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.

Michael Spiteri is the Gartner Consulting Regional Lead for UK & Ireland. Michael brings over 35 years of industry experience in senior leadership roles focused on growth and innovation. Michael’s deep experience from hands on delivery, managing complex supply chains and leading technology implementations has been earned across multiple industries, from start ups through to FTSE 100 Companies. His past roles have included Chief Digital Officer of Santander UK and Group COO for HSBC, which included the Innovation portfolio.    Michael has also held advisory roles in technology start ups and was a Non Executive Director in a publicly listed company.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Victoria joined Defence Digital in May 2023 as Commercial Director with responsibility for functional leadership of the directorate and commercial leadership of digital across the defence enterprise.

The enterprise focus includes digital category management, commercial optimisation & market innovation.

Prior to joining Defence Digital Victoria was the Commercial & Category Director for the UK Health Security Agency within the Government Commercial Function. Where she established and led the Commercial and Business Development functions.

Victoria has over 20 years’ experience in the Defence & Security sector, leading corporate procurement, commercial and finance functions within FTSE100/250 organisations including BAE Systems, QinetiQ, Airbus, Unilever and the UK Health Security Agency.

Victoria’s achievements were recognised by World Commerce and Contracting in the Inspiring Women list 2023. The Times & Sunday Times in 2019 as the winner of We Are the City Top 100 Women 2019 – Defence. Victoria was also awarded the Marshall of Cambridge Medal by the Duke of Edinburgh for her contribution to the industry.

Victoria is a chartered Aeronautical Engineer by background and holds an Executive MBA from Henley Business School. Victoria is a Fellow and Global Advisory Board Member of World Commerce & Contracting, a Non-Executive Council Member of The Air League Trust and a Non- Executive Director and Chair of Audit, Risk & Assurance Committee of the Inspiring Leadership Foundation

Bio coming soon.

A reliable and conscientious Business Leader and Technology Director with extensive experience and knowledge working at Senior Executive level in the Aerospace and Defence industry. Past BAE Systems Global Engineering Fellow and representative on the programme boards of a number of High Value Manufacturing Catapult Technology Centres in the UK. A former council member and Non-Exec Director of TWI and member of a number of Advisory and Strategy Groups in the UK. Listed in The Manufacturer Top 100 in 2016. Awarded Honorary Professorship at the University of Nottingham in 2020 and at the University of Lancashire in 2024. Previous chair of the North West Aerospace Alliance and current chair of the North West Regional Defence and Security Cluster. Professor of Practice in Aerospace at the University of Nottingham. Director of A Schofield Aero Consulting Ltd and active advisor and consultant.

James Gavin is the Head of MoD Technology Transition, as Deputy Director UKDI
The UKDI exists to explore and to accelerate capabilities into Operational use.
Increasingly projects are ‘Agile By Default’ to deliver early operational advantage. The Directorate works closely with all the Front-line Commands, DSTL and the delivery portfolios within the NAD.
James has served in the military, the civil service and industry before joining the MOD. He is a passionate advocate of delivering Operational Advantage through novel ways of working, particularly though applying Agile & Spiral Development and the use of Industry Mission Partners.

Amanda is the Group Social Sustainability Director at BAE Systems Plc. She is responsible for leading Inclusion efforts across our UK & International markets, accelerating integration of Sustainability ambitions into the Supply Chain and cohering all Social Sustainability elements across BAE Systems.

Amanda has extensive experience as a Commissioned Logistics Officer in the Royal Australian Navy and as a Senior Leader in the corporate environment. She has a special interest in Sustainability, which combines her desire for outstanding business performance with true positive impact for employees and business stakeholders.

In her Naval career, Amanda was responsible for ensuring Naval Personnel and the Fleet received the highest level of multi-disciplinary Personnel and Supply Chain support. In her corporate career, Amanda has a wide range of technical and leadership experience, specialising in Supply Chain Management and Sustainability Excellence across the Pharmaceutical, Utilities and Defence industries.

Amanda has a passion for collaborating across the Aerospace & Defence industry and holds the chair of the Joint Supply Chain accreditation register (JOSCAR) Governance Group and is the SME Champion for BAE Systems.

Amanda is a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership & Management, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply.

Bio coming soon.

Jeremy manages techUK's defence programme, helping the UK's defence technology sector align itself with the Ministry of Defence - including Defence Digital, DE&S, innovation units and Frontline Commands - through a broad range of activities including private briefings and early market engagement events. It also supports the MOD as it procures new digital technologies.
Prior to joining techUK, from 2016-2024 Jeremy was International Security Programme Manager at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) coordinating research and impact activities for funders including the FCDO and US Department of Defense, as well as business development and strategy.

Chris Mayne is the Managing Director of Teleplan Forsberg, headquartered in Heysham, UK.

Founded in 1987, Teleplan Forsberg is a trusted provider of mission-critical Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) solutions for both defence and civil sectors. The company has a deep technical expertise in addressing complex PNT challenges, offering a comprehensive portfolio that includes Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, inertial navigation systems, antennas, anti-jam technologies, and situational awareness software, including MANTIS our Battlespace Management Software (BMS). These solutions are engineered to deliver precise and dependable data, even in the most demanding environments.

Chris began his journey with Teleplan Forsberg in 2003 as an Engineering Assistant during an internship. Over the years, he progressed through various roles within the organisation, culminating in his appointment as Managing Director in 2020. Chris is actively engaged in the broader technology and innovation ecosystem. He is a co-founder and steering board member of the Electech Innovation Cluster, a member of the North West Business Leadership Team, and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Lancaster University. He also contributes to several advisory boards, helping to shape regional strategies in education and innovation.

Phil Waterhouse is the Group Corporate Affairs Director of APCL Group.  The Group delivers defence and commercial shipbuilding and maritime platform support on a national and international basis from its yards in Birkenhead, Falmouth and Hebburn.  After a full career in the RN as a Logistics Officer culminating as a Commodore, Phil joined APCL in 2023; his focus is on senior and parliamentary engagement and future strategy.

Futures Lab is a framework under UKDI focused on solving Defence’s problems with pan-industry and academic teams, working collaboratively to cohere innovation challenges and deliver tailored solutions across the frontline commands.