Paul supposedly retired in early 2014, but soon realised he needed to give something back to the systems engineering community and help mentor the next generation of practitioners. An experienced systems engineer with thirty years in the defence and aerospace industry, six years in the nuclear industry, and a couple of years in rail, he has a wealth of diverse experience to call on. With a sound track record in delivering successful projects in the face of challenging customers, project managers, and operational environments, Paul is a recognised authority on systems engineering.
A Cambridge graduate mathematician by training, Paul fell into systems engineering quite by accident. This started by building a solid background of engineering knowledge and physical processes underpinned by mathematical modelling and algorithm development. Later he concentrated his interest in simulation, performance analysis, verification & validation, and requirements definition. By the age of 30 Paul had been given responsibility for several multi-million-dollar engineering projects. He has since gained enormous experience in all phases of project life cycles, specialising in early-stage requirements elicitation, interface and risk management, and in stakeholder acceptance. In addition to applying systems engineering to high-tech projects, Paul has held functional management roles: in process improvement, in assessing individual and team competence, and in coaching and mentoring.
Before his retirement, Paul held the position of Discipline Manager for Systems Engineering at Network Rail Infrastructure Projects in the UK. He was primarily responsible for promoting improvements in process and standards, and in practitioner competence and training in all aspects of systems engineering, a relatively new concept to the rail industry. Prior to this, he worked for Thales UK for over 25 years, predominantly in electronic warfare and command and control systems. Subsequent to his project responsibilities, Paul managed the business unit innovations process and the supervision of University research, including the establishment of business cases and planning technology transfer. In parallel, he was a member of the corporate Systems Engineering Council, delivering continuous improvement in SE process and methods, and relevant training.
Paul has been a Visiting Professor at Loughborough University and a Visiting Fellow at Bristol University, and also a member of the conseil d’administration of the prestigious Institut Supérieur de l’Aeronautiqe et de l’Espace in Toulouse. He has acted as industrial supervisor for a number of PhD, Engineering Doctorate and Masters students at five universities in the United Kingdom.
He is a Past President of the INCOSE UK Chapter, in which role he founded its sponsoring Advisory Board and compiled its first entry into the INCOSE Chapters Awards, immediately winning a Gold Circle Award at the first attempt, and subsequently the President’s Award for Outstanding Chapter. At international level, he has undertaken leadership roles on the Requirements Working Group and the SE Management Technical Committee, and as Outreach Director. He also acted as Master of Ceremonies at three INCOSE International Symposia. Paul’s efforts for INCOSE were recognised by his being given the Founders’ Award in 2015. Through an INCOSE UK initiative, he became a Chartered Engineer in 2012 through the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), becoming one of the first fifty engineers to do so specifically in systems engineering.
Paul has recently been selected by the INCOSE Certification Program Office to review ASEP/CSEP applications. In this volunteering role, Paul has taken on responsibilities to review, recommend for approval or seek further clarification on applications submitted. The review process remains strictly confidential at all times.
In 2024, Paul was awarded the title of Visiting Professor of Systems Integration in the Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering.
Paul has conducted training courses and workshops in requirements, interface management, verification and validation, systems engineering management, competency assessment, and SE return on investment, with very positive feedback. He has been in constant demand for the presentation of courses and tutorials at many INCOSE events, both in the UK and internationally, winning several Best Paper and Presentation Awards. He has presented and coached in French and Spanish as well as English.
With such a good alignment of aims, SE outlook, and commitment to excellence, Paul was delighted to join the Project Performance International/Certification Training International team in July 2017, as a Course Presenter.
Paul lives in Warwickshire, England, with his wife Carole. They have two adult children and two granddaughters. He counts among his interests chess, keeping fit, pub quizzes, and of course, family.
Courses Presented
- Interface Engineering & Management (2-Day or 2 days or 4 Half-Days)
- Requirements Analysis and Specification Writing (5-Day)
