Sir Jeremy Blackham appointed Senior Military Adviser to EADS
Amsterdam/London, 28 April 2003
EADS, the second largest aerospace and defence company internationally, has appointed retired Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Blackham KCB within its marketing organisation EADS International as Senior Military Adviser to the EADS Group.
Sir Jeremy Blackham (59) has had a long and distinguished career in Her Majesty’s Forces most recently as Deputy Chief of Defence Staff responsible for Equipment Capability, a position he has held since 1999. In this role he pioneered and implemented the first Tri-Service Equipment Programme establishing the Ministry of Defence’s new capability approach and determining UK defence requirements for the next 20 years.
Commenting on the appointment, Philippe Camus and Rainer Hertrich, CEOs of EADS, said: “We are delighted to welcome Sir Jeremy to our team. He has had a very distinguished career at the top level of the British armed forces and is highly regarded by his peers both in the UK and internationally. His insight and guidance on major programme development and procurement will be invaluable as we pursue our continued expansion in the United Kingdom. We are committed to providing the best possible service and support to our British customer and the armed forces. Sir Jeremy’s appointment is intended to play an important part in achieving this.”
“The UK is the 4th home country for EADS, and it is a fundamental part of our strategy to grow further our capabilities, know-how and business there”, Camus and Hertrich stated. “We have close to 12,500 British employees, representing centres of excellence in wing technology, missiles, space, defence electronics and secure communications. UK is also a key player in core European defence programmes such as Eurofighter, A400M, Meteor and Storm Shadow.”
Sir Jeremy’s previous positions have included Deputy Chief of Defence Staff – Programmes and Personnel (1999); Deputy Commander in Chief (Fleet) (1997-99); Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (1995-97); Director General Naval Personnel Strategy & Plans (1993-95); Commanding Officer HMS Ark Royal (1992-93); Commodore – Director of Naval Plans (1989-92). These roles followed on from a broad range of naval appointments in the UK and overseas including several ship commands. As Captain of HMS Ark Royal, the UK’s largest aircraft carrier, Sir Jeremy was Commander of the Royal Navy Task Force in the Adritic during the Bosnian Crisis.
About EADS:
EADS is a global aerospace and defence company and is the world’s second largest in terms of revenues, having achieved EUR 29.9 billion in 2002. EADS maintains a workforce of more than 100,000 and is a market leader in defence technology, commercial aircraft, helicopters, space, military transport and combat aircraft, as well as related services. Its family of leading brands includes the commercial aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter, the space company Astrium and MBDA, the world’s second largest missile company. EADS is the biggest partner in the Eurofighter consortium and heads the A400M military transport aircraft programme. The company has over 70 sites in Germany, France, Great Britain and Spain. It is active in many regions worldwide, including the U.S., Russia and Asia.
Contact:
Rainer Ohler
Tel. +49 (89) 607 34235
David Simonson (Merlin Financial)
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