Profile
Background
A dynamic and motivated independent Chartered Engineer with 25 years international experience of Aerospace Engineering, Digital Management and Consultancy in both the Defence and Civilian markets. Interested in global projects exploiting emerging digital technology, and in exploiting STEM best practice. British national with security UK Developed Vetting (DV) clearances.
UK Government Digital Revolution Lead, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (August 2023 to present).
I have stayed in the Civil Service and have moved out of Defence into a digital role supporting biodiversity research at Kew Gardens. I am the lead for all of Kew Science digital enablers and delivery including the £17M Herbarium and Fumarium Digitisation project which started in July 2022. The focus of this project is in enabling remote digital access to researchers worldwide whilst setting up the infrastructure to secure and support all Kew research data through life. I lead a 110 strong team of developers, machine learning researchers, data analysts and curators. I am building a sustainable funding structure, data network and policy to secure enduring utility for 3M specimen messy data sets, whilst building the in-house skill set to explore analysis and combination of diverse data forms to support research trends in biodiversity.
Ministry of Defence Secondee to the US Department of Defence; Department of Defence F-35 Joint Project Office Digital Transformation Lead, Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia, USA (November 2016 to August 2022)
I was the lead engineer, based in the US, for all UK software engagement on the military aircraft F-35. I have led and championed digital transformation within the Department of Defense (DoD) F-35 Agile DevSecOps (DSOP) ecosystem. I have been the driving force for the stand-up of the US F35 Joint Project Office (JPO) Managed Cloud which enables software on the +625 F-35 aircraft worldwide.
In July 2019 to Jan 2020, in compliance with DoD Acquisition and Financial Policy, I led a small Sprint team on a 180 Day challenge to stand up cloud infrastructure. During this time, we delivered a Government Managed cloud DevSecOps ecosystem. In the second sprint activity, Jan 2020 to Aug 2020, my focus then moved on to collateral and secret SAR cloud (IL5-7) tools and in addressing contractual and legal worldwide sovereign and industrial issues. In achieving these sprints, I worked closely with AWS, Microsoft Azure and a host of Small Medium Enterprises (SME) to source and contract leading edge collaborative tools. I have also worked alongside US Defence Information Systems Agency (DISA) and cyber certification authorities to deliver, whilst maintaining pace with the evolving and agile threat envelope.
From 2016 to 2019, I led the 40 strong US Software Sustainment team within the F-35 Joint Project Office (JPO). This role spearheaded the standup of four US Government Depots to support software development of the three F-35 aircraft variants through life. The $1.7Bn project, over 7 years delivering in 2024, will enable the US and the UK to provide sustainable and independent operational capabilities globally.
Within the F-35 JPO, I have championed Software Modernization. I have worked creatively and persistently to improve collaboration between U.S. Government, eight Partner Nations and worldwide Industry. As the international lead of an all US team, I have been pivotal in enabling the UK achieving innovative software collaboration in support of a global $49B billion program. I have been very involved in metric generation to drive cultural digital change, including negotiation of contract language through to agile sprint review and delivery reconciliation for payment. This achievement has been recognized in the US and UK with the award of the Women in Defence Collaborative Finalist Award 2020 and the US Secretary of Defense Outstanding Public Service Award (OPSA).
To deliver the F-35 JPO Managed Cloud, I had to develop and deliver funding submission, business cases analyses to the Senate Appropriations committees to source $265M in compliance with fiscal checks and balances. In delivering, I have used SAP, Prince2, APMP and P3M methodologies as well as DoD Agile SAFE. I broke new ground in joint and collaborative ways of working with Service Level Agreements (SLA) at Industrial and Government levels. As every task was new in terms of legislation, funding, approvals and access agreements I was often the first author of key DoD enabler templates for US cloud-based environments.
Through my expert guidance, I authored and delivered the Software Modernization strategy for F-35 software sustainment, garnering support from the USAF, USN and USMC, the F-35 Partner Nations, and from the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. I spearheaded gaining buy-in with representatives from all F-35 stakeholders including numerous site engagements with Industry and Government, technical interchange meetings, working groups, and briefed countless advisory groups and approval authorities including the Assistant Secretary of Defence for Acquisition, UK MOD Chief Scientific Advisor, US Defence Attaché and the Minister for Defence Material, as well as UK military representatives in the Commands and Warfare Centres. During my career, I have contributed to many panel discussions in the US and UK, most recently being an active speaker at US events on software with the Software Engineering Institute, KBR and MITRE. In 2021, I will be briefing at the MOD CIO Townhall in June and DSEI in September.
Defence Science and Technology Attaché, British Defence Staff US (BDSUS) at British Embassy, Washington DC鈥∟ovember, 2013 – November 2016
Strategic role supporting the Counsellor Defence Acquisition and Trade in providing cross domain S&T, focussing on collaboration in Air, Maritime and Land. This diplomatic role covers early technology research through to exploitation and acquisition programmes, with a view to developing global defence capability鈥╥n the US and UK. The British Defence Staff US is the home of the Ministry of Defence in the United States of America and its purpose is to serve the interests of Her Majesty's Government in the USA. The British Defence Staff US is led by the Defence Attaché and has responsibility for military and civilian MOD personnel located both within the Embassy and in 34 states across the USA.
Airworthiness Systems Principal at Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), October 2012 - November 2013
I was the Technical Principal in Air and Weapons Systems Department, Dstl leading and developing the in- house Airworthiness capability within Dstl, providing Independent Technical Evaluation (ITE) in support of projects for DE&S including Joint Strike Fighter (JSF, F35, Lightning II), C130 and Unmanned systems The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) ensures that innovative science and technology contribute to the defence and security of the UK. Dstl supplies specialist services to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and wider government. 60% of MOD’s science and technology programme (total funding: £410 million) is supplied by external partners in industry and academia worldwide.
Qualifications and awards
- Fellow Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAES)鈥�
- Fellow Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET)
- Women in Defence UK Most Collaborative Award Finalist (2020)
- US Office of the Secretary of Defence Outstanding Public Service Award (OPSA) (2020)
- Royal Aeronautical Society Silver Medal (2021)
- Women in Defence UK Most Collaborative Award Finalist (2022)
- US Office of the Secretary of Defence Exceptional Public Service Award (2022)