As the challenging winter lockdown continued throughout February, we turned to each other for support and proved once again that our people are our greatest asset. Our resolve shone through the long nights, and kept spirits high amongst our workforce, which included key workers who continued to operate onsite during the second wave of the pandemic, and those who had to work from home, away from colleagues and friends.
At the start of the month, to mark Time to Talk Day, Norman Bone, Chair and CEO of Leonardo UK, addressed some of these ‘invisible challenges’ as he published an article on mental health issues. His piece focused on the importance of talking and listening to each other, and detailed the actions Leonardo takes to support employees during testing times.
During February, we celebrated LGBT History Month with colleagues raising the flag at our sites and at home. Paula Clarke, executive level sponsor of our Pride Network Group and Director of Engineering and Projects at Leonardo UK, explained in an article how she draws on life experiences of discrimination to shape her thinking and help positively influence strategy, and what it means to take on the role of an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Later in LGBT History Month, former professional rugby player Gareth Thomas spoke to Leonardo staff, sharing his own story and talking about the value of inclusion and diversity, including advice for all of us on how to foster an inclusive working environment.
February also marked the return of National Apprenticeship Week, in which we celebrated the important role that apprenticeships have in equipping people with the skills needed to succeed. We spent the week highlighting current and former apprentices from across our UK sites, taking a look at the vast positive impact they have made on our business.
The month also saw the first live launch of Leonardo’s BriteCloud 218 decoy from an Airbus target drone, the Brazilian Navy completing its SuperLynx Mk21B acceptance, and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s AW101s reaching a milestone of 25,000 flight hours.