TBA

Vicky Bunyard is the CTO for Blyce, a technology company providing solutions to Governments in Small Islands and Developing Nations. Prior to this she spent 15 years working for IBM in various roles from Systems & Software development, through Security, Data & AI into Technology Strategy & Technical Leadership in CTO roles globally.

She started her career in Systems Engineering (in the UK Defense Industry), adding Enterprise Architecture, Digital Transformation and Systems Thinking practices to her portfolioas she saw the accelerating adoption of technology driving evolving needs across industries and across the globe.

Vicky firmly believes that technology can be ‘the answer’, but only when we truly understand ‘the question’, that 'it is not about how great the tech is, but about how great we can be when we are backed by great tech', and that Technology is a team sport and a very human endeavor, with all the glorious complexity and messiness that this brings. With that in mind she is a strong advocate for #GoodTechnology, #TechnologyForGood and the need for increased diversity & inclusion within and across technology sectors.

Dr Siyuan Ji is a Reader in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) at Loughborough University. He earned his PhD in Quantum Physics from the University of Nottingham in 2015, before transitioning into systems engineering through a Research Associate position at Loughborough. Since then, he has developed a strong and growing academic profile in MBSE. In 2018, he joined the University of York as a Lecturer in System Safety Engineering, where his teaching and research focused on model-based safety assessment and assurance. During the 2021 academic year, he served as programme director of the prestigious Safety-Critical Systems Engineering MSc.

He returned to Loughborough in 2022 as a Senior Lecturer, playing a key role in advancing MBSE, including co-founding a Doctoral Training Centre and leading the revitalised Quantum Systems Engineering Research Group. He teaches a series of three flagship postgraduate modules that apply a model-based paradigm to system architecting, design, and verification and validation.

Dr Ji is also co-author of Essential Architecture and Principles of Systems Engineering, a widely used postgraduate textbook on model-based systems architecting.

Peter Douglas is a Systems Engineer with over 15 years’ experience. He holds a MEng in Computer and Electronic Systems from the University of Strathclyde. He started as a Control Systems Engineer before expanding into wider System development including the deployment of MBSE into projects. 

At Synoptix Peter is MBSE capability lead responsible for the skill development and future direction of MBSE within the company. His interests include the future development of MBSE including the adoption of SysML v2 and the use of Machine Learning to assist in the architecture development process. He is an active member of the IfSE MBSE Interest Group.

Ben Stuart-Richards is a Chartered Engineer and internal Systems Engineering Consultant, holding master’s degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Systems Engineering.

His 10-year DE&S career spans roles from acquisition portfolio leadership, developing enterprise architectures, writing the organisations’ Digital Engineering Strategy, and project specific Systems Engineering. Other experience includes engineering positions with Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems (Land), and renewable energy companies. Alongside this, Ben has undertaken volunteer humanitarian engineering roles in Bolivia, Zambia, and Nepal.

Ben specialises in solving “foggy” problems—those with high complexity, uncertainty, and interdependencies. He has led digital transformation programmes, pioneered agile modelling approaches adopted across multiple teams, and established governance structures that improved information security, compliance, and stakeholder trust. Most recently he has provided the specialist systems engineering input to develop multiple Generative AI based apps to save time and reduce costs.

Committed to sharing expertise, Ben has presented at the DE&S Systems Engineering Forum, founded professional communities of practice, and contributed to STEM outreach programmes in schools.

Outside of work, Ben enjoys being out doing adventure sports, on land or sea, or working on woodwork and DIY projects, closely supervised by his 18-month-old client.

Mark Womersley is a Systems Engineer and Enterprise Architect with over 15 years experience in the Aerospace, Defence and Security sectors. Having previously worked as a Technical Manager at BAE Systems he is now a Digital Strategy Consultant at AtkinsRéalis, an Engineering Services company. Mark is also a trained Executive Coach, passionate about strengths-based development and fostering collaborative, high-performing teams.

He holds a First-Class MEng in Systems Engineering from Loughborough University, and originally achieved Chartership with the IET in 2012 before transferring to INCOSE and now IfSE in 2020.
He has been an active member of the Service Systems Engineering working group since joining the organisation.

Mark lives and works in the north west of England with his partner Lucy and their two children.

Sebastian Ritter is a seasoned executive with a degree in Engineering Management from a German Technical University and over a decade of experience in Germany, Switzerland, the UK, and the Philippines. With a diverse background across the automotive, management consulting, and aerospace industries, Sebastian has made significant impacts in corporate strategy, programme management, engineering functional strategy, and virtual product development.

Currently, Sebastian is a Principal at UNITY AG, the management consultancy for innovation and digital transformation. In this role, he is guiding automotive OEMs in adopting Systems Engineering-centred product development. Notably, he led a team during the first-time implementation of Systems Engineering processes at a luxury vehicle producer. Additionally, he played a crucial role in configuration management workshops for a medium-sized car producer, supporting the enhancement of their project capabilities and led the scale-up of SE Transformation at a commercial transportation equipment producer.

In previous roles, Sebastian oversaw strategic transformation programmes in Product Development at British car manufacturers. He also led an engineering department and was accountable for technical product descriptions, creation and maintenance of the Engineering Bill of Materials, CAD data management including exchanges with development and platform partners, CAE capability development strategy, digital prototype governance, product data management strategy, as well as the IT project portfolio in Engineering.

Welf Kessler is a Manager at UNITY AG, the management consultancy for innovation and digital transformation. He currently serves as Key Account Manager for Automotive OEMs and consults in Project Management, R&D Management, esp. process analysis and optimisation, Innovation Management, and Sales. 

His project experience includes multiple introductions of Systems Engineering in the Automotive Sector, conducting Systems Engineering training sessions, and multi-project management in e.g. control unit development and IT infrastructure. He has gained extensive experience across various industries, including IT Services, Automotive Suppliers, Automotive Manufacturers, Transportation and Logistics, Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals and previously managed his own business unit with up to 22 employees.

He holds a master’s degree in Innovation Management and is SE-ZERT Level C certified (equivalent to ASEP).

Mohammad is a Lecturer and Director of Industrial Engagement in the Centre for Systems Engineering at University College London (UCL), where he leads the Systems Engineering MSc Degree Apprenticeship programme and teaches graduate modules in Systems Thinking and Engineering Management, Systems Design, and Systems Engineering in Practice.

With over 15 years of broad experience across automotive, aerospace,telecommunications, healthcare, and public policy, Mohammad has developed and delivered innovative solutions to complex business and societal challenges, with expertise in socio-technical systems design, requirements engineering, decision-driven design, and human-systems integration. He also delivers bespoke industrial training for both early-career and experienced professionals.

Mohammad is a Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP) and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). His contributions have been recognised nationally and internationally: he was endorsed as an Exceptional Talent in Engineering Design by the Royal Academy of Engineering (2019) and featured as an Inspirational Researcher by senior UK politicians for advancing the Wellbeing Economy in Scotland (2021).

TBA

TBA

Sam McGinty is the General Counsel and Director of Legal Services at Loughborough University, a top ten university in the East Midlands. He has worked in the private sector, public sector and has spent the last eight years in higher education and research (and loves it).

A qualified Solicitor, Sam’s role is to lead the in-house team of lawyers, to help proactively manage risk for the organisation and to engage with colleagues at the earliest opportunity. To do this, Sam believes that in-house teams need to build a profile – internally and externally – to ensure their good work doesn’t get lost in the noise of front facing teams and to fight the ‘cost-centre’ narrative. Sam has led his team to garner recognition in several national sector and industry awards and has been named one of the top ten in-house “Legal LinkedInfluencers” for the scale of the engagement he creates on the platform.

Sam is also an Executive Committee member of the Association of University Legal Practitioners. While he’s not working, his other full-time job is that of husband to Debbie and Dad to Lottie, who has just turned four.

Chris is a chartered Systems Engineer and has been a member of INCOSE / IfSE for 15 years. He has over 20 years of experience in mapping and designing enterprise and embedded systems using MBSE approaches to capture and communicate information in a clear, concise and coherent manner.

Since joining the Energy Systems Catapult in 2024 he has been instrumental in developing the Flexibility Systems Map which is the core information source that supports new innovators in understanding the complex UK energy flexibility ecosystem.

Prior to joining the Catapult Chris had a varied career in the Defence R&D sector which included systems engineering and cyber security consultancy, leading agile embedded software and radio hardware development teams, requirements capture and management, systems thinking and enterprise architecture.

Hélder Castro is a Systems Engineer with UKAEA where he is responsible for the system architecture of the STEP Prototype Power Plant and the Fuel Cycle subsystem. He is also responsible for the definition and deployment of processes and good model-based system engineering practises, supporting and mentoring engineers at all levels within the project. He has over