Honorary Fellowships awarded to project management advocates

APM is set to reward two outstanding individuals with successful military careers in recognition of their contribution to project management.

Simon Henley MBE and Air Vice-Marshal Julian Young will be awarded prestigious Honorary Fellowships at the APM Project Management Awards on 2nd November at a ceremony in London.

Simon Henley MBE (pictured right) has had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy for more than 30 years, retiring in the rank of Rear Admiral. During his career he enjoyed a progression of project management responsibilities on ship and aircraft platform and equipment programmes, culminating in four years as the project director of the UK programme introducing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter into Royal Navy and Royal Air Force service.

Simon’s last Ministry of Defence (MoD) position was as technical director for the Defence Procurement Agency and the Defence Logistics Organisation. He has subsequently taken up a new role as vice president for programme management for B/E Aerospace.

Simon has a long-standing association with APM and has spoken at the 2011 APM Project Management Conference as well as at an IPMA World Congress.

Voted amongst the top ten people in project management by APM in 2007, Simon remains dedicated to the advancement of project management and is currently deputy chair of the International Centre for Complex Project Management.

Air Vice-Marshal Julian Young (pictured right) has been fundamental to the development and success of the MoD’s largest project delivery department, Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S). Julian is director helicopters, DE&S and leads a directorate of both military and civilian staff.

The DE&S is responsible for the procurement and support of military equipment within the MoD and manages hugely complex projects. In 2013, Julian identified a need for the DE&S project and programme management (PPM) to be better organised and more able to support its frontline clients.

As a DE&S board member Julian developed the very first PPM Professionalisation and Improved Workforce Planning Strategy, using the APM standard as a basis. Project delivery performance in the DE&S has increased markedly over the last two years and Julian’s leadership, dedication and commitment to driving up standards, has been a major driver in this achievement.

As the first DE&S Skills Champion, Julian implemented a PPM governance structure that provides a clear route for project managers to grow within the profession.   

Julian was instrumental in the DE&S achieving its first ever APM Corporate Accreditation in September 2013. He also mentors junior members of the project management profession and actively promotes the profession at Armed Forces events.