SYOS Aerospace, a world-leading manufacturer of autonomous vehicles for defence, civil and commercial use, has appointed Jamie 'JB' Bennett as Chief Commercial Officer and Olly Todd as Chief of Programmes and Operations.

The appointments strengthen the company's leadership for its next stage of growth.

Modern defence and security demand capability, not just products. SYOS has proved its systems in real operations; the next step is taking that capability to more customers, in more markets.

JB has spent his career where military, technology and commercial strategy meet: 23 years in the Royal Air Force, strategy work with UK and US defence think tanks, advising on UK defence reform, and commercial planning and delivery.

He has a clear view that defence and security customers need capability, not simply product. That means the platforms and the autonomy that runs them, alongside and integrated with existing systems backed by the training, people, logistics and rapid upgrades to use them to maximum effect. That is what SYOS builds, and JB's task is to drive the commercial strategy that takes it to customers globally, across defence and civil markets.

Jamie Bennett, Chief Commercial Officer, said: "The world is becoming more contested, and the people responsible for keeping others safe need capability that works as one system and reaches them quickly. SYOS is built for exactly that: engineers and operators working side by side, in a team people want to be part of. My job is to get that capability to the people and missions that need it most, wherever they are."

Olly brings the other half of meeting that need: delivery, which is what he has spent his career doing. That career includes 28 years in the Royal Marines and wider UK Defence, most recently more than three years with Task Force KINDRED and UK Defence Innovation turning urgent operational requirements into capability delivered at pace.

He has joined SYOS to lead programmes and operations globally, keeping technology development in step with engineering, production and commercial teams. He will ensure that SYOS's multi-domain capabilities are delivered to customers on time, within scope and to the highest operational safety standards.

Olly Todd, Chief of Programmes and Operations, said: "Capability only counts when it reaches the people relying on it and works as promised. I've spent my career building teams that deliver in demanding environments, and that's the discipline I'm bringing to SYOS: on time, within scope and to the highest safety standards, however fast we grow."

Samuel Vye, founder and CEO of SYOS Aerospace, said: "JB and Olly have both served alongside the people our systems are built for. With them, we have leadership from the first design to the customer's hands, and the experience to do that at global scale."

In September, SYOS Aerospace announced the close of an investment round to expand its global footprint, invest further in its already strong R&D and increase production capacity to meet growing customer demand.

The round is the first institutional capital raised by SYOS and follows five years of growth fuelled through customer contracts, including with the UK, Ukraine, New Zealand and Canada.