News

Our next speaker in the news: Colin Paynter

Colin is the Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space UK Limited - Europe’s number one defence and space enterprise, the world’s second largest space company and one of the top 10 global defence enterprises.

After studying engineering and mathematics at Loughborough University, Colin took up the position of Control Systems Engineer with CAP Group. He later joined BAE Systems as Managing Director of Communications and Infrastructure Division.

Colin’s impressive industrial career spans both the civil and military fields and he has successfully run large multi-company, multi-national programmes. Joining Astrium Ltd as CEO in 2002, he was later appointed to the Board of Cassidian Ltd in 2007 and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd in 2010. He is currently a board member of the Space Leadership Council and the Technology Strategy Board.

With regard to Airbus’ support of the Women in Defence UK awards last year, Colin said: “Being a European company, Airbus takes pride in the diversity of its staff. The company thrives on the mix of ideas, vision and knowledge such a combination of people and cultures creates.

“Airbus believes that bringing together teams of people from lots of different social and cultural backgrounds not only makes work more interesting for them, but it helps them to be more creative and do a better job for our customers - reflecting the diversity of the world we live in and the customers we serve".

In the news:

• Airbus mulls options if massive U.K. Skynet 5 military satcom contract is not renewed, 13^th April 2016: http://spacenews.com/airbus-mulls-options-if-massive-u-k-skynet-5-military-satcom-contract-is-not-renewed/

• UK Urged To Quickly Order New Generation of Satellites, 15^th September 2015: http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/show-daily/dsei/2015/09/15/uk-urged-quickly-order-new-generation-satellites/72301126/

• Airbus Official: Build UK Surveillance Sat Capability, 14^th September 2015:  http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/space/2015/09/14/airbus-official-build-uk-surveillance-sat-capability/72250106/

• Britain reestablishes military footprint ‘East of Suez’ for Malaysia war games, 30^th July 2015: https://www.rt.com/uk/311186-britain-suez-east-rebuild/

• Award-winning Airbus Tetra radio available in the UK, 23^rd April 2014:   http://emergencyservicestimes.com/award-winning-airbus-tetra-radio-available-in-the-uk/

• Airbus recreates the surface of Mars in Stevenage to test the ESA's ExoMars rover, 28^th March 2014: http://newatlas.com/airbus-mars-esa-exomars-rover/31406/

• Mars yard ready for Red Planet rover, 27^th March 2014: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Mars_yard_ready_for_Red_Planet_rover

• UK space sector ‘on the up’, 27^th Jan 2012: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/science-environment-16739361

Join us and meet Colin Paynter on Monday 22^nd May by clicking here to secure your booking.