Simon Bradley, EADS
Simon Bradley started his career with British Airways, following in the long family tradition – his grandfather was in the design team for the Comet and his father was a pilot for 35 years, flying VC-10’s and 747’s.
After leaving British Airways, Simon was part of the design team for the system architecture behind the secure communications platform at No. 10 Downing Street, home of the British Prime Minister and his Cabinet Colleagues. After the successful implementation of the system he joined the United Nations. Based at the traditional home of the UN, at the Palais Des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Simon was responsible for leading a team that delivered a Distributed Database Solution which enabled reparation payments for victims of the first Gulf War, controlling over €40 Billion in payments.
Prior to joining EADS, Simon was CTO of an internet start-up in London, England. Growing the team from 5 people to 130 in 8 years, Simon developed the technology roadmap which enabled the company to pursue it’s ambitious plans to deliver educational software to almost 1 million school children around the world, at a low cost to enable countries from under developed countries to benefit from the use of Internet technologies. He also undertook security work for the security services in the UK, including MI5 and the National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU).
Simon Bradley joined EADS in 2006, initially as the Director of the System Design Centre in the UK, responsible for a team that delivers high level technical expertise to business units within the defence industry. The SDC has responsibility for modelling, simulation and virtual reality solutions in a highly secure environment – providing leading edge Systems Engineering resource combined with a deep technical knowledge of areas as diverse as Satellite Communication, Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) and Command and Control solutions.
In November 2006 Simon took responsibility at a corporate level for Research & Development within the United Kingdom for Technical Capability Centre 5 – also heading a trans-national organisation which innovates in the sphere of Systems Engineering, Information Technology, Homeland Security, The Modelling of Physics and Simulation/Virtual Reality. The team consists of 150 people, based in 7 countries – ranging from PhD students through to world renowned experts in their respective fields. He works closely with organisations around the world, such as the Centre for Catastrophic Risk Management to look at using simulation & technology innovations to help governments, regional organisations and aid agencies to cope with the effects of geological and environmental change.
He is currently responsible for reviewing the long-term research work required for EADS to continue its growth in the Homeland Security market which is being done through expansion into the UK & US markets, as well as spearheading the drive for Innovation Works to the creation of a dedicated Research & Development team in India. As a member of both the Council for Industry & Higher Education and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, Simon helps to bridge the capability gap between Academia and Industry.
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