Senior Leadership
Andy Beaden
Non-Executive ChairmanAndy was appointed to the Board as an independent Non-executive Director in 2019. He most recently served as Group Finance Director and a member of the board of Luxfer Holding plc, a producer of highly engineered advanced materials, from 2011 to 2017, having joined its predecessor British Aluminium in 1997. Luxfer (LXFR) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Mr Beaden is a co-founder and Chairman of IN4.0 Group Limited, a company encouraging growth through the use of industry 4.0 technologies.
Andy is a Chartered Accountant, holds a degree in economics and econometrics from Nottingham University, and is a Fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce).
Andrew is a member of the Audit Committee and Nominations Committee.
Jonathan Bridges
Chief Executive OfficerJon co-founded Velocity Composites in October 2007 and has over 31 years’ experience within the advanced composites industry, specialising in manufacturing engineering. Prior to forming Velocity Composites, Jon had worked in various international aerostructure manufacturers and material suppliers, where he developed his detailed understanding of the global supply chain and the evolution required.
Jon was CEO prior to the Company’s IPO in 2017 and re-appointed to the Board as an Executive Director in July 2019.
Jon is also a Director of the North West Aerospace Alliance, the regional trade association for the aerospace and defence industry in the North West of England, and holds an BSc (hons) in Material Science.
Rob Smith
Chief Finance Officer (Designate)Rob is a chartered management accountant with significant experience in leadership roles in a number of AIM quoted technology companies, where he has been instrumental in leading growth strategies and improving operational efficiencies. Rob has a proven track record in advanced manufacturing at both CFO and CEO level, including manufacturing systems implementation and international commercial leadership. Most recently Rob served as Group CFO at Biome Technologies plc and prior to that, in the CFO and CEO roles at Filtronic plc between 2014 and 2020, an electronics designer and manufacturer of advanced filters, antennas and transceivers.
Rob was Finance Director of APC Technology Group, a specialist distributor and manufacturer of electronic components and semiconductor products with a focus on green technology industries between 2010 and 2014.
Annette Rothwell
Non-Executive DirectorAnnette has extensive experience in industries undergoing transformational change. She is a proven executive leader in General Management, Procurement and Supply Chain, Operational Excellence (CI), and Project Management working with senior stakeholders including regional and national government.
Since 2006, Annette has served in executive roles supporting CEOs within a number of global companies including FTSE100 listed Aerospace & Defence companies. She has experience in and around supply chains and has been responsible for procurement and supply chain activity, and operational improvement across multiple companies and multiple cultures.
Since 2011, she has served as a director on the board of the Midlands Aerospace Alliance, the regional body for the Aerospace, Defence, and Security industry.
David Bailey
Non-Executive DirectorDavid is an experienced executive with extensive management and technical expertise developed across the aerospace and power generation industries. He has contributed to the strategic direction of the UK’s aerospace industry and cross-sector composites sector as a Board member of the Aerospace Growth Partnership and Composites Leadership Forum. He is a renowned aerospace supply chain specialist and has worked with the senior management teams of over 100 aerospace and defence suppliers.
Since February 2020, David has been the CEO of Composites UK, the trade association for the UK composites industry with over 360 member companies. David formed Aerospace Consulting Limited in February 2020 to specialise in developing and delivering high-level consultancy projects in the aerospace industry. Prior to establishing Aerospace Consulting, David was Chief Executive of the North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA), the regional trade association for the aerospace and defence industry in the North West of England between 2011 and 2020. The NWAA is one of the largest aerospace clusters in the world, representing over 240 aerospace member companies (including organisations such as Airbus, BAE Systems, Brookhouse Aerospace, MBDA Missile Systems, Rolls-Royce, Safran, Senior Aerospace and Teledyne CML Composites).
Dr Bailey has a PhD in Gas Turbine Aerodynamics and an Aeronautical Engineering degree both from Loughborough University. David was made a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society for services to the North West’s Aerospace Industry in 2017.