Maj Gen Andy Sturrock has been the DIO’s Director of Strategy and Plans since Jul 2023. He is responsible for providing a single strategy, policy and plans focus for the DIO whilst delivering Digital Data and Technology, Asset Management and Sustainability. He sits on both the DIO board and Executive Committee.

Having completed a Manufacturing Engineering degree at Cambridge, Andy commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1996. He spent his junior officer career in close support, general support and Territorial Army engineer units, including tours in Kenya, Northern Ireland and Bosnia. After completing an MSc in Defence Technology and the Advanced Command and Staff Course he undertook his first MOD staff appointment as SO2 Capability in Army Resources and Plans.

Command of 5 Field Squadron followed, including deployment to Iraq on Op TELIC 10 and re- rolling to armour. He was briefly an instructor at the Defence Academy on the Intermediate Command and Staff Course (Land) before promotion to lieutenant colonel. As an SO1 in the army strategy branch he worked as part of a small team charged with shaping the Army’s approach to the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010. And then commanded 39 Engineer Regiment, providing support to Op HERRICK, Op ELLAMY, Op KIPION, Op CATALINA, Op PROTEGO and Op OLYMPICS as well as numerous oversees and UK exercises and moving the Regiment from Waterbeach to Kinloss.

Promotion to OF5 brought a return to Main Building as Colonel Army Plans in Finance and Military Capability (FMC) Capability Plans where he led the small Army team during the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review. Andy also acted as the FMC lead on all defence workforce issues. Following 3 years in Main Building he returned to education as a member of the Royal College of Defence Studies.

He entered the infrastructure world in Sep 2017, on promotion to Brigadier, as Head Army Infrastructure Plans. In this role he led the transformation of the Army infrastructure function in preparation for the delegation of infrastructure budgets in Apr 2018; wrote the Army Infrastructure Sub-Strategy; and managed the Army’s infrastructure budget and delivery programme. After three years he moved to UK Strategic Command as ACOS Infrastructure, with responsibility for planning, funding and delivering all infrastructure services across a UK and Overseas estate that supports the delivery of critical National and Defence capabilities. He managed a budget of c£600M a year and was the SRO for several major capital investment programmes.

Although his rugby playing days are behind him, Maj Gen Sturrock remains a keen sportsman. He shoots for the Army, the Combined Services and Scotland; has climbed over 160 Munros; is a keen skier; and coaches mini-rugby. He is married to Jayne, a respiratory physician, and has three school age children.

Tom Odell is Head of the newly established Defence Energy and Capability Resilience Centre of Excellence (DECX), and Chief Analyst for Climate Security in the UK Ministry of Defence.

Responsible for ensuring MOD research delivers innovative solutions in response to a more diverse and demanding energy landscape, as well as preparing the Ministry of Defence to operate in an increasingly challenging future operating environment.

Working alongside MOD and wider Government stakeholders, Tom leads the DECX team to understand priority issues and translate these into research that can be delivered either within Government or through the UKs industrial or Academic research base. Responsible also for ensuring that the impact of DECX research and advice is realised, helping military users to understand the value of the solutions presented and embedding them across various levels of the MOD.

The DECX agenda covers everything from understanding how to navigate the energy transition, meeting and managing future energy demand, accelerating energy innovation, energy security of supply, incorporating climate change induced instability into Defence planning, leveraging the “green tech” sector to improve battlefield self-sufficiency, through to adapting our forces to maintain operational advantage within a climate changed world. Before this role, Tom held various positions, including leading MOD Spending Review analysis and as an Exchange Analyst to the US Department of Defence.

James Carrick is currently a Chief of Staff at the Defence Academy of the UK (DefAc) HQ. He is also the sustainability lead for Shrivenham Station and responsible for innovating and developing projects of work to promote awareness of the climate crisis and physical site resilience. A Chartered Environmentalist, James brings over 10 years of corporate experience in environmental protection and sustainability, working on large projects and events like HS2 and the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, as well as national and international development projects in the private sector.

Seeking to combine his military and sustainability careers, James recognises the huge challenge in delivering sustainability, but also the opportunity to accelerate action and be a catalyst for change. Communication and outreach are central to this and, since 2023 whilst at DE&S in an Environmental Manager role, he has been a co-chair for the Defence Green Network, promoting sustainable and environmental conservation good practice from across the MOD estate, its agencies and Defence enterprise to over 1,300 members.

Bill has more than 35 years experience in technology strategy consulting to government and industry around the world.  Starting by working in the Cambridge cluster, he has since held senior leadership positions in six different technology and consulting organisations. He has worked extensively across defence and security in the UK, Asia, the US and Australia as well as a range of other markets including energy, transport, aerospace, healthcare, manufacturing, defence & security and construction. Bill has worked extensively in helping organisations to understand when and how to make investments in emerging technologies. Bill holds a Master’s Degree in Engineering from the University of Cambridge and is currently a Fellow of the University’s Centre for Science and Policy.

Kieran has over 15 years' experience in Technology Development, Operations and Product Management. He is heavily involved in Cambridge Consultants’ activities in the Energy sector, developing our strategy and capabilities in this area. Kieran is experienced in working with both large and small organisations, delivering customer requirements and developing disruptive business models to find commercial solutions to technical and market challenges. He has experience in a broad range of sectors, including Solar and Clean Tech, Technology Start Ups and Emerging Markets, where he has founded and built companies, led product development and delivered resultant products to market.