Coachlines - January 2024

30.01.24 Assistant Lyn Litchfield

Meet the new members of the Coachmakers’ family

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The court meetings at the Aerospace Industry Dinner in November 2023, and Award to Industry dinner in January 2024, saw a number of new Freemen and Liverymen sworn and clothed to the Livery, as follows:

Freeman Abbie Carr

Abbie and her husband Steven Carr live in Kingston upon Thames, London. Abbie graduated with a BA (Hons) in Modern History from University of Oxford and also has an International Advanced Diploma in Fundraising from the University of Plymouth. Abbie has spent her career helping educational institutions to establish new fundraising and alumni relations functions. She is Director of Development and Alumni Relations at Kingston University, has helped to create and fund numerous charitable programmes supporting young people through education, particularly those from disadvantaged and marginalised groups. Abbie is proud to have led and developed incredible fundraising teams, and has personally raised millions of pounds for the organisations she has represented. As a newly sworn Freeman, Abbie is keen to explore how she can actively support the charitable work of the Livery. Together with her husband Steven, Abbie owns a narrowboat and they spend much of their leisure time exploring British waterways.

Freeman Callum Chivers

Callum Chivers lives in London. After gaining his BA Maths from Queens’ College, Cambridge in 2018, Callum continued his study at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst for a further year. He then joined the Royal Dragoon Guards, was promoted to the rank of Captain and became an Operations Officer (Bravo). In 2023 he was employed by Goldman Sachs as Systematic Foreign Exchange Trader. He is passionate about supporting less privileged young people in pursuing STEM education and careers, giving them the motivation, tools, and opportunities to do so. Callum is a keen open water swimmer, having completed various long distance swims including a cross channel relay. He also enjoys reading thriller and crime books, loves cooking, and hiking.

Freeman Joanne Harrison and Liveryman Rodney Billington (also a Liveryman of the WC of Horners)

Joanne Harrison and Rodney Billington live in Cranbrook, Kent. Joanne is an enthusiastic owner of several horses, especially heavy horses and wants to keep the breed going. While Joanne is passionate about heavy horses and carriage driving, Rodney is an enthusiast of classic cars and the owner of several models. Rodney is a Director at TCS Group International. They have two young daughters and enjoy spending family time together.

Freemen Group Captain Elizabeth O’Sullivan and Sean O’Sullivan

Elizabeth and Sean O’Sullivan live in Watchfield, Oxfordshire. Elizabeth has a MEng in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacture and Management. She is a serving officer in the RAF as Chief Engineer and Type Air Worthiness Authority for the Future Combat Air System. She actively helps charities and supports younger generations, and running, skiing, charity work, and travelling are her other passions. Sean is Chartered Engineer, has a BTEC HNC Engineering (Mechanical/Manufacture), and BTEC ONC Engineering (Aerospace). He is Head of Fast Jet Support at BAE Systems, responsible for agile programme delivery and sustainment of fast jet support product and services. In 2022 he successfully led the support solution deployment to enable rapid entry into service of the Typhoon aircraft in Qatar, supporting quick reaction alert stand-up and combat air patrol for the FIFA World Cup. In his spare time, he enjoys skiing, golf, and watching rugby.

Freeman Kevin Timms

Kevin Timms and his wife Elizabeth Stokes live in Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire. He has BSc Hons Material Science from Queen Mary College, University of London. Kevin spent 30 years in the motor industry, has held senior roles across Volvo, Ford, and Jaguar Land Rover before co-founding an IT business with his wife. Kevin is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust. He loves classic cars, clay and game bird shooting, cycling and walking. He also inherited from his father (ex-RAF) a liking for building and flying radio-controlled model planes.

Freeman Izacc Tullett

Izacc Tullett and his partner Emily Barlow live in Exeter, Devon. He has a Foundation Degree in Aerospace Engineering, and a Diploma of Higher Education in Engineering. Izacc started life as a fitter of sheet metal and composite structures in the aviation services industry but when the pandemic and subsequent lockdown struck that sector he turned his skills to property renovation, having set up his own enterprise. He also enjoys classic car restoration. In his spare time, he enjoys pursuing a variety of hobbies and interests, such as woodworking, fabrication, and machining.

Freeman Joshua Western

Joshua Western and his wife Emma live in Bristol. He has a BA degree in Politics from the University of Hull. As CEO and co-founder of Space Forge, he has successfully raised more than £15m of private capital for the company. Space Forge’s ambition is to be the world’s first carbon negative space company by developing returnable and re-launchable satellite platforms to improve the sustainability of the sector. Joshua has an amazing progression from a young student at Hull to becoming the CEO of a cutting-edge technology company and is an entrepreneur through and through. Cooking is a keen interest of his and he even briefly maintained a side-hustle as a food blogger and restaurant critic in the West Country.

Liveryman John Beckner

John Beckner and his wife Inge live in Munich, Germany. John has a BA in Political Science/International Relations from the University of Southern California. He has been involved with aerospace for more than 40 years but in and out of government. He was Legislative Assistant at US House of Representatives and successfully transitioned a worldwide consultancy business into a thriving aerospace OEM, Horizon Technologies, of which he is CEO. Sadly, Horizon Technologies’ attempt at launching the UK’s first commercial RF Collection/SIGINT satellite into orbit in January 2023 via Virgin Orbit failed. It’s not hard to guess that John’s main interests are aerospace, however he is also a professional oboist and plays in local concerts whenever his schedule allows. In his leisure time, he regularly plays golf and sails a small Cat22.

Liveryman Commodore Anthony King RN

Anthony King and his wife Barbara live in Somerton, Somerset. Tony has a BSc (Hons) 1st Electrical Engineering, MBA, CEng. He is now retired after an outstanding career. He was Managing Director/Owner of AK Consulting; Director Defence Technical Training (Cdre RN), Commanding Officer MoD St Athan (Cdre RN), just to name a few. He is very involved in charitable activities, and joined the livery to further support the education and training of engineers to up-skill the UK. His hobbies include woodwork, DIY, motorsport, golf, and adventure holidays.

Liveryman Peter Zanatta

Peter Zanatta lives in London. He is ex-British Army (HAC) and is a keen equestrian and polo player. His current appointment is as Director of Operations in a company which is developing a carbon neutral approach to transport. Peter has delivered professional consultancy services to the ICT, automotive and infrastructure sectors. He is fully aware of Coachmakers’ heritage but believes that acknowledging technological developments are key to the Livery’s future. Besides being an active polo player, he also enjoys mountaineering.

Freeman Paul Livingston

Paul Livingston and his wife Kate live in London. He studied for an OND in General Engineering, and an HNC in Electronics at Northbrook College. Paul is Chief Executive at Lockheed Martin UK, and a Fellow of Royal Aeronautical Society. He is also active in charitable pursuits. He has supported the Jon Egging Trust for 10 years and spent three years on the board of Fly Navy Heritage Trust. In his spare time, he enjoys music and theatre.

Liveryman Ben Bridge

Ben Bridge and his wife Lucie live in London. He is Head of Global Business, Airbus Defence and Space (sitting on the Executive Committee), and Chairman, Airbus Defence and Space UK. Ben was the Assistant Defence Attaché to the British Embassies in Cairo and Kuwait, and spent 19 years with BAE Systems as Group Regional MD, developing and implementing an export policy for intelligence and security capabilities with HMG in BAE. His other outstanding achievements include selling Typhoon and Hawk aircraft to the Sultanate of Oman, and establishing the commercial relationships that led to the sale of Typhoon in Qatar. Ben is also a Service Pilot (rotary) and an Arabic Linguist. In his spare time, he enjoys playing piano; cryptic crosswords; Arabic and French languages and culture; advanced and performance driving; and classic cars.

Liveryman Mark Jurd

Mark Jurd and his wife Sandra live in Southampton, Hampshire. A traditional carriage driving enthusiast with his own pair of horses which he enjoys turning out to original carriages, (those constructed before the two World Wars), Mark is a member and director of the English Road Club established in 1998, and one of the few English members of the European Private Driving Club, established a year later in 1999. The combined aim of these two clubs is to help preserve and perpetuate the traditions of driving with the ‘English coaching hand’, and the beauty of the elegant equipage. He is the editor of two carriage driving publications, “The Road”, quarterly journal of the “‘Road Club” and a further biannual private magazine, “Nimrod”, with subscribers throughout Europe and the US. Mark’s interests are broad, besides collecting original books about carriage driving and carriages, he also likes rock music and weight training. Shortly after joining the Coachmakers’, Mark was invited to sit on the Comms Committee and appointed as the Committee Secretary. His expertise in carriage driving sector in particular, and publications in general are invaluable to the Company.