INFORMATICS LAB - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Representative for Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Adam is a Senior Civil Servant and the Director of the International Research and Innovation Directorate within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). He is a development economist by background, having worked as an economic adviser to the Ministry of Finance in Sierra Leone in his earlier years, and for the UK's Department for International Development in Bangladesh.
He has since then worked in HM Treasury, the Department for Exiting the European Union and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Currently, he leads the Directorate that develops international science partnerships, research establishments and infrastructures, research security, research talent, and the government's work with the National Academies.
Job Titles:
- Board As a Non - Executive Director
- Science Adviser, Spire Global, Inc
Alan joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director in November 2019. His previous full-time roles have included: Director-General of ECMWF, Chief Executive of NERC, Director of the Hadley Centre, and Professor and Head of Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading. Currently he holds part-time roles with the World Bank, Spire Global, and as a visiting professor at the University of Reading. For much of his career he was a research scientist in weather and climate. He was awarded an OBE for services to environmental science in the 2018 New Year Honours List.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Engineer
- Non - Executive Director
- Director Resilient Cities, Arcadis / Trustee, the Green Alliance Trust
Anusha is a leading chartered engineer, thought leader, keynote speaker, panellist and a passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion and fairness. As well as Anusha's role as Director, Resilient Cities at Arcadis, she is also currently President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). She is a Visiting Professor at King's College London and Honorary Professor with University of Wolverhampton. She is the Past Chair of the Thames Estuary Partnership Board and was Non-Executive Director of Thomas Telford Board (ICE's Business wing), Past Chair of ICE London and Past Co-Chair of ICE London & South East Diversity Task Force.
With over two decades of leadership and management excellence on numerous high-profile engineering and environmental projects in the UK and internationally, she is driven by a desire to make societies inclusive, safe, climate resilient and sustainable. Anusha sits on various industry NetZero and Climate Change groups including London Climate Change Partnership. She is recipient of several awards including 2020 - Top 50 UK Women Engineers in Sustainability Award.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Non Executive Director
- Non - Executive Director, Energy Systems Catapult / Co - Chair, Financial Conduct Authority 's Adaptation Working Group
Catherine joined the Board of The Met Office in 2023 and is Chair of the Remuneration Committee.
Catherine is a highly respected leader within green finance, with over 25 years of experience in sustainable development, finance, strategy and change management. She is chief strategy officer at Impax Asset Management. She is responsible for overseeing the firm's strategy, client and digital change projects and AI strategy, working with the CEO.
Catherine has a wealth of experience across government organisations. She was Director of international energy and climate finance at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). In this role she was Chair of the UK climate and energy G7 Presidency in 2022, which was the first G7 to agree to Net Zero commitments, and also Head of Climate Science and co-sponsor for the Met Office Hadley Centre climate science programme.
Catherine's previous positions include: Vice-chair of the International Energy Agency, Trustee of the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, Global head of environmental sustainability at ANZ bank and Chief operating officer at Low Carbon Australia.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
- Technology Director
- Director of Technology, Chief Information Officer and Senior Information Risk Officer
Charles Ewen is the Director of Technology, Chief Information Officer and Senior Information Risk Officer. He is accountable for all aspects of Information Technology and sponsors the Data and Digital, Cyber Security and Knowledge and Information professions at the Met Office.
He undertook a degree apprenticeship with the RAF, graduating with a Higher National Diploma in Electronic Systems and serving for eight years before working in systems design and engineering in the defence sector. He spent several years leading operational technology teams in the US, UK and Asia. He is a Fellow of the BCS and has completed the Major Programmes Leadership Academy at the University of Oxford Said Business School.
Charles has worked for the Met Office in a variety of senior technology roles since joining as Head of Web and Media in 2008. He became Director of Technology in 2014 and leads a large and capable team delivering world-class IT capability. He is accountable for integrating cutting-edge supercomputing, cloud adoption and modernising ways of working supporting our world-leading science and services. He is currently the Senior Responsible Officer of a £1.2bn Programme to deliver scientific supercomputing ‘in the cloud', with Microsoft.
Charles sits on various advisory boards for large technology companies and public sector bodies such as AWS and the RSC. He is an active Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) ambassador and industry advisor to secondary schools. Charles enjoys all major sports, especially rugby and cricket as a player, coach, referee and umpire and lives on Dartmoor where he enjoys walking, horse riding and generally being outdoors.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Director
- Non - Executive Director, Circulairity
Andy joined the Board as Non-Executive Director in September 2023.
During his eight-year tenure as Chief Executive of the UK's North Sea Transition Authority Andy played a pivotal role in conceiving and delivering on a fresh vision for the UK Continental Shelf.
With a keen focus on climate change and the opportunities arising from the global energy transition, Andy's work underscored the substantial potential for carbon reduction within the North Sea region. This includes carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, and offshore wind energy.
Andy serves on a number of boards and helps companies formulate and deliver on their energy transition strategies and projects. He co-chaired the Aberdeen Maggie's cancer charity for five years.
He holds an MA in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and a PhD from London University and was awarded a CBE for his services to the Energy Sector. Andy lives on a North Devon coastal farm, where he and his wife are enhancing the biodiversity. When not working, he enjoys surfing and spending time in nature with friends and family.
Elizabeth is the first Programmes Director, joining the Met Office in November 2020. She began her career as an electronic engineering apprentice and completed her degree by day release with her employer. She is now a Chartered Project Professional, with decades of experience leading the delivery of cutting-edge research within government.
As the Programmes Director, Elizabeth has accountability for programme delivery within the Met Office.
Elizabeth is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Job Titles:
- Director, Melioro Group Ltd / Member of MOD 's Defence Scientific Expert Committee, DSEC / Non - Executive Director National Algorithms Group and N2 Group
- Fellow of the Institution of Engineering
Jordan is an experienced leader of innovation and change in systems, data, cyber and technology domains with a background in academia, the private sector and government, recognised both nationally and internationally. Driven by cutting edge challenges at the intersection of government, industry and academia, he is particularly focussed on enabling innovation through multidisciplinary and cross cutting teams. His areas of particular interest and expertise include dual use and emerging technologies, complexity and complex systems, transdisciplinary research and innovation, cyber, infrastructure, AI, autonomy, and data sciences to build long term, co-created capabilities across government and the private sector.
Jordan has experience as both a Board member and Chair across a wide range of commercial sector and Government organisations. He now works primarily as an independent adviser. In addition to his role as Non-Executive Director for the Met Office, Jordan is a science and technology adviser to the UK MOD and National Security Community, and an adviser to a range of physical science and data science led start ups and scale ups. He also supports a number of boutique strategy consultancies. He is a visiting Professor at the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at UCL and other academic institutions.
Professionally, Jordan is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Chartered Physicist and Chartered Scientist. Jordan holds an MA Degree from the University of Oxford in Physics and a PhD from the University of London in High Energy Particle Physics.
Job Titles:
- Prospect Union National Negotiator
Lisa is a Negotiations Officer for Prospect trade union. The Met Office is one of the Prospect branches that Lisa works with to negotiate with the employer to secure agreements on terms and conditions and other matters that further members' interests. She also provides individual and collective representation and advice to members and branches in order to meet their needs and ensure successful outcomes.
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Fellow of the ICAEW
- Non - Executive Director & ARAC Chair, Ordnance Survey
- Non - Executive Director and Chair of Audit
- Non - Executive Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee
Lynn is a Fellow of the ICAEW and has a degree in Arabic & Spanish from the University of Exeter.Catherine joined the Board of The Met Office in 2023 and is Chair of the Remuneration Committee.
Lynn is a respected leader with extensive financial and commercial expertise across a broad range of industry sectors.
Alongside her Met Office appointment, Lynn is currently a Non-Executive Director and Chair of Audit and Risk for Ordnance Survey Limited. Her last executive role was as Chief Executive Officer of Interserve Support Services, a strategic government supplier, leading the business through the Covid-19 pandemic and a sale process. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and has a degree in Arabic and Spanish from the University of Exeter.
Job Titles:
- Chief Finance Officer
- Chief Financial Officer
Nick joined the Met Office in 2004 and is a Chartered Accountant. Before joining the Met Office he worked across a broad range of financial disciplines. This experience was in the sectors of high-tech manufacturing and telecoms.
As Chief Financial Officer, Nick is responsible for the delivery of financial advice, planning, control and support to the organisation. As well as finance, he leads:
The Enterprise Portfolio Office,
Change Management,
Property and Commercial, and
Procurement.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Engineer
- Scientist
- Chairman of the Dartmoor National Park Steering Group
- Office Chief Executive
- Professor
- Visiting Professor in the Electronics and Computer Science Faculty at Southampton University
Professor Penny Endersby CBE, FREng, Hon FInstP, is an outstanding government scientist and inspirational leader who has made significant contributions to the delivery of life-saving science and services in defence and security, and weather and climate, both in the UK and internationally.
She was appointed Chief Executive of the Met Office in 2018, President of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) in 2023 and is the first woman appointed to each role.
Professor Penny Endersby is an outstanding scientist, engineer and inspirational leader who has made significant contributions to the delivery of life-saving science and services in defence and security and weather and climate, both in the UK and internationally. She was appointed Chief Executive at the Met Office in 2018 and President of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) in 2023, the first woman to fill either role.
Penny grew up in London and studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University with the help of scholarships from WISE and British Gas. Prior to joining the Met Office, she had a distinguished career at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), beginning as a graduate researcher in armour and ending as Director of Cyber and Information, and acting Chief Technical Officer. Penny was instrumental in building up Dstl's capabilities in cyber and data science research and increasing their pipeline of innovative research and intellectual property.
She was awarded the 2021 Society Medal by the British Computer Society in recognition of her use of IT to benefit society, specifically through investment in the Met Office's supercomputer and data systems in support of weather and climate prediction. Penny is a visiting professor in the Electronics and Computer Science Faculty at Southampton University and an honorary professor of Physics and the Environment at the University of Exeter. She was made a CBE in the 2024 New Year's Honours.
Penny is chair of the Dartmoor National Park Steering Group, a place where she spends much of her free time. She is married to a teacher; they have two musical grown-up children. Penny is a keen naturalist and musician, and an active member of Exeter Cathedral, as their first Canon Scientist as well as a member of their voluntary choir.
Job Titles:
- Chief Technology Officer
- Met Office in 1998 As a Software Engineer
Richard joined the Met Office in 1998 as a software engineer. He has built his career in the technology profession, initially working in the software engineering discipline before later leading the delivery of IT infrastructure and operations at the Met Office. Richard took up the position of Chief Technology Officer in November 2021.
As Chief Technology Officer, Richard has accountability for running all aspects of Met Office IT, ensuring the world-class IT capability continues to meet the needs of the organisation.
Simon joined the Met Office in September 2020. He has a background in the water industry in both technical and leadership roles. These experiences developed his passion for customer service and operational delivery.
As Services Director, Simon has accountability for the delivery of Met Office Services to users. This includes:
Our observation network (land, sea and space).
Operational forecasts and the National Severe Weather Warning Service (NSWWS).
Hazard monitoring.
Production and maintenance of user products and digital services such as the website.
Job Titles:
- Non - Executive Chair
- Senior Adviser, Rothschild & Co
Simon started his appointment as Chair of the Met Office Board in December 2024, having previously held a number of senior leadership positions in the finance, natural resources and energy sectors.
Prior to joining the Met Office, Simon served as chairman of 3i Group and Rio Tinto and as a director of Anglo American. Committed to public good science and sustainability, Simon currently serves as a director of the British Geological Survey and is a Defra-appointed member of the Peak District National Park Authority.
He is also a Senior Advisor to Rothschild & Co. and a member of the Energy Transition Commission. Simon's academic credentials include a MA in geology from Oxford University, a PhD in history from King's College London and an Honorary Professorship at the University of Exeter, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economics.
Simon leads the Science directorate with accountability for the Met Office's world-leading research in Foundation, Weather and Climate Science and for developing the scientific capability which underpins all the Met Office products and services.
He is responsible for the Next Generation Modelling Systems programme which aims to reformulate and redesign the whole of the Met Office weather and climate research and operational systems. Ultimately enabling the organisation to exploit future generations of supercomputers and remain at the forefront of weather and climate science and services.
Simon gained a BSc in Maths from the University of Leeds in 1991 and then went on to study for a PhD in the Applied Maths department. He is expert in atmospheric science, in particular model development and in orographic processes - the effect that hills and mountains have on the weather. His work has led to improved understanding of a range of hazardous atmospheric phenomena such as mountain waves, rotors and to better models and practical tools for their prediction.
Simon joined the Met Office in 2001 as a research scientist and has been involved in many exciting projects, including working with the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) research aircraft, studying rotors over the Sierra Nevada mountains in California as a Principal Investigator for the international T-REX programme.
He has retained very strong links with the University of Leeds and has a visiting Professorship position at the School of Earth and Environment.
He enjoys spending time on Dartmoor and the beautiful beaches of South Devon, is a keen angler and a lifelong Liverpool FC fan.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Science and Technology
- Trustee of the Science Museum
Stephen became Chief Science and Technology Officer of the Met Office in October 2016. Before this he was Director of the Met Office Hadley Centre. Stephen has a varied background in academia where he is an expert in atmospheric and oceanic science. In particular, the turbulent motions of the winds and ocean currents.
Job Titles:
- Director of Government and Industry Relationships
Steve joined the Met Office in September 2024. Prior to joining the Met Office Steve worked in management consultancy and has a Civil Service background including the Cabinet Office, HM Land Registry and MoD. He has significant experience of leading inclusive teams, identifying strategic aims and delivering large-scale data-led transformations.
As Director of Government and Industry Relationships, Steve leads the Markets directorate. Markets manages the business relationships of the Met Office with an annual revenue budget of over £300m and approximately 120 staff.
Steve is accountable for all customer relationships associated with weather and climate services for citizens, industries and governments. Notably these include with our owning department, the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) including the Public Weather Services (PWS), other key Government departments, civil aviation and industries such as energy, water and transport.
Job Titles:
- Chief People Officer
- Non - Executive Director - Compound Semiconductor Applications ( CSA ) Catapult
Tammy is responsible for the People directorate which encompasses all the aspects of the people lifecycle at the Met Office, communications, and engagement across all audiences.
Tammy is committed to making the Met Office an employer of choice and is passionate about realising the potential of people to continually drive the organisation forward, keeping staff well-informed, well-led, resilient to change and clear on purpose.
She has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Masters degree in Environmental Engineering as well as a Teaching Degree for Higher Education. She is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering and a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personal Development. She is a member of the Institute of Directors, and also holds an Advanced Diploma in Coaching.
Graduating from University College and Imperial College, London, with engineering degrees, the first half of her career was spent in ship building design and teaching merchant seafarers before she moved into human resources, using engineering principles to embed HR transformation into organisations through talent, leadership, and cultural change.