About us

Nick Prest CBE – Chairman

After graduating with an MA from Oxford, Nick Prest began his career as an administrative civil servant in the MOD in 1974. After an MBA course at Bradford Business School, Nick then moved within the MOD to the Defence Export Services Organisation. In 1982, he left the MOD to take a marketing role at United Scientific Holdings, predecessor of Alvis plc (Alvis). He was appointed marketing director in 1985, with overall responsibility for the order intake of the Alvis Group worldwide, and became chief executive in 1989. Alvis developed into one of the world's leading contractors in the specialist field of armoured vehicles before being acquired by BAE Systems in 2004. Nick was appointed chairman of Alvis in 1996. He was chairman of the Defence Manufacturers Association from 2001 to 2004. Nick is also chairman of AVEVA Group plc and The Shephard Group.

Nick was appointed chairman in February 2006 and is a member of the audit and remuneration committees.

Stanley Carter – Co-chairman

Following a successful military career, Stanley Carter took early retirement as a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Artillery to found SCS in 1992. During his military service he held a wide range of operational posts and staff officer appointments in the MOD, including the central staff, procurement, government research establishments and had significant interaction with industry. He also represented the UK on a five-nation technical committee overseeing the development of an advanced weapon system and at NATO, interoperability committees. Stanley won a personal award from the MOD Committee of Awards to Inventors for a lightweight missile launcher which is still in service. He has degrees in Technology and Behavioural Science from Loughborough and the Open University, respectively, and an MSc in Design of Information Systems from the Royal Military College of Science in 1987. Stanley was managing director of SCS until 30 April 2007.

Stanley became Co-Chairman having stepped down as chief executive of Cohort in May 2009 and is a member of the audit and remuneration committees.

Andrew Thomis – Chief executive

Andrew graduated from Imperial College, London in 1987 with an M.Eng in Electronic Engineering and Management Science. He spent nine years in the MOD as a fast stream civil servant, carrying out roles including technology research, scientific policy advice and a spell as a private secretary to the defence procurement minister. He left in 1996 and, following a period with Capita plc’s management consultancy arm, he joined Alvis plc in a role covering strategy, M&A and business development. Andrew left Alvis in 2005, following the takeover by BAE Systems and worked with Nick Prest and Stanley Carter on the creation of Cohort, acting as finance director during the flotation and subsequently corporate development director.

Following two years as managing director of MASS, Andrew returned to Cohort as chief executive in May 2009 and chairs the group executive committee.

Simon Walther – Finance director

Simon Walther has considerable industry-relevant expertise, having been group financial controller at Alvis for eight years and, most recently, a consultant to BAE Systems. Qualifying as a chartered accountant with Touche Ross (1992), Simon moved to the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) where he was appointed a chief accountant for P&O European Ferries in 1995. In 1997 he was appointed group financial controller at Alvis.

Simon joined Cohort as finance director in May 2006 in addition to the role of company secretary. He is a member of the group executive committee.

Sir Robert Walmsley – Non-executive director

Sir Robert Walmsley previously served in the Royal Navy where his final appointment was as controller of the Navy and member of the Navy Board as a vice admiral. He was knighted in 1995. After retiring from the Navy, he was appointed as chief of Defence Procurement, occupying that position from 1996 until 2003. He is a non-executive director of General Dynamics Corporation, the Major Projects Association and Ultra Electronics Holdings plc.

Sir Robert was appointed independent non-executive director in February 2006 and chairs both the audit and remuneration committees.

Rick Bounsall – Managing director of SCS

Commissioned from Sandhurst and an Engineering graduate, Brigadier Rick Bounsall enjoyed a successful career in the British Army. He commanded up to Regimental level, deployed on several operations, served on exchange in the US Army for two years and was an instructor at the Army Command and Staff College. For his service in Northern Ireland he was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service. In the second half of his career he specialised in Defence Acquisition, holding key appointments as Director Equipment Capability in the MOD head office and as an IPT Leader in the Defence Equipment and Support organisation in charge of some of the MOD’s biggest programmes. For three years he was the chairman of the NATO Battlefield Information Collection and Exploitation System (BICES) Agency board of directors.

Rick left the Army early in order to take up the appointment of managing director of SCS in May 2007.

Ashley Lane – Managing director of MASS

Ashley graduated from Surrey University with a Masters Degree (Distinction) in Electronic and Electrical Engineering in 1991. His undergraduate training was with Philips Electronics working on radar and communications systems, and then joined Thorn EMI Electronics as a Systems Engineer working on countermeasures and electronic surveillance systems. Ashley has held key technical roles on a number of electronics, real-time signal processing, data fusion, and analysis systems. These cover a variety of application domains including sensor and surveillance systems, defensive aids, 2/2.5/3G wireless communications and IT.

Ashley was appointed managing director of MASS in May 2009.

Paul Phillips – Managing director of SEA

Paul graduated in Mathematics in 1978. Prior to joining SEA, he was employed by Plessey Naval Systems primarily engaged on sonar development programmes. Paul has been with SEA for 19 years and has held a variety of management and director positions including defence, space and technical director roles. He was first appointed to the SEA board in 1992.

Paul was appointed managing director of SEA in November 2008.