2020 NATIONAL FINAL JUDGES
Cdr Dave Pinder MA BEng (Hons) RN
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Originally from Wakefield in West Yorkshire, Dave got a number of GSCEs and A-Levels at a local Quaker school before studying for a BEng (Hons) Airframe Structure Engineering at The University of Humberside in Hull. Whilst at university he completed a number of projects both for Sulzer UK Pumps Ltd and BAE Military Aircraft Division. On completion of his degree he was awarded the IMechE Top Engineering Student Award for his university. In September 1996 he joined the Royal Navy as an Engineering Training Manager E(TM). In this branch he was responsible for the procurement, delivery and quality control of Technical Training across all Branches of the Royal Navy. This meant serving in a number of Technical Training Establishments both the Royal Navy and RAF and serving on both ships and submarines. In 2007 the Royal Navy sponsored him to take a MA Education Leadership and Management at The University of Wolverhampton, a qualification that allowed him to combine his Engineering background with the field of Education.
In 2019 Dave was given the position of leading the Royal Navy’s STEM Engagement Team for Scotland and Northern Ireland. Based at HMNB Clyde, Dave and his team are tasked with the responsibility of developing enthusiasm amongst young people in the field of STEM subjects. Outside the field of STEM, Dave’s other interests include Cricket, Golf and keeping his eye on the Leeds Utd scores. |
WO1 Mark Harris Royal Navy |
Born in Pontypool, South Wales, Mark left school at 16 with a handful of CSE’s and a lot of enthusiasm. He joined the Royal Navy in 1985 as a Weapons Engineering Mechanic and specialised in Ordnance (explosives). Initially requesting to serve on minesweepers located in Portsmouth, Mark found himself at HMS Dolphin studying to become a submariner. He went on to join his first boat in 1987, a Polaris submarine called HMS Renown. Mark went on to serve on Polaris and the Trident submarines as a Weapons Engineer until being selected to transfer to Submarine Coxswain in 2003. Mark continued to serve on all 4 Trident submarines and was part of the staff at Flag Officer Sea Training.
Mark joined the STEM Engagement team in April 2019 and now coordinates all of the Royal Navy STEM engagement for Scotland & Northern Ireland using both engineering and management skills. He has supported events from a primary school with 9 pupils up to World Skills with over 25,000 people per day. Mark currently spends his spare time building a motorhome out of an old Renault Master van and hopes to be on the road by April 2021. |
John Hood |
John joined Seafarers UK in September 2015 following a 41 year career with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service.
Born a Kentish man at Dartford he has four grown up daughters, his eldest following her father’s footsteps in a career at sea. His mother’s family are fishermen in County Kerry so seafaring is very much in his blood. Having attended Hotel School in London, he joined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service in 1974 as an assistant purser serving onboard RFAs REGENT, TIDESPRING & LYNESS. Sea service continued onboard RFAs OLMEDA, FORT GRANGE, BLACK ROVER and STROMNESS. In 1982 John served as purser onboard RFA SIR GALAHAD during the Falklands Conflict, surviving her tragic loss at Fitzroy. In 1995 he served ashore in senior staff officer positions in logistics and in 2002 as Head of RFA Manpower, Recruitment, Training and Education in the newly formed Fleet Headquarters. On promotion to Captain(Logistics) in Sept 2005 he served in the Logistics Capability Division of Navy Command Headquarters on Whale Island in Portsmouth as Chief Staff Officer Solid Support, Munitions and Logistics Compliance, heading up a diverse portfolio of Naval Service logistics outputs. During this period he was Head of Profession for the RFA Logistics and Supply specialisation with specific responsibility for people development. In Sept 2010 he assumed the role of HR Director for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service responsible 2300 personnel manning 13 ships of the RFA Flotilla. John is a Graduate and past Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel & Development and past Fellow of the Institute of Logistics & Transport. He lives at Gateside by Barrhead near Glasgow. When time allows, he finds refuge in fly fishing, genealogy, and tinkering with his vintage Morris Minor Traveller. |
Robert Ball, Principal Naval Architect |
Robert Ball, Principal Naval Architect with QinetiQ Ltd.
Growing up in Rosyth and Dunfermline, the dockyard at Rosyth was a part of my childhood. Both my mother and my father worked there for many years, and their experiences, and the opportunities of Rosyth Naval Base and Dockyard open days, influenced my choice of career. After studying at Edinburgh University I joined the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors (RCNC), an organisation charged with providing the best technology for the Royal Navy, a mission it continues to contribute to today, more than 130 years after it was founded. While working inside the Ministry of Defence I was a part of teams that:-
Moving onto join QinetiQ Ltd. in 2014 I have been responsible for guiding and supporting QinetiQ teams in the areas of maritime structural design and design for survivability, developing new understanding and techniques to ensure the safe operation of ships and submarines in a difficult and dangerous environment, the sea. We work closely with colleagues, the Ministry of Defence and other organisations to solve the challenges of working underwater for extended periods. |
Catriona Savage |
Catriona is the MoD Chair in Naval Architecture in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and started at UCL in April 2017 after spending over 20 years in industry. She is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) and a Chartered Engineer.
Catriona graduated from Southampton University with a BEng(Hons) in Ship Science and subsequently undertook post graduate study obtaining an MSc in Maritime Engineering Science also at Southampton. In 1996 she joined BMT Defence Services working on ship and submarine design, and through life support projects with some specialisation in vessel structures. She later became Head of Naval Architecture then Technical Director, responsible for quality, delivery of technical skills and capability, training and directing the company Research and Development programme. |
Matt Whorwood |
Matt is a Research Assistant at University College London (UCL). Through this role he has significant involvement with the development of concept design surface vessels and submarines. He has co-ordinated UCL’s Submarine Design Course, which he has previously attended in 2016 producing a novel triple pressure hull design fuelled by liquid hydrogen.
Matt studied Mechanical Engineering at Swansea University and later obtained an MSc in Naval Architecture from University College London. He worked as a Mechanical Technician before joining the Ministry of Defence in 2015. Matt has undertaken a variety of roles with the MoD through his time on the Defence Engineering and Science Group (DESG) Graduate Scheme. |