Welcome to new members

At the Award to Industry Dinner at Saddlers’ Hall on 20th January we welcomed five members who were clothed in the Livery, one confirming their oath originally sworn via Zoom and two new Freemen, reports Hon Assistant Lesley Upham.

Newly clothed Liveryman Simon Henley

Simon Henley and guest

Simon Henley and his wife Sally live in Monmouth. Simon was educated at Collyers School, Horsham before moving on to the Royal Naval Engineering College, Manadon. Simon is the President of the Royal Aeronautical Society and is an Honorary Fellow of the Association for Project Management. Simon previously held positions with Marshall Aerospace and Defence, Europrop and Rolls-Royce. His interests include DIY, squash, motorcycles and his grandchildren.

Ben Horner

Newly clothed Liveryman Ben Horner

Ben Horner and his partner Samantha hail from London. Ben went to Gordonstoun before attending university in Hull and Exeter. He is a Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve and is currently serving as a senior desk officer covering submarine issues in the Maritime Reserves HQ. Previous appointments include roles at UBS Investment Bank and Elliott Advisors. Ben is a member of the Association of Royal Navy Officers. His interests are many and include motorsport, sailing, shooting, skiing and geopolitics.

Nick and Ann Lyford

Newly clothed Liveryman Nick Lyford

Nick Lyford and his wife Ann live in Fleet, Hampshire. Nick was educated in Surrey at Epsom College, before moving on to Portsmouth Polytechnic, qualifying as a Mechanical Engineer. He is currently Project Director at Tullow Oil in Chiswick, having previously held roles with the BG Group in Reading and Total in Paris. Nick’s interests show a practical leaning and include carpentry, classic car restoration and racing.

Mark and Helena Shanley

Newly clothed Liveryman Mark Shanley

Mark Shanley and his wife Helena live in Hertford. Mark attended Emerson Park School (Hornchurch Grammar) and holds professional qualifications as a life coach. He is the Director of Sales and Marketing at Astute Electronics, with previous appointments at Chase Manhattan Bank and TSB. He is a member of the Aircraft Golfing Society, and his interests extend to fine dining, theatre and most sports.

Chris Sturgess

Liveryman Chris Sturgess confirms his oath

Chris Sturgess took the opportunity of the Award to Industry Dinner to reconfirm his oath which he originally took via Zoom due to the pandemic. Chris lives in Leicester with his wife Carolyn.

John Brown Clothed in the Livery

John and Dionne Brown

John Brown was made a Freeman and Clothed in the Livery on the same evening as he is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Carmen and therefore already a Freeman of the City. He lives in Tonbridge with his wife Dionne. He was educated at The Wildernesse School for boys and is managing director of a privately owned group of companies.

He is a member of the Road Haulage Association and the Association of Lorry Loaders, Manufacturers and Importers. His interests include classic cars, carriages and carriage driving. John is a member of the Coaching Club and the Road Club.

Peter and Hazel Ewen

Freeman Peter Ewen

Peter Ewen and his wife Hazel live in Chippenham, he is Co-Founder and Director of PHE Complexity Controls. His previous appointments include Director of Engineering, Mass Transit Rail in Hong Kong, Civil Government Strategic Lead for Airbus UK, Director Air Support MoD (RAF Air Vice Marshal), Chief Engineer (Air Command ) and Executive Officer for the RAF and Head of Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, Reconnaissance MoD and Head of Nimrod MoD. Peter is a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society and in his spare time enjoys sport, particularly rugby, and classic cars.

Freeman Stephan Smith

Stephan and Karla Smith

Stephan Smith and his partner Karla live in Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire. He was educated at the University of Pennsylvania, Cranfield University and the University of Pretoria. He is a partner in Defence and Aerospace at Newton Europe, having previously held roles at AlixPartners, Cambridge Venture Crafting and Ernst & Young. Stephan is a member of the Institute of Chemical Engineers. Outside of work he is a keen rugby and cricket supporter and hopes to get time to pick up his golf clubs again soon.