Sir Kevin Tebbit – Chairman, Finmeccanica UK

Following a distinguished Government career in defence, diplomacy and intelligence, Sir Kevin Tebbit is now engaged in a variety of private and public sector activities.

He is Chairman of Finmeccanica UK, a Non-Executive Director of Smiths Group plc, an advisor to JCB Ltd, and visiting Professor at Queen Mary, London University. He is also Chairman of the Defence Advisory Group to the UKTI Defence and Security Organisation.

Prior to these roles, Sir Kevin was Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, having previously been Director of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), the UK’s signals intelligence agency. He spent the middle part of his career in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), including as Deputy Secretary for Defence and Intelligence, as Under Secretary in charge of FCO resources, and as Head of the FCO’s Economic Relations Department.

Sir Kevin served for three years in Washington as Defence and European Counsellor at the British Embassy, and was also the Director of Cabinet for the then NATO Secretary General, the Lord Carrington.