defence uk founder and DIRECTORS
Founder and President - the late Cdr John Muxworthy RN
Founder of the UKNDA. A member of the Board of Directors 2007 - 2014. 32 years service in the Royal Navy as an S&S officer on the General List. Served in HM Ships Venus, Lion, Dundas, Kent, Centaur, Victorious, Sirius, Lincoln, Apollo, SS Canberra (Falklands War). Author of “The Great White Whale goes to War”, an account of the SS Canberra’s Falkland’s War. Shore establishments etc: HMS Pembroke, Victory (RNB), RNC Greenwich, Inner Temple (Legal Training), HMS Neptune (Faslane), Kyle of Lochalsh, HMS Nelson (RNB), Northwood (CinCFleet as Staff Officer Management Systems). Member of the Royal United Services Institute, Naval Club, Naval Review, South Atlantic Medal Association, Marine Society & Sea Cadets. Died July 2021.
Chairman - David Wedgwood
David joined the Board in October 2011.
1960 - 1969 Junior Seaman Officer Royal Navy. Appointments included HM Ships: Wizard, Diana, Lewiston, Picton (Indonesian Confrontation patrol), Brave Borderer, Cambrian.
President: HMS Cambrian Association.
Member of: Britannia Association, ARNO.
1970 - 1996 Schoolmaster, becoming Headmaster of a Prep School in Newmarket from 1981 - 1996. Positions included East Anglian Chairman, Independent Schools Association and member of the National Executive. For 10 years a member of the Independent Schools Inspectorate. Recently stepped down as Trustee and Treasurer of an educational charity. Companion of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.
1960 - 1969 Junior Seaman Officer Royal Navy. Appointments included HM Ships: Wizard, Diana, Lewiston, Picton (Indonesian Confrontation patrol), Brave Borderer, Cambrian.
President: HMS Cambrian Association.
Member of: Britannia Association, ARNO.
1970 - 1996 Schoolmaster, becoming Headmaster of a Prep School in Newmarket from 1981 - 1996. Positions included East Anglian Chairman, Independent Schools Association and member of the National Executive. For 10 years a member of the Independent Schools Inspectorate. Recently stepped down as Trustee and Treasurer of an educational charity. Companion of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.
Vice-Chairman - Cdr Graham Edmonds RN
Graham joined the Board in November 2012
Born 1947. Educated at Repton School and Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth. RN Service 1966-2007 as a seaman officer and above water warfare specialist, including active service in the South Atlantic in 1982, Salalah 1970, Cod War 1973, West Indies 1975. Served in HMS Ships Torquay, Tartar, Chawton, Puncheston, Walkerton, Apollo, Minerva, Brighton, Broadsword and Brave. Commanded HMS Cambridge and RN Gibraltar. Mod in DESO and SP Pol. SMOPS as Tac (EW) and Cdr (A). NATO CinCSouth J3/J7 and Head of Navy Ops. RNSC in 1979. Served on the Board of UKNDA 2007-2009 and remains a UKNDA member. Has a deep professional interest and expertise in defence affairs and distributes a private e-mail newsletter on worldwide Defence and Security issues to Defence UK members, academics, politicians, defence correspondents, friends, colleagues and former shipmates. Chairman of City of Plymouth Athletics Club, Defence Researcher 2007 - to date, a Director of Armada Athletics Community Interest Company, a member of the Sea Power Centre, Exeter Flotilla and the Phoenix Think Tank. Married with 8 children (6 Adult, one a Commander in RNZN)
Born 1947. Educated at Repton School and Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth. RN Service 1966-2007 as a seaman officer and above water warfare specialist, including active service in the South Atlantic in 1982, Salalah 1970, Cod War 1973, West Indies 1975. Served in HMS Ships Torquay, Tartar, Chawton, Puncheston, Walkerton, Apollo, Minerva, Brighton, Broadsword and Brave. Commanded HMS Cambridge and RN Gibraltar. Mod in DESO and SP Pol. SMOPS as Tac (EW) and Cdr (A). NATO CinCSouth J3/J7 and Head of Navy Ops. RNSC in 1979. Served on the Board of UKNDA 2007-2009 and remains a UKNDA member. Has a deep professional interest and expertise in defence affairs and distributes a private e-mail newsletter on worldwide Defence and Security issues to Defence UK members, academics, politicians, defence correspondents, friends, colleagues and former shipmates. Chairman of City of Plymouth Athletics Club, Defence Researcher 2007 - to date, a Director of Armada Athletics Community Interest Company, a member of the Sea Power Centre, Exeter Flotilla and the Phoenix Think Tank. Married with 8 children (6 Adult, one a Commander in RNZN)
Executive Director & CEO - Andy Smith
Member of UKNDA/Defence UK since 2007 and a Director since 2008. Journalist, media consultant and military historian. Life Fellow and Past-President of the Chartered Institute of Journalists. Chairman and Journal Editor of the Victorian Military Society. Fellow of the International Napoleonic Society. Member of the Royal Historical Society. Freeman of the City of London.
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - COLONEL (Retd) ANDY ALLEN MBE
Andy joined the Board in May 2016
Left the Army in 2015 to take up a Business Development opportunity in the Defence Sector.
During 30 year military career specialised in aviation engineering, acquisition, guided weapons and logistic support – mainly in Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and the Joint Helicopter Command (Chief Air Engineer and Assistant Director Operations Support). Also served in the people training and development environment and NATOs HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. In 2012 completed a Defence Career Partnering - a sabbatical in industry. Operational tour in Iraq as Deputy Chief Iraqi Security Forces in HQ Multi National Division (South East) and supported Apache, Chinook, Merlin, Sea King, Puma, Lynx, Gazelle, Scout and Special Forces platforms on operations around the world.
Patron to Forces Diversity, Windsor Leadership Trust Alumni, King’s College London Alumni, Chartered Engineer and Fellow Royal Aeronautical Society. Director of Senior Army Rugby 2009-2012.
Andy joined the Board in May 2016
Left the Army in 2015 to take up a Business Development opportunity in the Defence Sector.
During 30 year military career specialised in aviation engineering, acquisition, guided weapons and logistic support – mainly in Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and the Joint Helicopter Command (Chief Air Engineer and Assistant Director Operations Support). Also served in the people training and development environment and NATOs HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. In 2012 completed a Defence Career Partnering - a sabbatical in industry. Operational tour in Iraq as Deputy Chief Iraqi Security Forces in HQ Multi National Division (South East) and supported Apache, Chinook, Merlin, Sea King, Puma, Lynx, Gazelle, Scout and Special Forces platforms on operations around the world.
Patron to Forces Diversity, Windsor Leadership Trust Alumni, King’s College London Alumni, Chartered Engineer and Fellow Royal Aeronautical Society. Director of Senior Army Rugby 2009-2012.
non-executive director - stephen coltman
Stephen joined the Board in March 2020.
Born 1953, a civilian with a political background. Educated at Southampton University, studying chemistry, and later gaining an M.Sc at the University of East Anglia, he had a career as a chemist. He was initially a research chemist in the pharmaceuticals industry and later a project manager in the Fine Chemicals industry.
He was formerly (until 2019) in the Liberal Democrats. He has a lifelong interest in defence matters and was involved in formulating defence policy for the Liberal Democrats in the 1990s and more recently for the 2015 election. He played a leading role in getting the Coalition government to carry out the “Trident Alternatives Study”. For four years he was Chair of the Association of Liberal Democrat Engineers & Scientists. Now retired from paid employment he is Vice-chair of a War Memorial Museum Trust in Loughborough and volunteers for Oxfam.
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - FRED DUPUY
Fred joined the Board in January 2017.
Born in 1949 into an army family, entered King Edward VII nautical college at the age of 16 at the start of a 45 year career in the Merchant Navy. Spent the first 14 years in world General Cargo trades, rising to Chief Officer and then transferred to the marine sector of the Offshore Oil and Gas industry. For the last 20 years was a Ship's Master on various vessels; emergency intervention, diving support/construction, survey and wind turbine installation. During this time there were additional commissions for marine consultancy, auditing and the running of vessel acceptance trials. His only direct military service was in the early eighties with a brief period in the RNR but has had a lifelong interest in military affairs and is concerned not only with the gradual attrition of the armed forces but also with the general public's lack of defence awareness.
Fred joined the Board in January 2017.
Born in 1949 into an army family, entered King Edward VII nautical college at the age of 16 at the start of a 45 year career in the Merchant Navy. Spent the first 14 years in world General Cargo trades, rising to Chief Officer and then transferred to the marine sector of the Offshore Oil and Gas industry. For the last 20 years was a Ship's Master on various vessels; emergency intervention, diving support/construction, survey and wind turbine installation. During this time there were additional commissions for marine consultancy, auditing and the running of vessel acceptance trials. His only direct military service was in the early eighties with a brief period in the RNR but has had a lifelong interest in military affairs and is concerned not only with the gradual attrition of the armed forces but also with the general public's lack of defence awareness.
