Military vehicle manufacturer, North Defence, has announced the appointment of highly rated automotive technology expert, Ben Jardine, into the role of COO as the firm continues its expansion in the Defence sector.
North Defence made its successful launch from its new Luxembourg headquarters in October and has recently acquired a significant shareholding and rebranded Yorkshire-based North Fire Engineering, signalling a strong intention to position itself as the ‘wildcard’ option as part of major upcoming British Army contracts, with talks ongoing with major partners.
And with a significant ramp up in Defence production, the firm has made a serious statement in the appointment of Mr Jardine, who has flourished at the technological peak of the automotive industry over the past decade.
North Defence Owner and CEO, Oliver North, commented on the appointment: “Ben’s appointment at North Defence, leading our production efficiency and vehicle technology, shows the cards we’re about to play.
“Since starting in business in 2008, I have always been inadvertently but naturally disruptive, to the benefit of front-line users. We have achieved great things amidst the toughest landscapes. Ben has operated equally and naturally disruptively, albeit at far larger organisations. Our skillsets are entirely different, but entirely complimentary, and teaming up together will harness something special.
“The old fashioned players within the industry simply cannot perform as expeditionary or to the level of agility that we’re about to demonstrate, making us a strong option within a limited field.”
Mr Jardine is not the only new addition to North Defence’s team either, with members of his elite back office team also due to be unveiled officially in the coming weeks, whilst already operating in stealth behind the scenes.
COO, Ben Jardine, commented: “I recently took some time out to consider my next move, after reflecting on the experience I’ve had over the past decade within the automotive industry and in particular, electrification. It’s no secret that Defence Tech is a growing industry; and being able to combine this technology with smart, fast pace vehicle development was something I was keen to get my teeth into.
“Oliver and I started in the same industry back in 2007 as competitors, but since that time we’ve always had a mutual respect and admiration of the achievements of each other. We met to discuss North Defence some months back and the vision to lead the defence LMV space peerlessly sealed my decision to make the move. The team already in place really is world-class, and our new additions will only add significant firepower to that.
“With the incoming new versions of the LMV and GSV, we will quickly establish ourselves at the forefront of relevance in defence vehicle technology.”
The coming weeks will see significant quantities of North Defence’s light mobility vehicles (LMVs) and general service vehicles (GSVs) rolling onto Ukraine’s front line, capable of operating to the high standards required on the battlefield.
North Defence’s armoured range will then be rolled out in separate projects in the coming months too, all underpinned with innovative and creative defence technology required by modern, elite-level operators.