Leonardo scientists and engineers across the UK enjoyed new secure access to a remotely-accessible ‘digital backbone’ that can speed up product research, cut development costs and enable closer collaboration with customers and other partners. This followed our successful move to the secure cloud, as Leonardo became the first major defence company in the UK to do so.
The month was also a time for celebrating the charity work of our colleagues. On 4 May – known to many as ‘Star Wars Day’ – we spoke to Leonardo Software Architect and part-time Stormtrooper, Rob Denehan, who uses his love of Star Wars to support a range of charitable causes.
Elsewhere, Leonardo’s Luton and Lincoln Charity Committee organised a 9-a-side football tournament at the LNER Stadium, home of Lincoln City Football Club. Footballers from organisations across the UK aerospace sector were invited to enter, with 300 spectators filling the terraces and over £6,500 raised for Cancer Research UK on the day.
Then, on the 80th anniversary of the Dambusters Raid, Leonardo engineer, Simon Shackell, co-piloted a commemorative 620 nautical mile flight around the UK in honour of those who took part in the famous raid, and to raise money for the Royal British Legion.
We also held events to encourage a more inclusive and diverse workforce at Leonardo in May. The third annual AeroWomen event took place at the iAero Centre in Yeovil, close to our Helicopter site. Organised by Leonardo helicopter trainees for women in and wanting to join the sector, the event provided a platform for the future generation to meet potential employers and understand that there is space for them in the sector.
This followed ‘Turning the Rotors of Change’, a Leonardo-hosted workshop in Yeovil for more than 70 guests from across the business, as well as external stakeholders spanning various industries, to generate discussion on how to best attract and retain diverse talent.
We were also proud to support the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) Scotland’s ‘Youth Without Limits Live’ event, with Leonardo apprentices invited to present our early careers opportunities to DofE participants, and discuss their benefits with the Scottish Minister of Higher and Further Education.
Later in May, there was cause for celebration, as Funmi Jeje, a qualified lawyer and Assistant Company Secretary based at our Basildon site, was named in DMJ Recruitment’s Governance Hot 100 for her ability to influence decisions at a UK boardroom level.
It was a momentous month outside of the company, too, as the nation celebrated the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. We wished the new king good luck, as Leonardo AW101 Merlins and AW159 Wildcats flew over a rainy Buckingham Palace during a flypast.