6 January 2021

High Value Manufacturing Catapult names Katherine Bennett CBE as successor to current CEO Dick Elsy CBE

The High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVM Catapult) has announced today that Katherine Bennett, currently Senior Vice President, Airbus in the UK, will succeed Dick Elsy when he retires as CEO of the Catapult later in 2021.

The Board of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult (HVM Catapult) has announced today that Katherine Bennett, currently Senior Vice President, Airbus in the UK, will succeed Dick Elsy when he retires as CEO of the Catapult later in 2021. The announcement follows a formal recruitment process led by the Chair of the HVM Catapult, Allan Cook CBE.

Announcing Katherine’s appointment, Allan Cook said:

 I am delighted to share the news of Katherines appointment. She will bring a wealth of industrial experience combined with real passion for the vital role the HVM Catapult has to play in assisting the UKs post-COVID recovery and supporting the innovation that will boost the UKs position in global markets. Katherine is indeed a worthy successor to Dick Elsy and will undoubtedly build on his outstanding legacy for the HVM Catapult.”

Welcoming the news, Dick Elsy said:

 The announcement of Katherines appointment is very good news not just for the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, but for the whole of UK engineering and manufacturing.  Her experience in a senior leadership role with Airbus in the UK means she brings a depth of understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by UK manufacturers as they innovate to grow their market share and address shared challenges such as reducing carbon emissions. I will be pleased to leave the organisation in her extremely capable hands.

Katherine Bennett said:

 I am honoured to have been asked to lead the next phase of the High Value Manufacturing Catapults development, building on the strong foundations which have been created over the past eight years.  The HVM Catapult has the wide-ranging relationships and understanding needed to be part of the Industrial Strategy refresh process and to contribute to building the UKs status as a scientific superpower.

The Catapults country-wide network of centres provides the ideal platform from which to diffuse the latest capabilities to the thousands of manufacturing businesses that are the bedrock of our economy, boosting their performance, preparing them to be part of the Prime Ministers Green Industrial Revolution and growing their contribution to our national prosperity.

Katherine said that she would join the HVM Catapult as Chief Executive Officer later in 2021.

Katherine Bennett CBE FRAeS

Born in Warwickshire, Katherine is a Senior Vice President of Airbus and has been with the company for 16 years.   She leads the company’s external engagement and strategy in the UK.

Katherine’s previous employment was with Vauxhall Motors where she headed up their government affairs function and prior to that worked for Hill and Knowlton Public Relations in London, working with a range of industrial clients.

Katherine was awarded the Order of Commander of the British Empire in January 2019 for services to the aerospace and aviation sector.  She has served on various boards of public/private enterprises.  She is Vice President, Aerospace on the Council of ADS (the UK aerospace trade association), on the Board of the Aerospace Growth Partnership (part of the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy) and of the Wales Government Science and Innovation Council.

In November 2019 Katherine was appointed as Chair of the Western Gateway, a cross government and local authority initiative which will aim to promote and maximise economic growth across south Wales and the West of England.  Katherine managed the public affairs for VentilatorChallengeUK which was led by the HVM Catapult.

In July 2018, Katherine founded the UK’s Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter which is committed to building a fair and balanced industry for women in this sector and is on the Board of the International Aviation Womens Association.  Katherine has an Honorary Doctorate from Cranfield University.

Katherine is active in her local community in Wiltshire, is a church organist, a member of the UK Parliament Choir and founder of the Airbus Filton Choir.

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