Speakers
Opening remarks
Neil ‘Jacko’ Jackson, Director, Defence Relationship Management
Jacko served as a senior Army officer completing operational tours around the world and postings in the UK MoD, Army Headquarters, the UN and NATO. He has since focused commercially on executive level stakeholder management, refining customer service delivery models and business process outsourcing including as Operations Director for a complex recruiting programme in partnership with the MoD. He was appointed as Director of DRM in 2019. Jacko was also recently awarded Chartered Fellowship of the CIPD.
"Vision for Defence People"
Vice Admiral Philip Hally CB MBE, Chief of Defence People
Vice Admiral Hally, currently Chief of Defence People, joined the Royal Navy in 1991. In 2012 he played vital part in providing humanitarian help in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan, for which he was made a MBE in the 2015 Operational Honours List.
He was Head of Navy Resources and Plans and was promoted to Rear Admiral in 2019. That year he also assumed the role of ACNS People Transformation and Navy Transformation Director and led the Royal Navy Transition programme.
He is currently Chief of Defence People and was promoted to Vice Admiral in 2022. He is also Honorary Captain of the Royal Navy Volunteer and Cadet Corps and has a wife and a daughter.
Session 1: "Future Plans for Reserves"
Major General Marc Overton TD DL VR, Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff for Reserves & Cadets
Major General Marc Overton, currently Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff, has been an Army Reservist since 1987. He was responsible for the Reserve component of the Army 2020 personnel strategy and as Brigadier he became Head of Strategy for the Reserves responsible for the Army Reserve input into the Integrated Review.
In his civilian career Marc is a technology executive who has run international businesses across a variety of industries and is currently Managing Director of Division X for BT. A Vice Patron of the Royal British Legion Poppy Factory, he is a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London and is the Regimental Lieutenant Colonel of 1st Battalion London Guards.
Rear Admiral Anthony Rimington, Royal Navy’s Director (Strategy and Policy), Assistant Chief of Naval Staff
Rear Admiral Rimington joined the RN in 1991. He served as a helicopter pilot and welfare officer, culminating in Command of 702 Naval Air Squadron. He led the Plans team in UKMCC Bahrain during the onset of air operations over Iraq and Syria in 2014 and was promoted to Captain in 2015. He became Commodore in 2020, and played major role in Defence’s response to the COVID pandemic, the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the crisis in Ukraine.
Major General S J M Graham CB VR, Director Reserves Army
Major General S J M Graham joined the Armed Forces in 1985 as a trooper, and after serving in several countries left the service in 1998 to work in the Scotch Whisky industry. He then returned to the army as a reservist and his roles included being Colonel Army Reserves (MOD) and Head of Personnel Strategy. He became Director of Reserves in 2020. He has a degree in History and is a member of the King’s Bodyguard for Scotland.
Air Vice-Marshal R T I Munro CBE TD VR DL, Commandant General Royal Auxiliary Air Force and Chief of Staff Cadets
AVM Ranald Munro was appointed as Commandant General Royal Auxiliary Airforce in 2019, and in addition Chief of Staff Reserves in 2020.
A career Reservist, he joined the 10th Battalion The Parachute Regiment. In 2012 he was promoted Major General and appointed Deputy Commander Land Forces (Reserves).
In 2016 he was appointed Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets), a try-service appointment – Defence’s senior Reserve appointment. He is a barrister in civilian life and is a General Counsel and Company Secretary for financial services in the City of London.
Session 2 and Panel Discussion: "Defence's workforce of the future"
Major General E N S Millar MBE, Chief of Defence Staff (People Capability)
Major General Millar is the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (People Capability) and the Defence Services Secretary. His previous roles include Head of International, Communications and Engagement for the British Army and the UK’s Joint Force Engineer and Commander Royal Engineers for the Field Army. Within the MoD his appointments have included several roles in security policy and operations as well as in the Financial and Military Capability area. He is a graduate of the Canadian Forces’ Joint Command and Staff Programme, the Higher Command and Staff Course and UK PINNACLE.
Air Commodore David Tait MBE MA RAF, Head Talent Skills Learning and Development, MoD Head Office
Air Commodore Tait commenced his service as a flight commander in 1990. He served in many countries and was promoted to squadron leader in 2002. In 2003 he was deployed to Iraq as Operations Chief of the Iraq Survey Group. He was promoted to Wing Commander in 2008. He joined the Air Staffs in the MoD in 2012, with responsibility for International Engagement across NATO, Europe and Central Asia. He was appointed as the Assistant Head (Military) in the MoD Head Office and in 2020 was promoted to his current role as Head of Talent, Skills, Learning and Development within the Chief of Defence Personnel’s area. In his free time he is a keen climber and has led the British Services’ Expedition to Makalu, the World’s 5th highest mountain.
Air Commodore James Brayshaw FCIPD LLB (Hons) RAF, Head Workforce Planning and Performance
Air Commodore James Brayshaw joined the RAF in 2019 and was commissioned in 1995 within the Personnel (Support) Branch. He served in Operation HERRICK in Afghanistan as the principal personnel staff officer. He also served in the Netherlands after his promotion to Wing Commander in 2008. In 2016 he commanded RAF Halton and in 2018 he deployed to Afghanistan again as ministerial adviser for strategy. He was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service for this deployment. He then returned to the MoD and in 2019 became Assistant Chief of Staff (Support) within Head Quarters British Forces Cyprus. In 2021, promoted to Air Commodore, he returned to the MoD again within the Chief of Defence People’s team in the role of Head Workforce Planning and Performance.
Brigadier S L Humphris MBE, Head Strategy for Chief of Defence People
Brigadier Sam Humphris first joined the Armed Forces in 1998 when he joined the 1st Battalion in London. He served in Kosovo and Iraq and he was also deployed to Kenya and Malawi. He then began working in the Ministry of Defence for ACGS. For company command he returned to the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment and served as Commanding Officer. In this role he commanded the five-nation Kabul Protection Unit. He was then promoted to General Staff and assumed command of the 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade and on finishing command, moved to become Head of Strategy for the Chief of Defence People in MoD. He was appointed a Member of the British Empire and he holds an MPhil degree from Cambridge University.
Zoë Bishop, Deputy Director, People Concepts and Delivery, Ministry of Defence
Zoë is a an experienced HR professional with previous experience in the Finance Service industry and Civil Service. She joined the Ministry of Defence in 2019 and since then has been leading the People Concepts and Delivery Team who exist to develop new and innovative approaches to policy and process in the people space.
Session 3 and Panel Discussion: "The Armed Forces Covenant and it's relevance to employers"
Helen Helliwell, Director, Armed Forces Policy, Ministry of Defence
Helen is the Director for the Armed Forces People Policy in the Ministry of Defence. The portfolio develops and maintains strategies and policies that attract, retain, and sustain a sufficient, capable, and motivated Armed Forces through the provision of world class enabling people policies. These policy areas include health and wellbeing, welfare, accommodation, families and safeguarding, remuneration, and support to families and veterans through the Armed Forces Covenant. Helen is also the Chair of the AFC Trust Fund.
Jessie Owen, Director of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs
Jessie Owen is Director of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs in the Cabinet Office. Prior to joining the OVA in 2021 she was a Deputy Director in the government’s COVID Taskforce. Her other previous roles include oversight of Security and Intelligence Agencies, the Cyber Security Programme and Counter-Terrorism strategy as Deputy Director in the National Security Secretariat.
Chloe Mackay, Deputy Chief Executive, Forces Employment Charity
Chloe is responsible for the veterans’ services of the Forces Employment Charity, including employment programmes for ex-Forces, spouses and partners of veterans, and still-serving personnel. She also has responsibility for Project Nova, providing support to veterans in the criminal justice system, and co-chairs the cobs Criminal Justice Cluster. Chloe joined RFEA in 2016 from the cancer charity sector following roles as Head of Strategy at Macmillan and Breast Cancer Now.
Brigadier Anthony Lamb MBE DL VR, Head of Youth and Cadets, Ministry of Defence
Anthony is a geography teacher and is currently Deputy head at Eastbourne College. He has been Contingent Commander of Eastbourne College CCF since 2007 and alongside that he also spent three years as County Commandant of Sussex Army Cadet Forces. He was appointed MBE for his services to the cadet movement. He continues to serve in the Army Cadets.
Jonathan Smith, Policy, Governance & Board Lead, Office for Veterans’ Affairs
Jonathan is the Policy, Governance and Boards Lead at the Office for Veterans’ Affairs within Cabinet Office. He has a rich background of experience across the public sector working with Government, Community Planning Partnerships, Commercial Sector, Charities, Communities, International Partners and more.
Jenna Clare, Joint Leader of the Armed Forces Covenant Team, Ministry of Defence
Jenna is the joint leader, together with Bryony Hamilton, of the Armed Forces Covenant Team in the UK Ministry of Defence. Jenna and Bryony advise Ministers on how to ensure that our Armed Forces personnel, their families and veterans, are not disadvantaged, and that special consideration is given to those who have given the most such as the injured and the bereaved. Their teams works closely with government, charities, businesses and international allies.
James Cameron, Chief Executive Officer, Mission Motorsport
A former Major in the Royal Tank Regiment, James Cameron completed 17 years in the British Army. Throughout his career he deployed on several operational tours. Recognising the impact on personnel and their families, he retired from the Army in 2012 and determined to help his comrades founded Mission Motorsport – the armed forces engagement initiative for the automotive industry in partnership with The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.