Simon Hindmarsh

Responsible to the UK Chief of the Defence Staff for defence and security matters in Malaysia, with specific tasks: to strengthen bilateral defence ties between the UK and Malaysia at all levels of activity, from ministerial to front line soldier; to supervise and assure the safe and effective conduct of multi-national defence operations and training exercises; to assure that all jurisdictional and safety critical activities are managed to ALARP methodology; to act as Crisis Manager for the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

· Managed the British High Commission's exceptional holistic Crisis response during the early months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

· Negotiated and secured requisite governmental diplomatic permissions to enable essential PPE shipments by Air to the UK.

· Overhauled and transformed the risk management and safety culture of Five Power Defence Arrangements major military training exercises in Malaysia, by introducing safety management systems based on international best practise and standards.

· Planned and delivered alongside the Malaysian emergency services complex visit programmes for Royal Navy warships and UK VVIPs.

· Advises UK Defence industry in Malaysia on how to align product technical specifications with Malaysian customer requirement.

· Successfully directed major events within Malaysia, such as the annual Remembrance Service in Kuala Lumpur, with an absolute focus on personnel safety and security.

· Leads a highly effective strategic communications plan to promote UK Values and Global Britain imperatives across SE Asia.

Flagship tertiary-level, full time academic course in Strategic Studies and International Relations. One of only 50 students selected for this higher education and network opportunity, targeted at tomorrow's strategic leaders of industry and government.

· Chairman of the International Students' Events Committee.

· Awarded prize for best international student

· Published in the 2017 Autumn Edition of the Indo Pacific Security Journal – dissertation on ‘Food Security Challenges in Japan'.

UK Secretary of State for Defence's principal expert and advisor on all defence and security issues in Brazil, responsible for strengthening bilateral defence ties between the UK and Malaysia at all levels of activity – ministerial to soldier.

· Developed and delivered alongside UK Special Forces and the Brazilian Army risk-management processes to enable safe and successful jungle and littoral training programs for UK armed forces personnel visiting and working in Brazil.

· Planned and delivered the safe, inaugural visit to Rio by a RN ASTUTE-class nuclear submarine during a period of significant political disruption in Brazil, leading on all diplomatic endeavor to secure the requisite political support.

· Negotiated and secured diplomatic clearance for hundreds of complex global Air logistics movements through Brazil, between the UK and the Falkland Islands.

· Negotiated and secured significant prosperity outcomes in collaboration with UK Industry, by developing and supporting alongside the Swedish Defence Attache an aircraft marketing campaign to sell Saab jet fighters to Brazil. Awarded the Brazilian Santos Dumont medal for this personal contribution.

· Developed resilience and Command & Control processes, and led UK Embassy crisis planning to support the 2014 World Cup and Rio 2016 Olympic Games. A key outcome was the safe support provided to all GB athletes and the many thousands of British sports tourists visiting Brazil for these events.

Responsible to the UK Permanent under-Secretary of Defence as a key account facilitator within the UK's largest overseas government-to-government Defence programme. Principal accountability for delivering contractual and Aviation Subject Matter Expertise support to both the UK Prime Contractor, BAES and to the Royal Saudi Air Force. Personal functional activity included management of the Tornado Sustainment Programme, and development of the BAES Aviation Safety Management System to align with best practice. UK Delegated Duty Holder safety responsibility for all RAF pilots seconded to the Programme.

· Led and developed a dispersed technical team of RAF and civil service personnel based both in Saudi and in London that provided practitioner expertise and performance contract management functions across aviation operations, flight safety, engineering, training and logistics work streams.

· Ensured the successful and timely completion of the £multi-million Tornado Sustainment Programme and the attendant air weapons capability development project.

· Delivered all requisite ground and air training support to the Aviation Programme.

· Championed and drove the collaborative introduction by BAES of a new flight safety and risk management culture to the Royal Saudi Air Force enabling a significant reduction in accidents and incidents.

· Successfully compelled the Prime Contractor to operate its flying business in accordance with the governance and best practice requirements of the UK Military Airworthiness Authority, despite considerable counter-pressure being applied by senior UK Government and commercial directors to put profit ahead of safety.

· Personally planned, led and supervised the inaugural 5-stop European air display tour by the Royal Saudi Air Force Aerobatics Team and verified repeatedly their compliance with all requisite national, CAA and ICAO rules and regulations.

· Secured significant new export business outcomes for BAE Systems and for Pilatus Aircraft Ltd that included the £500 million sale of 22 x Hawk advanced jet trainers and 55 x PC21 turboprop trainer aircraft.

The Senior Aviation Community leader and Executive Board Member responsible for the operational capability, resilience, sustainment and welfare of all 2000 UK Armed Forces and contractor personnel based in the Falkland Islands and at Ascension Island. Managed a £77 million annual operating budget. Accountable risk owner for all infrastructure and operating environment safety. Member of the Falkland Islands Executive Council of government and a non-voting member of the Government's Legislative Assembly, responsible for managing the strategic and highly complex relationship between the UK Government and its key Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic.

· Demonstrated exemplary senior leadership in converting strategic desired end states into safe, well-planned, affordable and predictable outcomes.

· Led and assured successful operational business continuity throughout several major disruptive transformation programmes that included a total runway and aircraft maneuvering area re-surfacing programme.

· Led central technical oversight of contracted rotary-wing aviation services and operations, to support principally search and rescue and logistics movements.

· Owned all delegated technical risk attendant with aviation operations in the South Atlantic, and assured safe and effective delivery of all aviation outputs.

· Chaired the airbase flight safety committee and embedded and nurtured a related organization-wide ALARP awareness culture to assure that zero accidents or major incidents arose.

· Led a review of contracted aviation and logistics services resulting in a successful estate transformation and leaning programme being delivered across several geographically dispersed regions in the Falklands and on Ascension Island to ensure future sustainability and affordability.

· Led ‘Just' and transparent incident investigations to ensure that lessons were learned and shared following several operational occurrences that included a mid-air collision, a maritime accident and oil spill, and a live weapon firing accident resulting in near loss of life. Led subsequent change in process to mitigate the risk of reoccurrence due to human factors considerations.

· Delivered exceptional results during all major external audits of operational safety and capability.

The primes inter pares of 6 Station Command Board Members, and Deputy Station Commander directing the conduct and output of some 2000 military and civilian personnel at the main RAF fast jet operating base in Scotland. Additional operational command and leadership responsibility for the 200 multi-disciplinary personnel comprising Number 125 Expeditionary Air Wing. Lead for the Airbase Operational Planning Team, Flight Safety Action Group, Resilience Operations Team, and for the Major Incident and Crash Response Team. Planning, delivery and safety responsibility for all UK and overseas exercises, national and NATO air defence operations, for routine day-to-day flying activity, and for the annual international ‘At Home' air display event at RAF Leuchars.

· Discharged line management and professional development responsibilities for 200 military and civilian staff members across 6 functional divisions: Air Traffic Control and Airfield Safety; Crash and Fire; Air Operations; Meteorology; Flying Standards and Evaluation; Operational Communications and IT.

· Delivered safe, efficient, round-the-clock provision of all appropriate military and contracted airfield facilities and services to support the airfield mission, within ICAO and government ground and air regulations.

· Planned and led, without any impact on operational readiness or outputs, the safe and effective bolthole operation to decant from RAF Leuchars all 3 Tornado jet fighter squadrons during a disruptive and enduring period of major runway and airfield infrastructure refurbishment.

· Led the formation and operational declaration of Number 125 Expeditionary Air Wing, with developed operational capabilities to support deployed aviation operations in multiple global locations and environments.

· Instigated and led a comprehensive Value Stream Analysis to deliver mandated rationalization of airfield support services during a period of extensive technical manpower gapping.

· Planned and led as the accredited Air Display Director the RAF Leuchars Annual International Airshow (a major event attracting 40 000 members of the public) in both 2007 & 2008. Directed and supervised the Flying Control Committee to assure the safety imperative.

Responsible to the RAF Commander of HQ Number 1 Group, Air Command for the safe and effective transference from industry of new Air-launched weapons, reconnaissance and sensor equipment to the RAF front line aircrew operators.

· Managed during a period of high operational tempo the Air trials of equipment and capability development pathways to ensure the safe, timely, on-budget delivery of new systems to the RAF user community.

50 week, tertiary-level academic course to prepare selected officers from the UK and other international partner Armed Forces for future high positions of leadership and business management.

Uniquely selected to embed into the United States Air Force Air Mission Operations and Planning community in Eastern Turkey, to plan and execute multi-national peace enforcement air operations in Iraq.

· Safely and professionally led, from both airborne and ground based locations the conduct of complex, multi-national globally deployed aviation operations.

· Briefed and trained all new arriving coalition aircrew in Standard Operating Procedures, Aviation Safety and Deconfliction plans, and contingent Combat Search and Rescue procedures.

Responsible for the coordinated and coherent delivery of Aviation capability (SQEP, scalable squads, equipment and logistics support) to emergent and established global overseas areas of operation.

· Delivered the requisite development of Aviation capability to align with Cabinet strategy, and then coordinated the timely deployment of airlift to extract UK entitled personnel from a civil war-torn Sierra Leone.

· Led the resource development planning and subsequent delivery of capability and capacity to transform RAF Akrotiri into a fully-fledged Forward Mounting Base for aviation operations in the Middle East.

· Supervised the successful transition to digital, data-linked reconnaissance capabilities for deployed RAF multi-disciplinary aviation teams conducting containment operations in Iraq.

Responsible for supervision, standards evaluation and compliance, training and operational development of all aircrew personnel within the RAF Tornado F3 Force.

· Central Flying School A2 Level Instructor.

· Command and leadership of 30+ aircrew officers.

· Commanded the RAF's ‘Top Gun' instructor academy, and personally trained a generation of tactical aviation specialist aircrew.

· Flight supervisor and authorizing officer for complex air missions.

Experienced in leading Global flying operations, in conflict zones, NATO air policing regions, contested air spaces.

· Trained and led squadron aircrew on night vision goggle tactics and helicopter interception techniques.

· Developed the low-level-at-night in deep terrain standard operating procedures for the Tornado F3 fighter force.

· Led safe and effective squadron flying operations during NATO air policing of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia.