Board of Trustees

The charity benefits from an experienced Board of Trustees representing high-level industry executives, heritage professionals and senior representatives of local government.

The Bristol Aero Collection Trust, the organisation behind Aerospace Bristol, was originally registered as the Bristol Aero Collection in 1992, merging with sister charity The Concorde Trust to form the Bristol Aero Collection Trust in 2012.

Vice Chair

Peter Chivers

Peter has been passionate about aerospace and Concorde since 002 overflew his home in London when he was nine. He came to Bristol as a BAC apprentice in the late ‘70’s and briefly worked on Concorde 216 in the Brabazon hanger as she neared completion. He has had a long career in Aerospace, holding senior engineering positions for a number of UK firms before coming back to Airbus at Filton in 2001, and going on to become CEO of the South Gloucestershire based National Composites Centre in 2010.

Peter retired from full time employment in 2018, but has continued to volunteer in various positions, most notably as a Trustee of the Engineering Development Trust (EDT), a charity whose aims are to inspire young people into STEM (Science Technology, Engineering & Maths) careers. Peter is a chartered engineer and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Peter is inspired to work with Aerospace Bristol to help preserve the extraordinary Aerospace legacy in Bristol, to help people realise that it is still an active sector in the region, and to help encourage young people into STEM career paths.

Company Secretary

Richard Pettit, MA (Oxon)

Richard is a solicitor (qualified in England and Wales and, also, in Northern Ireland). He is a partner at Burges Salmon LLP having joined the firm in 2004 following his law degree at the University of Oxford.

Richard holds a range of senior compliance roles in Burges Salmon LLP and its subsidiaries, including sitting on the firm's risk and compliance committee and acting as a money laundering reporting officer.

He is a life-long aviation enthusiast and his particular connection with Concorde dates back to the early 1990s when he was fortunate enough to fly on her (albeit subsonic and from Exeter to Heathrow, rather than anywhere more exotic).

Board Members

Dr. Paul Craig

Paul Craig is President Defence Services for Rolls-Royce plc. He has accountability for the operational and business performance of all Defence Service activity globally within the corporation.

A long time employee of Rolls-Royce, Paul has held a number of senior Engineering, Project, Operation and Service positions within the company. More specifically Paul has been Chief Engineer of the Trent 700 and 800 products, Project Director Boeing Programmes, Director Technical Support and Operations, Director Civil Aerospace Operations and EVP Unit Cost for the corporation. Paul is also currently Chairman of AirTanker Services and EuroProp International, and sits on the Bristol Chamber of Commerce.

Paul has a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Doctorate researching ‘Business Economic Performance’, both from the University of Warwick. He is an alumni of Columbia, Harvard and Oxford Universities, and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Paul’s interests are his family, football and military history

Matthew Sanders - ACMA, CGMA

Matthew is a chartered management accountant with many years of experience working across a variety of finance based roles including financial reporting, project management and Treasury. Matthew started working for BAE Systems in 2001 and is currently Assistant Treasurer – Corporate Finance for the Group. 

BAE Systems has been a long-standing supporter of the Trust and Matthew was nominated by BAE Systems senior management to enhance that relationship by providing support and guidance to the Trust. Matthew was appointed as a Trustee in 2019 and has personally worked closely in securing the Trust’s external loan arrangements with third parties. Matthew is also a member of the Trust’s Audit Committee.

Outside of work Matthew is married with two young children and in his spare time is a keen golfer and pianist.

Sian Smith FRAeS

Sian has worked within the Aerospace & Defence industry for 25 years for both airframers and the supply chain across civil and defence activities. She has held several senior business development/commercial roles within a large international tier one group.

Business development, winning new business and strategy initiation/execution are her passion. She has been successful, working with a wider team, in securing many new contracts/products both at home and internationally.

Sian has also been engaged in several projects with the UK Government and with aerospace trade bodies on specific activities. More locally, she has supported STEM activities with schools and worked with local media companies on executing communication plans to actively encourage interest in careers in the aerospace Industry.

Along her journey, Sian has enjoyed working with many different teams and cultures, and is immensely proud to be a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society

Jack Williams

Jack Williams graduated from Plymouth University with a first class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering. He joined Airbus, in 2016, on their Programme and Project management graduate scheme.

Since completing the graduate scheme he has held roles in Programme - working on the A330, Procurement - working on the A220 and is now Executive Assistant for the Head of Airbus Filton, Sue Partridge.

Jack was born in Bristol and has fond memories of being let out into the school playground to see Concorde's final flight. His grandfather, Leonard Fox, also worked in the Filton aerospace industry and so he has a family connection and a local passion for both the aerospace industry and the south west.

Rachel Corver

Rachael Corver has over 20 years of leadership experience in marketing, communications and public engagement spanning archives and museums, higher education, and healthcare. She is currently Head of Marketing & Communications for The National Archives, one of the world’s major archives and leader of the UK archive sector.

During her tenure at The National Archives she has led media, marketing, insight, internal communications, digital engagement, and retail. This period has been marked by substantial audience growth and impressive numbers across various platforms and media. She successfully orchestrated engagement programs, notably for the 1921 census release, and a four-year First World War public engagement initiative.

Prior to that, she was Head of Marketing and Internal Communications at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, delivering primary care engagement and leading programs promoting behaviour change. She held roles at King's College London in Development and Communications, designing global communications programmes and an international alumni programme. She developed the case for support and campaign brand for a capital campaign that remains highly influential within the sector.

She graduated in Politics from the University of Sheffield and later gaining a Diploma from Chartered Institute of Marketing. She lives in North Bristol, is a member of the Museums Association and is an enthusiastic supporter of Archive and Museums.

Robert Yeandle

Robert James Yeandle is currently the Chairman of John Perkins Construction Limited. He has been Chairman for the past three years and prior to this was their Managing Director for twenty-eight years. In his role as Chairman he has focused on the long term resilience and well-being of the Business, working to ensure that they are strategic in their planning, open and collaborative in the way they work, and seeking to explore new ways to work smarter and continually improve.

Robert is a family man who has lived and worked in North Bristol all his life.

The opportunity to become a trustee at this time, with the potential for expansion of Aerospace Bristol to match and work with the development of the immediate surrounding areas, really excites him. Rob trusts and expects that his extensive knowledge of the Construction Industry, built up over the past forty years, will be of great benefit to Aerospace Bristol in the coming years as it continues to develop.

Debbie Gibbs

Debbie Gibbs holds a BSc in Physics and has dedicated over 30 years to teaching Physics in secondary schools, including at Patchway Community School. She spent 15 years in senior leadership, with 8 of those as Headteacher of a specialist STEM school. Currently, Debbie serves as the Strategic Lead for School Improvement, Adult Community Learning, and Skills at South Gloucestershire Council.

She is passionate about supporting lifelong learning, helping both young people and adults gain agency over their careers and life goals. Debbie aims to apply her extensive knowledge and experience in education and skills to support BACT, strengthen community connections, and advance the education and skills initiatives at the Museum.

Joe Hensey

Joe is a strategic leader with experience in national and cross-sector organisations, specialising in strategy development, stakeholder engagement, and programme leadership. He is currently the Senior National Initiatives Manager at upReach, a national social mobility charity and leads both the national development and double-benefit strategies, overseeing partnerships and initiatives that enhance career opportunities for underrepresented groups across the UK and influence top graduate employers towards inclusive practices.

Joe holds an MSc in Leadership from Bayes Business School and an MA in International Development - with a focus on strategy, change management, and systems thinking. As a trustee, he is excited to support Aerospace Bristol in enacting its new strategy and achieving its vision to advance learning, skills and training in STEM, conserve Bristol’s heritage and inspire the next generation. 

Chair of the Trading Board:

Lloyd Hughes - Director of PDSA Trading and the Head of Retail and Buying for PDSA:

Lloyd has extensive experience of commercial activities in the charity and museum sector. He has spent time with national and international retailers, operating from the shop floor to the board room, moving more recently into the charity sector managing a wide range of commercial and trading activities.