SVGC Staff Profiles

At SVGC we’re proud to be a small business formed of experienced, highly qualified people operating on a national platform. Our team collectively has vast knowledge of strategic planning, public sector decisions, innovative technologies, data science and agile working methodologies.

Get to know Dr Andrew Dixon, our Managing Director, who is passionate about working collaboratively between small and large businesses and utilising technology pull-through from academia into delivery. Our “national platform” includes Andrew’s roles chairing the Small Business Forum for the Institute for Collaborative Working and vice-chair of the TechUK Defence & Security SME forum. Andrew is also an external examiner for the Cranfield University Battlespace Technology course.

Andrew’s focus is on continuously transforming the business to respond to the market, driving and delivering great outcomes for our clients, partners and associates.

What are your ‘must haves’ to start the working day?

My day always starts with a few cups of tea and breakfast is definitely my most important meal of the day. Before the day gets going, I usually catch up with the latest events with Starship development in Boca Chica, Texas via the YouTube daily update. It's amazing to watch the evolution of the largest launch vehicle and orbital rocket ever made … and Elon Musk’s approach to keeping it simple; learn by doing is something I really relate to.

What’s your proudest work achievement to date?

That’s a tough one. I’m fortunate to have had a few. Helping to fundamentally shift the land platforms market through some policy changes whilst working in the MOD to create a more level playing field; delivering market engagement to improve procurement success through Niteworks across a range of projects; management of chunks of Skynet – future military satellite programmes both 20 years ago and now; working on the Nuclear Deterrent; and working with the Institute for Collaborative Working to promote small business collaborative engagements.

But I think my proudest work achievement is happening now with FCDO Services at Hanslope Park, where we are working in an innovation collaboration to enable the transfer of large volumes of digital public records to the National Archives – supporting democracy through transparency. Amazing!

What do you love most about what you do?

People have said to me in the past, that as a small consultancy we surely can’t make much difference. That couldn’t be more wrong. I love that we help the public sector to make the best decisions with the limited funds that it has available. They get better capability, and achieve more because of our intervention and support. The public sector making better decisions, more effectively and more efficiently leads to lives saved, taxpayer money protected and better services to the public. It’s a huge privilege to be providing the service that makes such a difference.

What does your typical working day look like?

Blimey. They can be long days. Running a small business like SVGC can be challenging, with many balls to juggle and such rapid turnaround on bids and proposals. I am fortunate to have an amazing team around me who make it happen.

I still deliver some of the fee-paying work myself, which is important to me to stay in touch with the ground truth of delivery, and maintain close working relationships with key clients.

My working days usually start quite early with a mixture of company business, client work, lots and lots of calls. We talk a lot with partner companies and clients to ensure we keep in touch with both delivery and opportunities.

When you hit a wall workwise, what do you do to help overcome the hurdle?

Change the subject and do something else for a while. If that doesn’t work, and it's late, I will often go to sleep and somehow have the answer in the morning. The odd round of golf helps too. I’m also a keen sailor and time-permitting, it's surprising how problems seem to get resolved when you’re sailing past the Needles!

SVGC Staff Profiles

At SVGC we’re proud to be a small business formed of experienced, highly qualified people operating on a national platform.

Our team collectively has vast knowledge of strategic planning, public sector decisions, innovative technologies, data science and agile working methodologies. Get to know Julia, our Chief of Staff and Head of Commercial.

Julia has 20 years of experience of commercial and managerial roles across the defence and security sector including senior commercial roles in both Thales and QinetiQ. Her role within SVGC is wide ranging and here she describes more about her day-to-day with SVGC.

What are your ‘must haves’ to start the working day?

Earl Grey Tea. If there is no EG tea the day is doomed! I’ve recently started doing Wordle – which is now right up there with the Earl Grey. And, although I have yet to completely fail to get the daily Wordle, it’s a great example of a there always being a new learning experience just waiting for you!

What’s your proudest work achievement to date?

Being part of the development and evolution of the business is a real privilege, to share in the SVGC success story so far – especially as we are celebrating our 25th anniversary this year. Within this, a common challenge for some evolving businesses can be the introduction of huge amounts of process – and we’ve managed to retain our efficient and pragmatic use of them, and not ‘process ourselves out of business’. It’s also really wonderful to see the current recruitment drive that reflects how hard the team have worked to deliver on current projects whilst also being named on a number of significant new frameworks in the last two years.

Oh, and of course, another source of pride is retaining my very serious job title of ‘Director of Fun’!

What do you love most about what you do?

That every day really is different – I’m not ‘just’ a project manager, or responsible for business development, there is so much that my role entails – as described below.

What does your typical working day look like?

My role is so large and varied that ‘typical’ isn’t the best word. I am one of the directors of the company and the commercial manager for the business; and, I also look after HR, training, recruitment and insurance. Sometimes I’ll be working on contract management and negotiation, another hour and I’ll be considering personnel development and recruitment, and then perhaps grappling with some insurance issue or dealing with financial governance.

In a nutshell, I ensure all the bills are paid, the staff are happy, our customers are delighted and the chickens are fed.

When you hit a wall workwise, what do you do to help overcome the hurdle?

I go and make tea (can you see a theme here?!) If it is really bad, I might go for a little shuffle - my code for going for a run - around the village that I live in, as that can help enormously.

SVGC Staff Profiles

At SVGC we’re proud to be a small business formed of experienced, highly qualified people operating on a national platform. Our team collectively has vast knowledge of strategic planning, public sector decisions, innovative technologies, data science and agile working methodologies.

Get to know Tony Klein, our SVGC Digital Non-Executive Director. Tony’s career has covered many aspects of delivering solutions and consulting services into defence, security and intelligence. After a short spell developing simulation software, he established Quintec which became a leading supplier of systems engineering and integration skills to MoD and leading defence contractors. After its acquisition, he was appointed VP for Consulting and Engineering within Thales. In 2006, he joined Detica (now BAeSystems Digital Intelligence) to lead its defence business and expanded its propositions into Defence Intelligence, CIO and Special Forces communities. A spell leading QinetiQ’s technology solutions BD and sales preceded a move to lead the solutions delivery business of the Olive Group in Dubai where he oversaw the delivery of major safety and security solutions to protect critical national and industrial infrastructures for clients across EMEA. Tony has a PhD from Bristol and MBA from London Business School, is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and Chair of Trustees at Rodborough Academy Trust.

What are your ‘must haves’ to start the working day?

Coffee and completing the Times crosswords!

What’s your proudest work achievement to date?

With my wife, Sally creating two wonderful children (now adults) who are achieving things way beyond whatever I could dream of doing.

What do you love most about what you do?

Variety, and working with amazing people in delivering effective, robust solutions to demanding customers.

What does your typical working day look like?

Oh boy, how about: fixing some fencing that has blown down after a storm; chain sawing a tree that’s fallen down over the lane; meeting with the Headteacher of the school where I am Chair of Governors to allow him to test ideas (which he already knows the answers to) and being a sounding board for him; leading a project assurance review of a major government project on behalf of the Cabinet Office; having a chat with Julia Campbell or colleague at ISS Aerospace; taking a walk on the South Downs; planning a long walk to follow in the footsteps of my Father.

When you hit a wall workwise, what do you do to help overcome the hurdle?

Step back; write an email - but don’t send it for 24 hours; phone a friend!

SVGC Staff Profiles

At SVGC we’re proud to be a small business formed of experienced, highly qualified people operating on a national platform. Our team collectively has vast knowledge of strategic planning, public sector decisions, innovative technologies, data science and agile working methodologies.

Get to know Alison Trufitt, our new Digital Sensitivity Review Programme Manager. Alison has 25 years’ experience in Project Management in the defence sector specialising in Equipment Test and Evaluation and most recently in project Governance and Assurance. She joined SVGC Digital Sensitivities Review (DSR) team from QinetiQ and believes that the key to successful projects is excellent stakeholder management.

What are your ‘must haves’ to start the working day?

I usually start the day with a walk – it helps me prepare for the day, this is the perfect time to work things through in my head. It also combines with another of my interests, which is bird watching. I make sure I stop if I see anything of interest, or unusual which all adds up to a positive start. I can boast, most recently, sighting of tree creepers, a pair of lesser spotted woodpeckers and a goldcrest – just in one day! Goes to show that taking time to notice details can be very rewarding.

What’s your proudest work achievement to date?

In a previous role in QinetiQ, I was asked to “job sit” for a colleague whilst on leave; this project was part of a multi-partner collaboration in which we were the prime, and I ended up working on this for three years. It was a great opportunity, which included interesting trials and visits, but most importantly it was very successful; the project was extended and also increased in value. Another important aspect were the contacts that I made – relationships are such a critical factor in success – and, although I didn’t know it at the time, eventually some of those contacts led me here, to SVGC.

What do you love most about what you do?

Without a doubt, the relationships and stakeholder management side of the work. The processes, life cycles and systems engineering are critical and play a big part, but success is driven by people, by building and maintaining relationships and trust. It’s great to see people that you’ve worked with growing and achieving, and also to change and grow yourself as you move through stages in your career.

What does your typical working day look like?

It is hard to predict exactly, being so new into the role, and at the moment I’m a bit like a detective – researching, looking at stakeholder mapping, sifting and identifying all the important aspects through the volume of information. In the future, I will have a more regular drum beat, which I envisage will include a lot of customer engagement, and clearly with a focus on milestones and delivery.

When you hit a wall workwise, what do you do to help overcome the hurdle?

I’ve learnt to create space rather than simply react to situations, or even crises. I like to take time to digest, to create time and – if possible – wait for the following day. To approach the obstacle perhaps using a subtly different skill set. As with the beginning of my day, sometimes walking helps compose my thoughts and get into a state of readiness – very few of us can deal with things in a measured way when we’re ‘on the ceiling’!

SVGC Staff Profiles

Simon is greatly experienced in digital programme management and consulting across systems and software engineering, with over 30 years of experience working across digital security, mobile and e-commerce technology in both private and public sectors. Beginning his career at BAe Systems writing software for aircraft, Simon has since worked for both large and small companies including Fujitsu, Thales and Quintec as well as leading major projects and programmes for the MoD and Transport for London.

Simon has a formal background in IT software and hardware systems and has also been the Technical Director of an Innovation Centre; a successful Bid Programme Manager; and is a highly accomplished technical programme team leader and strategy lead with experience in delivering business transformation through change management.

It goes without saying that we are thrilled to have Simon join the SVGC team. Welcome, Simon!

Get to know him better here:

What are your ‘must haves’ to start the working day?

I like to start my day the way I suspect many do – a cup of strong English Breakfast tea, and a run with the dog – she’s a black Labrador called India. Then, I’m mostly all set.

What’s your proudest work achievement to date?

I feel fortunate to say that it’s hard to choose - I’ve worked on such a variety of exciting and innovative projects in the last 30 years: from writing software for the RAF’s Tornado jets and delivering their first Link 16 training package, to running a Technology Innovation Centre, managing a strategic paper project for the Army Board, to project managing the design and build of rugged computers to be used in harsh conditions – which are the places computers do not like to go!

But, if I have to choose the one that makes me smile the most, it would be when I ran a portfolio of Oyster card projects for my client, Transport for London. Being responsible for successfully putting the Oyster system onto the ‘Boris Buses’ (the new Routemaster bus) is my small claim to fame!

I’m also incredibly proud to have served as an Army Reservist in the Royal Signals for over 25 years. Right from being a cadet at university, to have taken command of both a reserve squadron and a regiment in my ‘spare time’. The rewards over the years have been immeasurable.

What do you love most about what you do?

I absolutely love running projects and programmes because I enjoy delivering something that works and see it in service. It is very satisfying to be able to see the tangible results, especially when – for example, on projects like Oyster card - so much is involved in making a project like that a success, there are so many moving parts and different aspects that all need to come together, and so many people benefit from the outcome. It is immensely rewarding to see the result.

What does your typical working day look like?

I’m really excited to be working for SVGC as it combines so much of what I have enjoyed throughout my career to date and when I’ve been happiest at work. Having variety in the role is important for me in a typical day: managing and monitoring a variety of technical projects from proposal through delivery and into service – which combines being client facing as well as liaising with many stakeholders, internal colleagues, contractors and suppliers. Supporting the business development and even delivering training, workshops and so forth. With less of the technical hands-on delivery that I once did perhaps, but still understanding the technology and coordinating and managing the experts who are undertaking that delivery.

When you hit a wall, what do you do to help overcome it?

Yes; and as we like to say in the Army – ‘no plan survives the first contact’. Not even the best laid plans work out perfectly. So, it’s fair to say that usually I go out for a run and a think – often with the dog. Although, as a rider of both motorbikes and horses (not at the same time!), those hobbies also can provide a different diversion that helps solutions mentally materialise. Something else I enjoy for getting out of ‘work-mode’ is drumming – for a start, it’s a legitimate way of making a lot of noise and releasing stress! It also suits my personality of the guy at the back driving the team forward; the drummer sets the tempo for the band and that suits me well.