Simon Harwood

Simon has over 30 years’ experience in the defence and security sector having had experience in government, industry, politics and academia. As the strategy and technology director for Leonardo in the UK, Simon is responsible for directing the company strategy, research and development, innovation, intellectual property and partnership activity. Simon also advises numerous technology start-ups, is an expert subject matter advisor to HMG Cabinet Office National Security risk secretariat, a board member of the UK’s Oxford-Cambridge supercluster, and chair of the ADS Science and Technology group. Simon was previously the director of defence and security at Cranfield University and chairman of the academic, Resilience, Intelligence and Security Community (RISC) group, reporting to the security minister. Prior to this Simon has worked for Boeing’s Phantom Works, Her Majesty’s Government in various roles across the MOD and Foreign Office, and served an eight-year term as a district councillo