Meet the Team – Who We Are

A keen engineer from an early age with a passion for the ocean, I left university with an engineering degree in civil and offshore engineering.

My first job with Roger Chapman’s company Rumic was as part of the UK Submarine Rescue Team based in Glasgow.

There started a career in design, production and management which saw us build many of the worlds submarine rescue vehicles and pioneer air transportable decompression and handling systems.

Although happiest in my overalls, professional technicians would rather see me behind the kettle rather than on the tools attempting to lead from the front.

My submersible Pilot training lasted 2 weeks before it was decided as was untrainable and sent ashore.

Rumic, grew into James Fisher Defence which grew with the additional of Divex into JFD, which opened-up the world of diving, expanding my technical knowledge of deep.

Once I’d left JFD for a less corporate job, a long-term association with SMP, and Phil Connelly created an opportunity to build a team of expert shareholders to acquire the SMP business.

The rest is now the future, and I look forward to developing new solutions for all manned subsea applications with the great team at SMP.

My previous employment has always seen me work within the compressed air industry, however, I worked initially as a time-served engineering fitter for an industrial compressor manufacturer. In 2003 I took a slight career change by working for a compressed air service and sales company, later moving into a sales role and never looking back on my new job role. I continued to improve my sales skills and joined SMP in December 2010.

Regions: UK, Scandinavia, Africa and Spain

I graduated in 2020 from the University of Strathclyde, achieving an MSc in Advanced Mechanical Engineering with Distinction. Following graduation I worked for 3 years as a Project Engineer, managing several new build, overhaul, and site projects relating to offshore handling systems such as davits and A-Frames, with clients in Europe, North America, and Asia. I joined SMP in June 2023 as Delivery Manager for the Special Projects team, which focusses on bespoke hyperbaric systems to meet client requirements. My job role involves overseeing the Special Projects sales process from receiving new enquiries to submittal of proposals. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family, and sports such as running and football.

I joined SMP in the early part of last year as the Submarine Rescue Market lead.  Entrepreneurial by nature, I see opportunities in ways that others don’t and I connect people in a way that others don’t.  I understand absolutely the commercial imperative to deliver; and, throughout my time since leaving the Royal Navy in 2012 I have successfully operated in UK, Europe, North America, the Middle East and the Asia Pacific regions.  While doing so I have won a substantial amount of new business in both commercial and military markets.  I like being with with people, and am at ease in the International market place.  I enjoy interacting professionally with other cultures, forming friendships and partnerships with customers and clients alike.  I also speak French

In my spare time I enjoy being on the water primarily on yachts up to 24m.  As Managing Director of AVRO Yachting Ltd I run a number of sectored sailing regattas that enable the raising of money for a number of charities including: ISWAN; PTSD Resolution; Papyrus; The NOT FORGOTTEN; The Submarine Family; and, Sail2Help.

With over 30 years of technical engineering sales behind him and with the last 13 years being compressor solution sales Neil has a wealth of knowledge regarding the compressed air market.

In his spare time Neil enjoys photography, watching sports and family time

My name is Ellie and I am the Sales Executive – OEM Products for SMP, which means that I am responsible for various administration roles within the sales team, including completing & issuing export documentation.

I joined SMP in May 2019 and prior to that I worked for a fostering agency since joining as an apprentice at the age of 16. I have over 5 years’ administration and customer service experience as a result.

Experienced Accounts Manager with over 40 years experience in the manufacturing, construction and agricultural industries.

I joined Submarine Manufacturing in October 2011 after being made redundant from Fylde Interiors Ltd after 15 years working as the Office Manager /Accountant.  I am responsible for all aspects of running a busy accounts department and the production of management accounts information; this has allowed me to introduce strong accounting systems and controls that have benefited the smooth running of the Finance Department.

Outside of work I enjoy spending time on my allotment, gardening, walking, fishing, DIY and spending time with my family.

I graduated university with a Degree in Mechanical Motorsports Engineering and gained my stripes in the Automotive realm where I lead a design team over in South Korea and Romania. I have also worked for companies developing 700bar transportable Hydrogen refuelling systems using safe reliable equipment delivering Hydrogen at optimal pressure. The SMP journey started early into 2023 for me as a Senior Design Engineer where I continue to push for improvement as a team and strive for the golden standard in engineering!

I also enjoy classic cars, tinkering on projects in the garage and getting lost on my MTB.

I joined SMP in 2023 as the Head of the new R&D department. My role takes me to the forefront of the business and the industry, as we develop new, exciting technology for our customers. We take great ideas through the engineering lifecycle, which means we do everything from engineering specifications, concept design and testing, to ensure all products meet SMP’s strict standards.
My background and education are in automotive engineering, where I have worked on WRC rally cars, been a Nürburgring and ice lake test driver engineering safety systems, and a designer and tester of powertrain systems for luxury and performance car manufacturers.
I love spending time with my wife and daughter, several pets, restoring my Subaru Impreza and watchmaking.

For a number of years was a Lending Manager with one of the big four banks covering the Fylde Coast. Following the restructure of banking I turned to education for both myself and in employment as an Adviser/Tutor for Apprentices covering a multitude of trades and was a Quality Manager for 3 Learndirect Centres.

I joined SMP in 2013 and now put my previous experience and knowledge of my hobby skills of sailing/cruising to use within this very diverse industry. My role as Supply Chain Manager involves purchasing anything and everything that is needed by our production and stores departments to enable them to provide our customers with the material/equipment they need. I liaise with all our suppliers and contractors to put sometimes a very large jigsaw together!

Apart from being on the water I enjoy travelling, gardening skiing, my cats and my Koi and doing the occasional experiences of tank driving, Aston Martin driving, 4 x 4 driving and being zoo keeper for the day!

I worked in the mining industry for 22 years in engineering with high pressure water hydraulics in south Africa, also have oil hydraulics experience.

I play golf as a sport and a petrol head.

I started at Submarine Manufacturing and Products in 2005 as an apprentice after leaving school.

Since then I have worked my way up to become Workshop Manager.

I love working at SMP with all the different challenges it brings and finding solutions to these projects.

In my spare time I enjoy Scuba Diving and going to concerts.

I’m a qualified toolmaker and turner and have many years’ experience in manufacturing and management. I joined SMP in January 2011 as the stores manager and I believe it’s essential to provide a first-class service to each and every customer.

Previous working experience – I served my time as an ET(ME) in the Royal Navy until 2012 where I gained a experience in maintaining main auxiliary systems onboard.

How did you come and join SMP – I took up a role at SMP in 2012 as a member of the manufacturing and servicing team working in the workshop and out on site on various projects. In late 2018 I was given the opportunity to take up a new role as engineering team leader which entails overseeing the manufacturing and servicing of products. I now have the role of Requirements Capture Manager, being part of the Special Projects team.

Will is SMP’s Marketing Manager, handling all the marketing activities within the business. Social media, website content, event organising, product literature.  Will is the man behind the scenes working on the things you see across all of these.

Before joining SMP, Will worked in a marketing role for a company in the trucking industry. Creating marketing materials for safety equipment for large vehicles which he tells us was more than just that annoying beeping sound you hear when they are reversing. Trucks, submarines, now all he needs is to work on planes and he will have completed the trio, land, sea, and air.

Will is the nerd of the office spending his free time watching either Marvel, Star Wars, or Disney, when he’s not gaming of course.

I joined SMP Ltd in January 2007 and my role as PA to the MD/Directors is definitely varied – managing diaries, correspondence, travel, calls, documents and presentations, meetings as well as overseeing SMP’s general admin and HR requirements, organising social events, and even re-organising the office site and office layouts/liaising with builders.  Previous to SMP my Senior Secretarial/PA roles were in a wide range of industries inc the chemical industry, brown site property development, local authority and education authority.

Out of work, with my husband and friends I enjoy travelling the UK and overseas, walking/general fitness, being a bookworm, music and socialising (esp when wine and cheese are involved!).