The Making a Difference Awards are just around the corner. Taking place alongside the South West Annual Gala, the awards will be a standout event on the region’s industry calendar. Seeking to highlight the greatest examples of excellence in innovation, support, quality, advocacy and more, the awards aim to bring the industry together to celebrate the best our business community has to offer.
Judging the nominees is a line-up of industry leaders who themselves represent special cases of strong leadership, unwavering commitment and high achievement across our sectors. The event will no doubt be a fantastic occasion to witness the appreciation our industry has for those who go above and beyond, but it will also be important beforehand to become familiar with the individuals making up our judging panel and delivering the verdict.
Introducing our judges for this year…
Freya Woollett
A multi-award-winning Electrical Design Engineer at Leonardo Helicopters, delivering innovative engineering solutions on world-leading aircraft and future aircraft platforms.
Freya began her career at Leonardo Helicopters as a Mechanical Technician Apprentice, where she demonstrated a commitment to both technical excellence and inspiring others. During her apprenticeship, she served as a STEM Ambassador, chaired AeroWomen, and actively championed women in aerospace, helping to promote engineering as an inclusive and accessible career for people from all backgrounds.
In 2024, Freya won the Unsung Hero Award, celebrating her contribution to the aerospace and engineering community. Alongside her engineering role, she remains passionate about encouraging the next generation of engineers and driving greater diversity within the industry.
Jim Sibson
Jim Sibson is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Project Professional with Babcock International, responsible for developing research and business collaborations to grow technology capability.
Jim started his career with Lucas Industries. He moved to Hamilton Sundstrand, Claverham, where he led the programme to design and manufacture innovative valves and actuators for the Boeing Dreamliner. He joined Babcock as Project Leader for the Spanish S-80 submarine, taking these products through design and supply of first hardware. He was appointed Head of Product Support before supporting the implementation of the Group Technology Strategy.
Jim is an APM Fellow and Honorary Associate Professor in Engineering.
James Poeton
James is the Managing Director of Poeton Surface Treatments, a 127-year-old family business operating in the UK and Poland.
Prior to joining five years ago, James had a 12-year career in the technology sector and, more recently, led Oracle Corporation’s relationship with Aviva Insurance PLC.
Having originally graduated as a chemical engineer and later earning an MBA, his focus is on combining a long heritage in aerospace with innovative technology to deliver a rewarding experience for its customers and employees.
Seb Greene
Seb is the CEO and owner of Broadway Group, a fourth-generation family engineering business headquartered in Bristol. The company serves as a pillar of local industry, supporting the aerospace and defence sectors.
He has led the continued development and growth of the Group, combining long-term investment, operational improvement and strategic acquisitions to broaden its capabilities across precision engineering, surface treatments, inspection and verification.
Broadway Group supports major aerospace customers, including Rolls-Royce and Airbus, with a strong focus on quality, delivery and long-term customer partnerships.
Seb is passionate about British manufacturing, developing people and creating sustainable businesses for the future. He is particularly focused on investing in skills, technology and capability to strengthen the UK engineering supply chain and create long-term opportunities across the South West.
Steve Collins
Steve is a Project and Programme Manager with over 20 years’ experience. As a Warfare Officer in the Royal Navy, he served in a number of seagoing appointments and led naval units of up to 200 personnel.
His project management experience started while still in naval service, where he led a major initiative to reorganise the Defence Medical Services.
Joining the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in 2014, Steve managed two government-funded improvement programmes in the automotive sector: Long Term Automotive Supply Chain Competitiveness (LTASC) and the automotive variant of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels (NMCL Automotive).
Steve joined ADS in 2023 to lead SC21, a supply chain improvement programme. He is committed to increasing the level of support activity that takes place within SC21 and broadening its scope to include more companies from the defence, space, security and adjacent sectors.
Maria Nelson
Dr Maria Nelson is Head of Innovation and Investment at the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), where she leads initiatives to strengthen the UK aerospace innovation ecosystem, accelerate technology adoption, and improve access to investment for high-potential SMEs.
Since joining the ATI in 2022, Maria has developed and led a portfolio of innovation support offerings, including the ATI Hub, helping innovators connect with industrial partners, investors, expertise and funding opportunities. Her work focuses on enabling technology innovation and adoption, supporting business growth, and strengthening the UK’s aerospace supply chain.
Prior to joining the ATI, Maria was Director of Innovation Practice at Digital Catapult and previously managed collaborative innovation programmes at Cisco UK. She holds a PhD and serves on the board of Social Tech Trust.
Our judging panel brings together experienced industry leaders who are committed to rendering a service to the industry they are proud to be a part of. They also wish to give back to the business community in which they have forged their careers. We are delighted to have such a knowledgeable group helping to recognise and celebrate excellence across the industry.
