Based in Yeovil, Alisdair’s day job is serving as the Safety Management System and Aviation Risk Manager for Leonardo’s UK Helicopter business, overseeing operations from flying to repair and overhaul. It was therefore inevitable that this theme would underpin his tenure as President – safety of aircraft, people and the wider environment.
“As President, my first theme is ‘safety as an enabler’, focused on using risk management techniques to bring innovation to the sector faster and more cost-effectively, but without compromising safety,” explains Alisdair.
The topic gained significant traction at the recent RAeS President's Conference and is something Alisdair plans to build upon throughout his tenure, by bringing industry, regulators, airline operators and manufacturers together for further discussion. “The Society’s neutral position enables it to facilitate these vital conversations, ensuring that safety continues to evolve alongside technological progress, to everyone’s benefit,” he adds.
Alisdair’s second theme of ‘developing skills for the future’ brings a strategic focus to workforce development. With the aerospace sector projected to require around 2.5 million new recruits in the coming years, he warns that current efforts are insufficient to meet future demand. “We need a broader, more inclusive ecosystem of training and development – one that goes beyond apprenticeships and levies. Ultimately, we need to inspire talented and skilled young people not just to be engineers and aircrew, but also logisticians, procurement specialists, programme managers and strong leadership pipelines,” he says.
Early engagement is key to this vision. Alisdair believes that many young people and their parents are unaware of the diverse opportunities within the aerospace sector. “I’m a strong advocate of primary school STEM outreach as a critical entry point, as well as greater coordination among the 130+ charities currently working independently in this space. My aim is to ensure RAeS can foster a more unified approach to amplify the impact of these efforts.”
In addition to encouraging more people to join the sector, caring for the welfare and mental health of those already in it is something Alisdair is keen to improve. A recent Society event highlighted that loneliness now poses a greater health risk than smoking, according to NHS data. In aerospace, where people often work in isolated environments, this issue can be particularly pronounced, so RAeS is contributing to research aimed at better understanding and addressing these challenges.
Sustainability – one of RAeS’s central themes – and innovation also feature prominently in Alisdair’s agenda. At the recent President’s conference, Rolls-Royce showcased an internal AI tool capable of mining historical engineering documents, helping preserve institutional knowledge and support smarter decision-making. “While AI may reshape job roles, I see it as a tool for empowerment, not a threat, aligning with RAeS’s commitment to future-ready thinking,” says Alisdair.
Reflecting on this long-term association with RAeS, Alisdair recognises the role that Leonardo has played in this. “Our company has a long association with the society with many fellowships, awards and medals shared among colleagues. I’m very appreciative to Leonardo for supporting my involvement with RAeS and hope the company will continue encouraging its young professionals to engage in industry events. Such participation should be part of the company’s retention strategy, since it can be highly motivating and offers opportunities for education and networking that ultimately benefit the organisation.”
He adds that “Being President is a real privilege and really good fun,” describing his visits to aerospace companies across the UK as both professionally enriching and personally inspiring.