A new Beginning - Bren Nolan's First Blog as Inzpire Managing Director
22 Jun 22
BY Bren Nolan
This is the first of what I’m sure will be many opportunities to share my thoughts with you now that I have been lucky enough to join the amazing team at Inzpire.
I join the team after three years in QinetiQ’s Air and Space business where, as business development director, I was responsible for all aspects of growth, from strategy through to pipeline development and then in-year sales. This presented me with the opportunity to work with Inzpire, particularly around support to Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) through the Engineering Delivery Partner contract and also in the area of training. I was always impressed with Inzpire’s attitude and ethos as well as the tremendous capability of the team, from those delivering the work on a day-to-day basis to the often unsung heroes in support roles who are vital to delivering successful outcomes for both customers and the shareholder.
Prior to QinetiQ I spent nearly 14 years with Leonardo Electronics in a number of different business growth roles. I was lucky enough to work with Inzpire on a few occasions here as well - around the delivery of radar training. My time at Leonardo certainly shaped the second phase of my career and I was lucky to work with many talented individuals on both the business and technical side of Leonardo.
The first and by far, the most influential phase of my career, was the 18 years I spent in the Royal Air Force. My time in the RAF included front line tours on the Tornado ground attack aircraft and the Chinook helicopter. I also did ground tours with the Army and had plenty of time deployed at sea with the Royal Navy. I was fortunate to serve with many of the people who now work at Inzpire and am looking forward to catching up with old friends and to making new ones.
Yesterday Hugh handed over the reins of Inzpire to me at the company's Lincoln headquarters.
Before I can even start to think about the task that lies ahead I must pay tribute to Hugh and the other founders who created such an amazing company from scratch. I am deeply aware that I will be the first leader of the business who has not been a founder and I understand the responsibility that brings. Hugh’s vision was for so much more than a company. It was about creating the environment in which individuals can flourish and where they can serve the military customer in the best possible way. By putting people and purpose first, Hugh has created an amazing environment for which we are all grateful. I am delighted that Hugh will remain as Chairman so we don’t totally lose the founder’s intent and I have the benefit of his wisdom as we take the company into its next phase.
So many thoughts have been racing around my head since I was told that I’d been successful in applying for the role of managing director. The business is in great shape with a strong growth trajectory, so my plan in the initial stages is to speak to as many people as possible to get under the skin of the company, to learn how it operates and what makes it tick. Together with the management team, I’ll work to identify and agree the challenges and opportunities we see and then engage as many employees, customers and other key stakeholders as possible at all levels of the business. They all matter equally and can materially contribute to our success. I want everyone at Inzpire to feel they have a voice and consultation is key: it would be foolish to dive straight in and try to impose any changes before I get a better understanding of how things work.
Whist I need to consult widely to work out how we will do things going forward I am clear on the task – that is to grow Inzpire in line with the shareholder expectations. This is an exciting proposition; it is so much better to be working in a growing business, striving to find ways to excel, than it is the other way round. The key difference now is that Inzpire enters this phase of development without the founders directly in the daily running of the business to guide us. This means the responsibility falls to all of us to continue on the path that Hugh and others have set us off on. I am grateful that whilst Inzpire is part of the QinetiQ group, that it continues to operate with some independence and that its unique nature, strong brand and ethos is recognised. By continuing in the same vein as the last few years, we will allow Inzpire to continue to go from strength to strength.
I look forward to meeting more of my new team mates and as many customers as possible in my first few months. Together we will help Inzpire continue to grow from the solid foundations set by Hugh as we start the next chapter of its story.
Latest News
Demystifying the maths behind electronic warfare
10.04.24
Electronic Warfare
Our electronic warfare expert, Luke Cabot, explains the principle of Stare Time and frequency resolution from his local sauna.
Need Help?
Our team are here to help. If you have any questions, no matter how big or small, please get in touch.
+44 (0)1522 688231
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)