HIGH VALUE MANUFACTURING CATAPULT CELEBRATES AWARD FOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE

8 June 2018 Birmingham, England – The High Value Manufacturing Catapult, which stimulates and supports the commercial application of new technologies through the development of innovative manufacturing processes, is pleased to announce that its Chief Executive, Dick Elsy, has been appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for 2018.

The award was given in recognition of Mr Elsy’s services to Manufacturing and Technology

Welcoming the Honour, Allan Cook, CBE, Chair of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult said:

“Dick’s recognition in this year’s honours list will be celebrated by all in manufacturing.  His tireless passion and enthusiasm for encouraging and supporting innovation in the sector, is helping to drive a transformation that will position UK companies to win in hugely competitive global markets.”

Notes to editors

Dick Elsy

Dick Elsy is the Chief Executive of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, the go-to place for advanced manufacturing technology in the UK. With over £700m of assets, supporting both industry and academia, it represents the greatest concentration of advanced manufacturing capability in the UK. Dick is a career veteran from the automotive industry, with the bulk of his time spent at Land Rover and then Jaguar, where he was engineering director. At Land Rover, where he started his career as one of the key project team members on the original Discovery programme, he became a member of the Board from where he led the creation, development, and manufacture of the Freelander. Prior to his most recent role, Dick was the CEO of Torotrak plc the FTSE listed developer of traction drive technology.

Dick takes a keen interest in engineering innovation at a national level as a board member of the Aerospace Growth Partnership and a member of the Automotive Council’s Technology group where he is responsible for the manufacturing agenda. He is a board member of the Henry Royce Institute and was recently elected onto the UKRI-STFC Council. He supports the research and technology community both here and in Europe through his board roles with AIRTO and EARTO. Dick is the holder of a Silver Medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering and is also a Fellow of the IMech E and IET.

Mr Elsy was born in South Shields and is married with one daughter. His mother, Rebecca Elsy, was awarded the MBE for her community work in 2003.

About the High Value Manufacturing Catapult

The High Value Manufacturing Catapult brings together seven institutions of excellence across a broad range of sectors to support UK manufacturing in the commercialisation of cutting edge technologies.  The Catapult was declared open for business by the then Secretary of State Dr Vince Cable at the beginning of October 2011 with Dick Elsy as its first CEO.

The High Value Manufacturing Catapult focuses its research and development on key areas of high value manufacture, including use of metals and composites in addition to process manufacturing technologies and bio-processing. The Catapult brings together knowledge, expertise and state-of-the-art facilities to help UK businesses innovate to develop novel products and/or manufacturing processes.

Press Contacts

Rosa Wilkinson

Email: rosa.wilkinson@hvm.catapult.org.uk

Tel: 07826 890 746