Supacat appoints Chris Compton as Director & General Manager

The innovative design house and high mobility vehicle specialist, Supacat, has appointed Chris Compton, FRAeS, as Director and General Manager, responsible for the company’s day-to-day business operations and the leadership of the senior management team.

Chris brings to Supacat over 30 years experience in the defence and aerospace industry and a strong track record in Operations, Project Management and Customer Support.   He was formerly Managing Director of Marine Data Systems and has held senior positions with Rolls-Royce, GKN Westland Helicopters, WS Atkins and Brittan-Norman Aircraft, where he was also Managing Director.

Chris is a Mechanical Engineer and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

On his appointment, Chris commented, “Supacat is a great business with highly capable and innovative people and my role is to harness this capability to drive improved operational performance and to grow a sustainable business.  This means staying focused on supporting our customers and successfully delivering on programmes”.

Nick Ames, Managing Director, Supacat Ltd, said, “We very pleased to welcome Chris at an exciting stage in Supacat’s development as a business.  His considerable management capabilities with similar sized, innovation-led companies will free up myself and Founder, Nick Jones, to take a more strategic role in diversifying the company into new regional markets and sectors, such as oil and gas, renewables and marine where we have already made some successful inroads”.

Paralympic dreams now within reach

 

Wounded Hero Mick Brennan (33) received a state-of the-art sit-ski today at the Help for Heroes Recovery Centre, Tedworth House in Tidworth, Wiltshire. The high tech sit-ski means Mick is a now step closer to representing Britain in the 2014 Winter Paralympics.

In November 2004, Mick was serving with the Royal Signals when he lost both his legs and suffered brain injury in a suicide bomb attack in Iraq. But since he first got on skis in 2008, he’s been going from strength to strength. Mick recently placed 3rd at the Austrian National Championships and only a week later went on to win his first international race at the Italian National Champions. As a result, he is fast becoming one of the country’s top disabled skiers.

Now Mick can ensure he reaches his full potential after a joint effort from Help for Heroes, Supacat, the Combined Services Disabled Ski Team and NP Aerospace to provide him with the highest spec equipment. Mick’s new rig is an off the shelf Nissin item purchased by Help for Heroes. This has then been adapted and re-engineered by Supacat, designers of the acclaimed Jackal vehicle, who have developed a custom built state of the art suspension system and conducted the systems integration. NP Aerospace, who manufacture the UK’s composite helmets and body armour, have manufactured a custom fitted composite seat. The complete system will give Mick the performance and confidence he needs to push his results to the next level.

Mick says, “Knowing the public and my sponsors are supporting me gives me the biggest boost. It makes me so grateful to know their funding is giving me the opportunity to progress with a new career. When I was first injured, I thought I would be limited to desk jobs so to be out on the slopes and now training for the Paralympics is just incredible. Thank you so much to Help for Heroes, my sponsors and to everyone who has believed in me.”

Mick cannot wait to put his new sit-ski through its paces later this week as he hits the slopes visiting a Battle Back ski course before a further training camp in Austria. Battle Back is a Military initiative supported by Help for Heroes, which uses Adaptive Adventure Training and Sports Rehabilitation to help seriously wounded Service personnel gain confidence and return to an active life.

Supporters can follow’s Mick’s Paralympic training on his Twitter account – @MonoSkiMick

 

 

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