Parent company of Harland & Wolff, InfraStrata plc, is delighted to announce that former First Sea Lord & Chief of Naval Staff of the Royal Navy, Sir Jonathon Band, will be joining its Board of Directors. Sir Jonathon is expected to formally join the Board by the end of August 2021.
Sir Jonathon Band is a former First Sea Lord & Chief of Naval Staff of the Royal Navy during which period he created a new innovative Command Structure in addition to promoting the need for maritime investment and security. Sir Jonathon has also worked very closely with the industry to promote and implement the Defence Industrial Strategy, a UK government policy focused on the efficient allocation of military equipment and resources to the UK armed forces.
Prior to his role as First Sea Lord, Sir Jonathon served as Commander in Chief Fleet during which time, as Chief Operating Officer, he was responsible for the operational capability and deployment of the Navy’s front line. Sir Jonathon is highly respected for his time spent in supporting foreign and defence policies and for his crucial role in negotiating and building coalitions across NATO allies and Middle Eastern partners.
Following his retirement from the Royal Navy, Sir Jonathon has held numerous non-executive positions at Lockheed Martin UK, Babcock International Group, National Museum of the Royal Navy and Survitec Group Ltd. Sir Jonathon is currently a Non-Executive Director of Carnival Corporation, the NYSE & LSE listed global cruise operator.
Clive Richardson, Chairman of InfraStrata plc, commented: “I am very pleased that Sir Jonathon has agreed to join the InfraStrata board. With this appointment, the Board of InfraStrata will now consist of three non-executive directors and two executive directors, each one with significant experience in our key growth sectors. Sir Jonathon brings with him several decades of experience in the defence and wider marine markets. I look forward to working very closely with Sir Jonathon and for him to become an integral part of our Board as we move the business forward.”
Harland & Wolff is a multisite fabrication company, operating in the maritime and offshore industry through five sectors: commercial, cruise and ferry, defence, oil & gas and renewables and six services: technical services, fabrication and construction, decommissioning, repair and maintenance, in-service support and conversion.
Its Belfast yard is one of Europe’s largest heavy engineering facilities, with deep water access, two of Europe’s largest drydocks, ample quayside and vast fabrication halls. As a result of the acquisition of Harland & Wolff (Appledore) in August 2020, the company has been able to capitalise on opportunities at both ends of the ship-repair and shipbuilding markets where this will be significant demand.
In February 2021, the company acquired the assets of two Scottish based yards along the east and west coasts. Now known as Harland & Wolff (Methil) and Harland & Wolff (Arnish), these facilities will focus on fabrication work within the renewable, oil and gas and defence sectors.
Harland & Wolff is a wholly-owned subsidiary of InfraStrata plc (AIM: INFA), a London Stock Exchange-listed firm focused on strategic infrastructure projects and physical asset life-cycle management. In addition to Harland & Wolff, it owns the Islandmagee gas storage project, which is expected to provide 25 percent of the UK’s natural gas storage capacity and to benefit the Northern Irish economy as a whole when completed.