The Luton site, home to over 1,000 highly skilled engineers, is one of eight Leonardo sites across the length and breadth of the UK, which together employ over 8,000 people in high value jobs and support a supply chain of more than 2,000 companies that each year contributes over £2 billion to the UK economy.
The Head of the British Army was accompanied on his visit to by Chris Bushell, Director General Land of the UK MOD Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S).
Hosted by Leonardo UK Chair and CEO, Clive Higgins, along with members of the UK Senior Leadership Team, the visit provided CGS with the opportunity to learn more on Leonardo’s ongoing delivery of advanced technologies and through-life support, which are helping to transform UK Defence capabilities. The visit also included discussions within the context of progress of implementing the Land Industrial Strategy
The hosts were able to highlight the increasing presence of Leonardo in the Land environment – in particular the company’s focus on protecting People, Platforms and Places through its Cyber and Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA), Counter UAS, launched effects and platform protection technologies.
The visit followed the recent renewal of the Armed Forces Covenant with Clive Higgins signing the covenant alongside Baron Lancaster of Kimbolton, The Right Honourable Brigadier Mark Lancaster.
As part of his visit, CGS met with Leonardo veterans to discuss their experiences transitioning from the Armed Forces, as well as reservists on their roles at Leonardo and how they use the company’s flexi-time policy to fulfil their military commitments. This included Leonardo’s UK Director for Digital and IT, Gareth Hetheridge, a former Royal Air Force officer and current British Army reservist, who oversaw Leonardo’s migration of key applications to the secure cloud. The company is the first major defence company in the UK to do so – facilitating a whole force approach and closer working relationships with end-users and partner companies across UK Defence.
In addition, CGS got to speak with members of Leonardo’s Armed Forces network, one of the company’s seven people-led network groups focused on the ethos of making Leonardo a more inclusive workplace and who are helping build a greater sense of camaraderie through educating their colleagues on the unseen and unique challenges faced by many they work alongside.
The Armed Forces network connects and supports Leonardo’s veterans, reservists and military family colleagues and communities as well as raising awareness of the relevant benefits offered by Leonardo (such as relocation packages, and training) which has seen the company awarded the UK MOD Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award.
CGS also met with Fiona Clark – Head of EW Capability at Luton, and a Visiting Professor at Cranfield University’s School of Defence & Security. Fiona highlighted some of the outreach activities that she and other Leonardo STEM ambassadors undertake in the local communities surrounding the company’s sites across the UK.
Speaking of the visit, Clive Higgins said: “We are extremely grateful to General Sir Patrick Sanders for taking time to visit Leonardo today. It was a valuable opportunity to share the exciting work we do in support of our UK armed forces, as well as our wider contribution to the UK’s social value, the local community and national prosperity.”
Reflecting on his visit, General Sir Patrick Sanders, said: "Thanks to Leonardo for inviting me today. We share the same values and passion for investing in young people, including our Reserves, and I’m really excited about the application of world-leading Leonardo UK technology in a mobilised and modernised British Army."