SMIFutures Board Members

SMIFutures Chair:

Jonathan Brown – Technical Specialist - Naval Architect, Malin Group

Jonathan graduated from the University of Strathclyde with a Masters in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. During this time, he worked in a range of industries including defence, commercial, heavy lift, and oil and gas both in Scotland and China. Since, he has worked for BAE Systems on the Graduate Development Framework, gaining both design and commissioning experience. Following this, he joined Malin Group as a Technical Specialist – Naval Architect to work on developing Malin's long term and concept projects and has also taken on the role of Technical Director for Malin Marine Consultants. In 2020 he was selected as a Future Maritime Leader by the Global Maritime Forum.

 SMIFutures Vice-Chair:

Conor Gorman - Acoustic Engineer, Future Capabilities, Thales UK

Conor has a MEng in Acoustical Engineering from the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), University of Southampton (2016-2020).

Since then he has worked in the maritime defence industry as an Acoustic Engineer for Thales UK, working primarily with acoustic transducers and SONAR hardware. His role involves engaging throughout the product engineering lifecycle, from research and initial design concepts through to supporting production and in-service product support.

He enjoys taking on technical and delivery challenges, supporting team capability enhancement, and expanding experience and knowledge in different domains. Beyond his core engineering role Conor actively supports early careers events, new starters and STEM initiatives.

SMIFutures Board Members:

Tirren Ambroziak – Junior Oceanographic Data Engineer, OceanWise

Having graduated from Southampton with a Masters in Oceanography, I got my first job at OceanWise supporting both the field team and operations team on a number of projects. Over my time there I have been heavily involved in helping to maintain the National Tide Gauge Network around the coast of the UK as well as taking on my own projects. During these projects I have helped to design bespoke environmental monitoring systems for ports and harbours around the UK allowing Harbour Masters to have a ‘real-time’ view of the conditions at their sites which influence operating procedures.

Phoebe Chadwick – Ocean Scientist (Fisheries & Acoustics), RS Aqua

With a background in marine environmental science and oceanography, Phoebe works within the scientific and technical sales team at RS Aqua as an Ocean Scientist. She leads on all acoustic fish tracking projects, passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) applications, and robotics for habitat mapping. She works closely with industry, academics, and non-profit organisations to understand their project requirements and support them in choosing the best equipment to achieve sustainable and reliable results.

Riyadh Choudhury - Internal Sales Marine and Offshore, Roxtec Limited

With the combination of a Mechanical Engineering Degree and previous experience in sales, procurement, marketing and account management, Riyadh has accumulated a wealth of experience and has knowledge in many sectors within the engineering industry.  

The role of a sales engineer has always been an integral part of his career. His appointment to the position of Technical Sales Engineer within the marine and offshore segment for Roxtec, a leading cable and pipe seal manufacturer will further develop Riyadh into an industry which he finds to be his most exciting thus far.

Sam Fawcett - Manager of The Centre For Coastal Technologies, PML Applications

Sam trained as a marine biologist at the Universities of Stirling and Plymouth, focussing on genetics before joining PML Applications. Since then he has become an expert in ocean carbon dioxide removal (oCDR) and marine licensing. Building on his experience providing support and specialist consultation across a diverse range of sectors, from defence to offshore energy, Sam is now the manager of the Centre for Coastal Technologies. His recent work leading the PML applications team for the first field trial of ocean alkalinity enhancement was published in Nature Communications – Earth and Environment, providing insight into the viability of ocean alkalinity enhancement as a method for global carbon dioxide removal.

Jacob Graham - Systems Lead, OCEA Shipbuilding (UK) Ltd

After graduating in Systems Engineering and multiple naval industry placements, Jacob worked for Cammell Laird from 2018-2021 and subsequently joined OCEA(UK) as the Systems Lead in January 2022. His previous roles required continual engagement with both UK government and international customers that led to his desire to learn more about the maritime enterprise. Jacob is now leading an internal OCEA project to develop cutting-edge interface systems for their international customers. Jacob was also a previous chair for FutureNEST, the young professional arm of UK Naval Engineering, Science and Technology (UKNEST).

Duncan Henderson - System Design Lead for Transport and Legacy, Rolls Royce

Duncan has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Bristol. Duncan currently works at Rolls-Royce Plc, a world leading engineering firm which produces propulsion and power generation solutions. Duncan works as a System Design Engineer within the Defence Mature Programs business unit. Duncan has worked as Design Lead on several solutions for Naval applications and is responsible for coordinating product safety alert reports for Naval Gas Turbines within Rolls-Royce.

Emma Johnson – Director: Marine Science and Maritime Autonomy, Society of Maritime Industries

Emma has a BSc in Marine Biology and an MSc in Marine and Aquatic Biology from the University of Portsmouth. During the MSc a range of topics from Aquaculture to Subtidal Marine Ecology were covered. For her dissertation she worked with MDL Marinas and Blue Marine Foundation on the native oyster restoration project. For the 3 years following university she worked for Chelsea Technologies Ltd. During this time, she worked closely with international agents and customers as well as representing the company at conferences, exhibitions and in presentations and panel debates. Emma joined SMI in September 2020 as Director of the Marine Science & Technology Group (MSTG) and Maritime Autonomous Systems Group (MASG). She is committed to ensuring our members in these groups are represented to government. Emma also supports the Diversity and Inclusion work through Maritime UK. In 2022 Emma launched a new SMIFutures initiative to support and develop future leaders in the maritime sector.

Ian Johnson - Quality Technician, Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI)

The RNLI is the charity that save lives at sea. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the RNLI is ready to save lives. Powered by courage, determination and the support of generous people.

Ian Joined the RNLI engineering department at the age of 17 and completed a Level 3 Apprenticeship in Composite Boatbuilding before moving into the Quality Department where he is responsible for overseeing all new build operations of the Shannon class Lifeboat. He has also started a Degree Apprenticeship with Bournemouth University in Manufacturing Management. Ian is an accredited BSI ISO9001 Auditor as well as a volunteer crew member at Poole lifeboat station that operates a 24/7 rescue service. Within the RNLI he volunteers as a Channel representative. Channel is the RNLI’s support forum for staff. They champion views across the RNLI, as well as provide independent and confidential support and advice.

Sam Kirby – Business Development Manager, Chelsea Technologies Limited

Sam Kirby is the business development manager at Chelsea Technologies, an environmental sensor manufacturer based in the UK. He holds a master’s degree in marine biology from the University of Southampton and has experience in the shellfish aquaculture industry. Sam was the commercial lead for the international Newton Fund project, Advancing Digital Precision in Aquaculture in China (ADPAC).

Ayano Maeda - Graduate Systems Engineer, Griffon Marine Solutions

Ayano holds an MEng in Aerospace and Aerothermal Engineering and a BA in Engineering from the University of Cambridge. With a background in aerospace engineering, she transitioned into the maritime industry and is currently a Graduate Systems Design Engineer at Griffon Marine Ltd. In her role, she contributes to the design and analysis of systems for next-generation hovercraft, with a particular focus on enhancing propulsion efficiency and overall performance. She enjoys working in this industry, as hovercraft design uniquely blends aerodynamics and marine principles, allowing her to deepen her expertise across multiple engineering domains.

Dieudonne Munyabarenzi - Relationship Manager, De Courcy Alexander

Dieudonne discovered the maritime sector while completing an MBA at the University of Nottingham in 2024. Attracted by DCA’s dedication to innovation and sustainable solutions, Dieudonne joined the firm in June 2024 and swiftly became Maritime Lead, guiding the commercialisation of the HEAT-HD engine technology under the Clean Maritime Projects as well as other sustainability-focused initiatives.

With a solid background in finance, strategic consulting, and business development in the City of London, Dieudonne has is focused on building client relationships, helping SMEs in the maritime industry scale. Formerly the President & Founding Member of PRISM at AlphaSights, Dieudonne is committed to fostering inclusive work environments that uplift diverse voices. Through the SMI Futures Board, Dieudonne aims to welcome new and underrepresented talent into the maritime sphere equipping them with the tools to thrive in an evolving and exciting industry.

Tom Nugent – Senior Shipbroker, CSO Shipbrokers,  and Head of CTV Activities CSO Marine Group

Tom has a bachelor’s degree in business and management from Portsmouth University. For the past 5 years, he has been responsible for building out the CTV Chartering, Sale and Purchase and Market Analysis function within CSO Shipbrokers, whilst also being an active advocate for UK shipbuilding and ownership. Tom is responsible for all commercial CTV activity within the wider CSO Group, a regular speaker and representative of CSO Shipbrokers at industry events.

Ed Purkhardt - Associate Material Science Engineer, Metals, Corrosion and NDE, Qinetiq

Ed started his career as a graduate at QinetiQ. During and since the graduate scheme he has been supporting the Royal Navy with their materials related questions and problems. He has started work supporting the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) of a priority materials question in support of AUKUS.

He is also seconded into Navy command headquarters within the Force Development team. Where he has been supporting a significant piece of work known as the Future Force Mix, this is an evidenced based study that has suggested the required build, shape and structure that the RN needs to achieve by 2035 in order to meet current and emerging threats. The FFM has been submitted and accepted by 1SL and endorsed by MoD as the most convincing piece of evidence produced in the past decade.

Harriet Rowlands – Business Development Manager, Sonihull

Harriet heads up the London office for Sonihull Ultrasonic Antifouling, supporting dealers and key clients as Business Development Manager. Her International Business degree from Oxford comes in handy with the global nature of a day in the life of Sonihull. Harriet’s position allows her to take passion for helping the environment around the world, as she represents Sonihull at global shows in all areas of the maritime sector.

Eleanor Stanton - Associate Product Manager, Sonardyne International Limited

Eleanor works in product management at Sonardyne International Ltd, specialising in the development of subsea monitoring products. In this role she bridges the gap between engineering and customers, ensuring that products become invaluable tools for their users. As well as managing the development of products, she also enjoys spending time on trials, getting hands on with kit and putting it through its paces. Eleanor has a BSc in Marine Biology from the University of Exeter and an MSc in Oceanography from the University of Southampton. 

For more information about SMIFutures or to get involved please contact Emma Johnson.