Local engineers recognised as rising stars by national engineering academy

United Kingdom – 24 June 2016: Two young engineers from Lockheed Martin have been presented with national rising stars awards by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE).

Daniel Iddon, a Structural Engineer, based at Lockheed Martin’s Ampthill site in Bedfordshire and Ben Ritchie, a Senior Computer Systems Architect, who works at Lockheed Martin’s Havant site in Hampshire were rewarded by the RAE for their remarkable contributions to the engineering industry over the course of their careers so far.

Daniel was recognised for his role as a technical expert offering guidance about the specifications required for vital upgrades to armoured vehicle programmes for the British Army. Beyond his day-to-day role on the Warrior and Scout programmes, Daniel has been working to inspire the next generation of engineers by mentoring younger Lockheed Martin employees and volunteering as Vice Chair of the local Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Since joining Lockheed Martin in 2011, Ben has worked on a number of complex technical programmes, developing business critical IT systems for customers like Royal Mail. The RAE noted his leadership abilities and positive energy that have helped the team through challenging times.

Peter Ruddock, Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin UK said: “Daniel and Ben have made significant contributions to Lockheed Martin in the UK and we are extremely proud to be celebrating this great achievement with them. They have both gone above and beyond not only over the last year, but since they joined our Ampthill and Havant business sites respectively. This recognition is a result of their commitment to, and leadership of, their teams. We are looking forward to many more years of success for them both at Lockheed Martin UK.”

Daniel and Ben were presented with their awards by the Royal Academy of Engineering at a ceremony in London this week attended by leading engineers from across the UK.

Daniel Iddon said: “I am delighted to have received this award and it’s a testament to the opportunities I have at Lockheed Martin every day. From working on high profile projects for the British Army to providing mentorship for the next generation of British engineers, I can genuinely say I am very proud of what I do. I’m grateful to the Royal Academy of Engineering for this award and the team at Ampthill for their unwavering support.”

Ben Ritchie said: “Our software is absolutely critical to everything our customers do, running core systems with a reliability above 99.99%. My primary focus is to make sure we maintain this and I feel privileged to receive this award as recognition for what I do. Lockheed Martin is one of the world’s foremost engineering companies, and to be recognised in this way is a great honour, and reflects the opportunities that Lockheed Martin has given me and the trust and support that I’ve received from colleagues and business leaders.”

About Lockheed Martin UK

Lockheed Martin UK, headquartered in London is the UK-based arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation, a global security and aerospace company principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. www.lockheedmartin.co.uk

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