pilot, Gareth joined Rolls-Royce. Over a 10-year period at Rolls-Royce, he held a series of roles within programme management, aftermarket services of combat platforms, strategic operations and IT.

Upon leaving his regular RAF career, Gareth has served as an Army Reservist within Military Intelligence, completing his last appointment as Officer Commanding 71 Military Intelligence Company.

Gareth is also a Director of the Team Defence Information (TD-Info) trade body and proudly was a co-founder of the TD-Vanguard, driving diversity into Defence.

Helen is the CEO of the Invictus Games bid 2027, leading the team to bring the Games back to the UK, at the NEC in Birmingham, in 2027.
Prior to that, Helen held the position of Director Armed Forces People Policy in the Ministry of Defence from February 2019. The portfolio is responsible for the strategies and policies to ensure we attract, retain and sustain a sufficient, capable and motivated Armed Forces through the provision of world class enabling HR policies. 

The policy areas included Armed Forces health, wellbeing and welfare; accommodation strategy and standards; Armed Forces pay, pensions, allowances and compensation; children, young people and families; and support to serving personnel and families through the lens of the Armed Forces Covenant. Helen was the inaugural
Chair of Trustees for the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (2017-2024), and the Defence Mental Health Champion since 2020.

Helen is a career Senior Civil Servant who joined the Ministry of Defence in 2001; she has held roles in finance, policy, strategy, programme management, HR and ops, across Defence, the Ministry of Justice and the Dept for International Development. In her early career, Helen also enjoyed time as a Royal Navy Reservist (Medical Branch).

Helen has a BSc (Hons) in Physiology and Pharmacology; is a fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and holds the Diploma of Chartered Director with the Institute of Directors.

When not working, Helen enjoys spending time with her family and escaping for year round swims in the local rivers, lakes and canals.

Professor Sir Iain Gray is the Director of Aerospace at Cranfield University. Sir Iain joined Cranfield University in March 2015, after 7 years as the Chief Executive of InnovateUK. In this role he is responsible for all aspects of learning, executive education and research in Aerospace for the University and for developing the Aerospace Strategy across the University Group.

Prior to this, Sir Iain was Managing Director and General Manager of Airbus UK, whose Bristol operation he joined when it was still part of British Aerospace.

Sir Iain Gray has an Engineering Science Honours degree from Aberdeen University and gained a Masters of Philosophy at Southampton University. Since then, Sir Iain has received Honorary Doctorates from Aston, Bath, Bristol, Aberdeen, Cardiff, Exeter and the University of the West of England. In 2014, he was awarded a CBE for services to innovation and in 2023 he was awarded the honour of Knight Batchelor for services to the aerospace industry.

Sir Iain is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering; a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and in 2007 was awarded the Royal Aeronautical Society Gold Medal.

In 2016 he was awarded the Baird of Bute Award for his contribution towards aviation in Scotland and in June 2023 he was appointed Companion of the Air League in recognition of his outstanding lifetime achievements in the aerospace industry.

Sir Iain is Chair of Aerospace Bristol Museum, a Non-Executive Director for Graphene based company Versarien and is Chairman of technology company CFMS UK Ltd.

Ieuan is the Head of Commercial Defence at ADS the trade association for the Defence Industry. Ieuan is responsible for improving the Commercial engagements between Government and the Defence Industry. Ieuan is an accredited UK Government Senior Commercial Specialist, . Previously Ieuan has led the commercial engagement on UK Smart Metering – as its Procurement Director and in Government Ieuan was in the Cabinet Office at the Crown Commercial Service responsible for Industry engagement across Central Government and the Public Sector for Infrastructure technology, as well as SRO for Crown Hosting, a joint venture between the Cabinet Office and Ark Data Centres and for Governments Public Services Network access closure programme.

Prior to working in Government, Ieuan was a General Manager at BT with over 20 years’ experience. Leading some of its largest and complex procurements; running a £bn managed service division, as well as selling and delivering Telecommunications services globally, including setting up with the European Space Agency the pre cursor to Galileo Global Positioning System.

Ieuan is a graduate of Kings College London and a Freeman of the City of London.

Jahan Zabe Ali has a diverse and extensive work experience in the aerospace industry. Jahan Zabe currently holds the position of Director of Research and Technology Europe at Spirit AeroSystems since March 2022. Prior to this, they served as the Head of Europe Research & Technology and the Aerospace Innovation Centre (AIC) from January 2021 to April 2022. In this role, they were responsible for R&T and APD at the Prestwick site and oversaw the setup and operation of an 8400sqm research center.

Before joining Spirit AeroSystems, Jahan worked at Airbus from 2010 to 2016. During their time at Airbus, they held various roles including Lead Engineer and Wing Integrator for A320 Family Wing Developments, Engineering Change Platform and LEAN Champion, A321neo Wing Structural Stress Engineer, In-Service Customer Support Team member, and A330 Long Range Wing Structures MAP Office engineer. These roles involved responsibilities such as evaluating and implementing wing improvements, leading static stress analysis, providing customer support, and designing repair solutions.

Jahan also gained experience with Emirates as an Engineering Technical Services Engineer from January 2012 to April 2012, where they worked on resolving fleet-wide issues and collaborating with repair teams.

Overall, Jahan Zabe Ali's work experience showcases their expertise in research and technology, project and program management, engineering design, stress analysis, customer support, and collaborative problem-solving.

Jahan Zabe Ali attended Hamilton College for secondary school from 1999 to 2004. Afterward, from 2004 to 2009, Jahan studied Aero-Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde.

John Tomblin is an advanced materials and aerospace expert with 30 years of expertise. His passion is engaging university experts and resources to solve industry problems.

As senior vice president for Industry and Defense Programs for Wichita State University (WSU), Tomblin oversees more than 1,800 staff in organizations focused on applied learning, aerospace, smart manufacturing and technology transfer. These include the Cyber Security and Forensics Group, FirePoint Innovations Center, GoCreate, Molecular Diagnostics Lab, National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), National Institute for Research and Digital Transformation and Shocker Career Accelerator.

In this role, Tomblin has advanced WSU’s 120-acre Innovation Campus from a sleepy golf course to a thriving community of global partners committed to providing applied learning opportunities for WSU students while advancing technology and innovation. These partners include Airbus, ATF, BCG, Dassault Systèmes, Deloitte, Hexagon, NetApp, Spirit AeroSystems and Textron Aviation.

As executive director of NIAR, Tomblin has grown the university’s aerospace engineering R&D portfolio from $20 million in 2004 to more than $350 million, which places WSU third among all U.S. universities in aerospace R&D expenditures. This activity is driven by 20 laboratories encompassing two million square feet in six locations across the city of Wichita.

One of Tomblin’s most significant accomplishments is extending NASA’s AGATE program into the National Center for Advanced Materials Performance, which gained acceptance from the FAA and EASA in 2010 and 2014 respectively. Another significant accomplishment is the establishment and growth of NIAR’s Digital Twin Program, which has led to sustainment support and life extension for aircraft such as the F-18, B-1, UH-60 Black Hawk, F-16, and M113 armored personnel carrier. He was also integral in the development and rapid growth of the NIAR WERX MRO program, established in 2020 with the announcement of its first Boeing 777 passenger to freighter conversion program.

Jonty Deeley-Williamson joined the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) as Head of Learning and Development (L&D) in December 2021. Since joining, he has launched the UK’s first publicly available training course in battery manufacturing, an Introduction to Battery Manufacturing, and has delivered comprehensive lineside training for several European and US battery developers alongside being the chair and subject matter expert for the world’s first apprenticeship in Battery Manufacturing. Previously a science teacher, he has worked in L&D for more than a decade in the rail construction, high speed rail, food manufacturing and battery manufacturing sectors. Working on various projects including the Elizabeth line, HS2 skill development, installation of a new food manufacturing line, and supporting skills from operatives to directors, since joining UKBIC, his role at UKBIC is to develop battery manufacturing skills and training courses at all levels for the UK.”

Joris Melkert is Associate Professor and the Director of Education at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering of TU Delft in the Netherlands. He holds a MSc degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Bachelor degree in Business Administration. Joris has more than 25 years of experience in teaching not only all kinds of aviation related courses but also more fundamental courses. Joris is also an Education Fellow of TU Delft.


In his position as Director of Education he is responsible for both the Bachelor and Master program in Aerospace Engineering. The total student body of both programs is 3,000.


Joris is member of the Program Committee of the International Council for the Aeronautical Sciences, ICAS. In addition to that Joris is the chair of the ACARE Strategy and Implementation Board the co-chair of the ACARE (Advisory Council for Aviation Research and innovation in Europe) as well as the co-chair of the Working Group on Research, Education and Research Infrastructure. He also represents TU Delft in the European network of aerospace universities PEGASUS of which he been the chairman as well. He is also a member of the Management Committee of the Transport Arena (TRA) conferences and a member of the advisory board of the Royal Dutch Association for Aviation, the Dutch member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internaltionale.

Business Consultant for the Aerospace & Defense Industry of Dassault Systèmes, world leader in virtual universes. Lisa has spent more than 13 years in the Aerospace & Defense industry. She has a PhD supersonic combustion engineering with a special focus on the development of a scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) prototype at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She first started working at Safran and was responsible of the design optimization of low-emissions injection systems for commercial aviation. She led low-to-mid TRL research French and European programs dedicated to the next generation of clean combustors. She has been working at Dassault Systemes since 2019 on simulation solutions first, and is now focusing on helping commercial aviation stakeholders in achieving Sustainability through Innovation.

Marc Overton is Managing Director for Northern Europe of Dassault Systèmes, a company that is empowering organizations to sustainably invent, learn, produce, and trade in entirely new ways. Marc was previously a member of the executive team of EE/Orange in the UK, and has also held senior leadership positions at First Data, Cisco and Sierra Wireless and helped establish BT’s Division X, targeting specific industry solutions using 5G Private Networks and IoT. 

In addition to being an established international technology businesses executive, Marc has been a UK Army Reservist for 37 years. He is currently serving as the Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets) and as the Digital Non-Executive Director for Defence Equipment & Support, supporting all equipment and services for the UK Armed Forces.

CTO and director at one of the world’s leading eVTOL start-ups and a pioneer in sustainable aviation. Michael has overseen incredible growth since joining Vertical in 2019, with the company transitioning from a 40-person start-up to listing on the NYSE within 2 years, flying multiple full-scale prototypes and building a record $6bn order book for 1500 VX4 aircraft from some of the world’s leading aircraft operators and lessors including American Airlines, Avolon, Japan Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. He played a pivotal in shaping both the company strategy and aircraft design, securing funding and fostering strategic partnerships with the likes of Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, Leonardo, and Microsoft.

Before joining Vertical, Michael spent 22 years at Rolls-Royce after graduating with a first class honours degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Bristol University. He progressed through increasingly senior roles in design, development and service support across a wide range of Rolls-Royce civil and military aero engines. Most recently, as Head of Future Technologies reporting to the group CTO, he co-wrote the group’s electrical strategy, routinely reported to the board on disruptive technology and business model threats and opportunities and led a global multidisciplinary team responsible for generating future concepts and developing, protecting and transferring cutting edge technologies across all of the Rolls-Royce businesses.

Neil is the Global Engineering Capability Director at Babcock International Group. He is responsible for leadership and executive management oversight across the Group of the development and sustainment of Engineering Capability and the development and application of Engineering Integrity processes.

Prior to this appointment Neil was the Engineering & Technology Director in Babcock’s marine sector, where he was 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 ranged from concept engineering; new naval ship designs such as the Inspiration Class T31 Frigates; in-service support for naval surface ships and submarines. Neil was 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.

Brought up in Derbyshire and educated at the local Comprehensive School, he joined the Royal Air Force in 1988 as a University Cadet and studied Engineering at Clare College Cambridge. He spent his early career in frontline roles working on Nimrod Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Tornado and in several roles within the Harrier Force. He has served as the Station Commander at Royal Air Force Wittering where he was also the RAF’s Logistics Force Commander.

He has held a range of staff appointments in the Ministry of Defence, Air Command and in acquisition and support. He has been closely involved in strategic and capability planning for the Royal Air Force and Defence. He has been the Assistant Chief of Air Staff, where he was responsible for the strategic coherence and coordination of the Royal Air Force and planning for the RAF’s centenary programme. The most senior role he has held in the Ministry of Defence was as the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff for Military Capability. Before taking up his appointment as Chief of the Air Staff he was Deputy Commander Capability and People at Air Command, where he was responsible for the strategic planning and delivery of all aspects of Royal Air Force capability, including people, equipment, infrastructure and training.

He has completed the Advanced Command and Staff Course and attended the Royal College of Defence Studies and the UK Pinnacle Course. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineers and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Derby University. He is a Vice Patron of the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust, an ambassador for the Royal Air Forces Association and President of the Royal Air Force Winter Sports Federation, Hockey Association and Powerlifting Association. He was appointed to the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath as a Commander (CB) in 2017 and as Knight Commander (KCB) in 2023.

Robert B. Fookes Jr., a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Director of Engineering and Technical Management, and Chief Engineer, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He provides comprehensive leadership for maintaining technical superiority and integrity of all Air Force systems. He leads the command’s transformation to digital materiel management to maximize the value of technology disruption, and provide rapid capability maturation, delivery, and readiness. He leads a 15,000-person national engineering organization and is responsible for talent acquisition, development, and management of over 80% of the Air Force’s engineering and technical workforce.

Mr. Fookes has more than 34 years of experience in federal civil service. He began his Air Force career at Aeronautical System Center in 1988 as an Embedded Computer Resource Engineer. Mr. Fookes has had various assignments throughout his career, to include engine controls for the Propulsion Directorate, sub-system software on C-17 Program, integrated flight and propulsion control for the Joint Strike Fighter Concept Demonstration, Silent Knight Radar development for U.S. Special Operations Command, Air Vehicle Deputy Lead and F-35A Airworthiness Lead for the F-35 Joint Program Office, and Director of Engineering for Presidential and Executive Airlift and the F-35 JPO. His experience covers all phases of acquisition, from concept demonstration through sustainment, and crosses a wide variety of technical disciplines.

In his previous position, Mr. Fookes was the first Director of Engineering and Technical Management for the F-35 JPO in Arlington, Virginia. The F-35 JPO is the Defense Department’s agency responsible for the development, production and sustainment of the F-35A/B/C Lightning II, the next-generation strike aircraft for the Air Force, Marines, Navy, eight partner nations, and multiple foreign military customers. Mr. Fookes was responsible for sound systems engineering processes, product integrity, engineering leadership, and all technical aspects of the DoD’s largest acquisition program.

Prior to his F-35 assignment, Mr. Fookes was the Director of Engineering for the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. He was the technical advisor to the directorate Program Executive Officer and responsible for all technical aspects of the PE directorate, which manages the modifications and sustainment of the current Air Force One (VC-25A), the E-4B fleet, and other presidential and executive aircraft affectionately referred to as the “blue and white” fleet. Mr. Fookes was also the Chief Engineer, and led the development and start of modification, for the next-generation Air Force One (VC-25B).

EDUCATION
1988 Bachelor of Science, Systems Engineering, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
2002 Master of Science, Management Science, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
2016 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence

CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. September 1988–September 1989, Computer Resource Engineer, Engineering Home Office and Propulsion Directorate, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
2. September 1989–August 1996, Computer Resource Engineer, C-17 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
3. September 1996–December 1996, Student, University of Dayton, Ohio
4. January 1997–September 1998, Lead Systems/Software Engineer, Avionics Integrated Support Facility, C-17 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
5. September 1998–April 1999, Flight Controls Team Lead, C-17 System Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
6. April 1999–October 2001, Vehicle Management System Integrated Flight/Propulsion Control Lead Engineer, Joint Strike Fighter Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
7. October 2001–July 2007, Vehicle Management System/Subsystems Lead Software/Integration Engineer, F-35 Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
8. July 2007–May 2009, Vehicle Systems Integration Integrated Powertrain Lead, F-35 Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
9. June 2009–July 2011, Chief Engineer, Silent Knight Radar Program, U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Fla.
10. August 2011–July 2014, F-35A Lead Avionics and Integration Engineer, F-35 Joint Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
11. July 2014–March 2015, F-35A Acting Chief Engineer and Delegated Airworthiness Authority, F-35 JPO, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
12. March 2015–March 2016, F-35A Deputy Chief and Lead Systems Engineer, F-35 JPO, AFLCMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
13. April 2016–July 2017, Flight Systems Chief Engineer, F-35 JPO, AFLCMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
14. July 2017–July 2020, Director of Engineering, Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate, AFLCMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
15. August 2020-July 2022, Director of Engineering and Technical Management, F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, Arlington, Va.
16. August 2022-present, Director of Engineering and Technical Management, and Chief Engineer, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio

Sriram Lakshminarayanan is the current President & CTO at Tata Technologies. Prior to this, they were with IBM for 14 years in various roles. Sriram started as an Industry Lead - Auto and A&D Global Business Solutions Center in 2002 and was responsible for developing reusable assets and solutions in Auto/A&D Industries and helping position IBM as a thought leader with clients. In 2012, they moved to Business Development - GID Growth Play Germany where they were responsible for driving growth in IBM's Global Industry Solutions business. In 2013, they became the Partner and Industry Leader - Automotive/Aerospace & Defence and was responsible for building strategies and growing business with global accounts. Sriram left IBM in 2016 to join Tata Technologies.

Sriram Lakshminarayanan's educational career began with a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Electronics and Communication from Madurai Kamaraj University. Sriram followed this with a certification from IBM in IBM Industry Academy. Sriram's most recent certification is from IBM in Automotive Insights and Solutions (Platinum).

They work with Aloke Palsikar - EVP & Head of Growth Industries, Savitha Balachandran - Chief Financial Officer, and Pawan Kumar Bhageria - President, Global HR, IT, Admin & Education. Their manager is Warren Harris, CEO & Managing Director.

Stephen Beecher has an MSc in Advanced Materials, is a Chartered Engineer of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering and has 19 years’ experience in manufacturing research and development, spanning both industrial and higher education roles. Currently Senior Sector Engagement Manager for Aerospace at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, he has worked extensively in this role, and in his former industry roles, within the aerospace sector to develop new business opportunities. Originally from a composites manufacturing background, Stephen recently worked as Composites Technical Fellow supporting the COMPASS (Composites at Speed and Scale) programme, a £50M programme that will deliver a unique, open access research and development facility to de-risk the development and manufacture of high-rate, large-scale composite parts up to 10 metres in length, and to drive future investment in the UK’s manufacturing sectors.

Steve McCarthy is married to Odette, a Physics teacher and is father to twins Kieran and Tristan. They share their family home near Bath (UK) with Tala the Border Collie.

He took up his current role in UK Defence Equipment and Support as Director Ships Operations and Capability Integration in March 2023. He is responsible for the Portfolio Management of through life availability and capability integration of Royal Navy Ships, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ships and UK Ministry of Defence Boats.

Steve joined the Royal Navy in 1990 and graduated as a Marine Engineer Officer in 1994 after training at sea and at the Royal Naval Engineering College, Manadon. He read for a Master of Science degree in Marine Engineering at University College London in 1998, is a Chartered Marine Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology.

Steve is a graduate of the UK Defence Academy Advanced Command and Staff Course, a Member of the Association of Project Management and a Member of the Royal College of Defence Studies. His seagoing appointments include: Deputy Marine Engineer Officer in the Type 23 Frigate HMS Marlborough, Senior Engineer in the Helicopter and Commando Carrier HMS Ocean, Commander E in the Aircraft Carrier HMS Illustrious and Staff Marine Engineer Officer to Flag Officer Sea Training (South).

His project leadership experience includes: Programme Manager for the Surface Ship Support Programme; Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers Chief Engineer; Capital Ships Support Team Leader; and Head of Naval Ships Support. Away from Engineering, Steve has worked on the staff of Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and as Deputy Chief of Staff in the UK Permanent Joint Headquarters Forward staff in Pakistan.

Steve was appointed Chief Naval Engineer Officer in October 2023, with responsibility to implement the Naval Engineering Strategy and to champion the Profession’s vital contribution to the Royal Navy’s operational success.

Tamara MONTI is the Early Engagement business leader for global software company Dassault Systèmes in Northern Europe, with the main objective to empower the workforce of the future. She is working closely with Education and Industry leaders to demonstrate the value of the 3DExperience platform to upskill all engineers to speed up sustainable innovation. She earned a PhD degree in Electromagnetics in 2013. She has been a visiting researcher at the Trieste Synchrotron, at Temple University of Philadelphia and at the University of Maryland at College Park working on microwave nanotechnology. She held a postdoctoral position at the University of Nottingham from 2014 to 2017 on high power microwave material processing. In 2017, she joined CST, subsequently acquired by Dassault Systèmes as part the SIMULIA brand, where she was one of the computational electromagnetic experts, supporting customers in the transportation and mobility industries.

Thomas Grohs is since January 2024 the Head of Future Capabilities department being responsible for developing new operational capabilities, delivering system of systems solutions to Customers as well as innovation and research and technology activities.

From 2019 to 2023, he was the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) Chief Engineer leading all engineering activities within Airbus on the next generation of airborne weapon systems developing manned and unmanned assets with integrated cross platform teaming capabilities.

Prior to this role, Thomas took over the position as Chief Engineer for the Combat Aircraft Programs of Airbus Defence and Space, being responsible for the technical content of the Airbus Workshare within the multinational Eurofighter / Typhoon Program.

From 2016 to 2003, he held various positions at Airbus in the Flight Test Department, ranging from managing the Eurofighter/Typhoon Flight Tests to Deputy Head of Airbus Defence and Space Flight Test (Germany & Spain) and leading the Flight Test Center in Manching, Germany.

Previously, he was Airbus Chief Engineer for the experimental Aircraft Program X-31 Vector having the full technical responsibility for the German Work share (Structures, Flight Control System, Thrust Vectoring) in the USA.

Thomas began his carrier in 1997 at German Aerospace Center (Research Institute) and former Daimler-Benz Aerospace as Junior Scientist.

He holds a degree in the field of Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering from the Technical University of Munich.

Thomas is 51 years old, married and has a daughter (15).

Dr. Seneviratne is currently the Director of Advanced Technologies Lab for Aerospace Systems (ATLAS) at WSU/NIAR and manages a research portfolio that includes projects from the FAA, DoD, DHS, NASA, and aircraft industry in the areas of advanced manufacturing and inspections, durability and damage tolerance, certification, and aging of composite aircraft structures. He is an active member of Composite Materials Handbook (CMH-17) and his previous research findings have contributed to damage tolerance, disbond delamination, data review, and statistics working groups, and supported world-wide composite damage tolerance and maintenance workshops sponsored by FAA, USN, and EASA. Prior to joining Wichita State, Dr. Seneviratne worked as a Stress Analyst for Airbus-Wichita and was responsible for performing detailed stress analysis on AIRBUS A380 passenger aircraft wings per FAA and EASA regulations and preparation of certification documents.

Yavor brings a wealth of experience in manufacturing management, having served as a General Manager for complex manufacturing operations across automotive, electric components and healthcare. His extensive experience includes procurement in Mexico, leading a JV project between a state owned Shanghai company and an European multinational, and responsibility for two manufacturing sites in Bulgaria. Prior to that, Yavor has worked in management consulting and as a derivatives analyst in London.


At Dronamics, Yavor spearheads the establishment of the company’s global manufacturing operations.