MOD announces appointment of the Chief Executive for Defence Equipment and Support

25 March 2015 Ministry of Defence

The MOD is pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Douglas as the Chief Executive of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S).

Mr Douglas, who is currently Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, was appointed by the Prime Minister, in consultation with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary, under the new arrangements announced by the Civil Service Commission in October last year.

Bernard Gray will continue to lead DE&S in his role of Chief of Defence Materiel until he and Mr Douglas have completed their handover towards the end of 2015.

As well as being responsible for the procurement and maintenance of our Armed Forces’ equipment, Mr Douglas will also lead DE&S through the transformation needed for it to become a world class acquisition organisation. He will be an Accounting Officer accountable to Parliament for DE&S’s annual running costs of around £1.3 billion and will report to the DE&S Board which was established in 2014.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:

I am delighted to welcome Tony Douglas into the role. He brings a wealth of international experience and expertise in project and programme management, organisational leadership and business strategy, which will prove invaluable for the future of DE&S and defence as a whole.

This Government has transformed how we equip our Armed Forces. The key to our success has been matching our equipment programme to the funding available and giving DE&S the capacity, capability and freedom to deliver the equipment they need. I look forward to Tony building on this and creating a world class acquisition organisation.

Commenting on his new role, Tony said:

I am absolutely delighted to have the privilege of serving my country and supporting Her Majesty’s Armed Forces. Delivering their requirements with the utmost service quality and providing best value to the taxpayer is a responsibility that I take with real pride.

Paul Skinner, Chair of the DE&S Board, and a member of the appointment panel, said:

I am delighted that we have been able to attract someone of Tony’s calibre to this vitally important role in the national Defence structure. Together with my Board colleagues I look forward to working with him in building on recent performance improvements under Bernard’s leadership and transforming DE&S into a genuinely world class organisation.

Tony Douglas - Chief Executive Officer - photo Abu Dhabi Airports

source Abu Dhabi Airports

Tony Douglas joined Abu Dhabi Airports as Chief Executive Officer on 1st March 2013 to spearhead the development of the airports’ infrastructure in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, including its crowning jewel, the iconic 700,000 sqm Midfield Terminal Building (MTB).

Tony joins Abu Dhabi Airports after completing his latest mega project, Khalifa Port and Industrial Zone (KPIZ) on schedule and below budget, as the CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) since 2010.

Prior to his landing in the UAE, Tony was the Chief Operating Officer and the Group Chief Executive designate for Laing O’Rourke, where he had abroad executive remit covering strategic business development and operational management across the Group’s three geographic hubs: Europe;
Middle East and South Asia; and Australasia. As a member of the Group Executive Board, he led accountability for the Group’s largest and most complex project delivery activities.

Before joining Laing O’Rourke, he held a number of senior executive positions with BAA, the UK’s leading airport infrastructure operator and a FTSE40 company, culminating in his appointment as Chief Executive in charge of Heathrow, one of the world’s premier airports. He was an executive
member of the BAA Group Board and an active participant in the £16.3bn takeover of BAA by Grupo Ferrovial.

Tony was previously Heathrow Terminal 5 Managing Director, with overall executive responsibility for the delivery of the £4.3bn Terminal 5 build programme. Prior to this he was BAA’s Group Technical Director with responsibility for technical functions, including development, design, group supply chain, construction and maintenance of new and improved airport facilities. He has also held the position of BAA’s Group Supply Chain Director, accountable for £1bn annual expenditure for construction and related products and services.

Earlier in his career, Tony worked for the Kenwood Group as Manufacturing and Global Logistics Director. This was his first role on the board of a major internationally-focused PLC. A mechanical engineer by training, his career began in 1979 at General Motors, where he joined as an apprentice industrial engineer. In 1990 he moved to British Aircraft Engineering (BAE), where he rose to become Product Manufacturing Director in its regional aircraft division.