Meet our team
Our team is a dynamic blend of talented and passionate experts with a range of skills and knowledge within the technology, business and space sectors.
Chris Newlands
CEO & Founder
Chris Newlands
CEO & Founder
Chris is one of Scotland’s most connected entrepreneurs in the travel and technology landscape. After serving in the Royal Navy, he carved out a career in Financial Services before launching Space Aye. Chris is a GlobalScot and Co-Chair of UKNI Open Geospatial Consortium.
Andrew Turner
Director
Andrew Turner
Director
Andrew is a strategic leader in Defence and Security and an investor/advisor in an array of deep tech start-up businesses. With four decades of service in the Royal Air Force Andrew was its Deputy Chief, a Director General of Global military operations, the Chancellor of the Defence University, Director of UK military planning and a battlefield helicopter pilot surviving 19 combat operations. Andrew is providing strategic, security and investment advice to Space Aye and quantum computing, space launch, fossil-free fuel, hydrogen storage, e-commerce, e-logistics and business jet businesses.
Steven Mail
Non-Executive Director
Steven Mail
Non-Executive Director
Steven is a non-executive director based in the United States and acts as an independent advisor to the Board. Steven had a successful 20 year investment banking and hedge fund career before leaving the banking world to found and manage two of Europe’s largest global macro hedge funds.
Dr Crawford Tait
CTO
Dr Crawford Tait
CTO
Crawford is a highly skilled and experienced IT professional. He is experienced in developing web-powered solutions. His previous roles include Head of R&D at Skyscanner, he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our team which helps guide research and development.
Hayden Sutherland
Chief Innovation Officer
Hayden Sutherland
Chief Innovation Officer
Hayden is a digital & technology leader with over 25 years of experience in managing, designing and delivering innovative & commercially successful enterprise technologies across the public and private sectors.
He is a trusted fractional CIO/CTO, principle architect and intergration & data specialist who runs his own Glasgow-based consultancy.
Hayden is also the Founder and Chair of the Open Transport Initiative, as well as a MaaS Scotland Steering Board member and part of the UK Digital Twin Hub Governance & Trust Working Group.
Peter Gillespie
Chief Operations Officer
Peter Gillespie
Chief Operations Officer
Peter is an experienced senior Director & investor in innovative digital businesses across various sectors including media, advertising, recruitment and SaaS solutions, with a focus on commercial growth strategy development and implementation. With a background that includes start-ups and large corporates, Peter is now playing a leading role as Chief Operating Officer of Space Aye alongside some other advisory roles.
Angus McGuire
General Counsel
Angus McGuire
General Counsel
Angus is a highly focused and experienced commercial lawyer who deals with the many complex requirements required to meet the legal regulations involved in running a public facing SME. Prior to joining the team, Angus spent his career in private practice where he had a particular interest in growing SME’s and early-stage investment.
Anthony Burr
Communications Director
Anthony Burr
Communications Director
Anthony is a Public Relations expert specialising in Publicity, Media and Story Brokering. He is a former newspaper and television journalist with The Sunday Times, Daily Express and Sky Sports, he is now a well-known PR expert with knowledge and experience at the front line of the British media.
Lucy Lapham
Marketing & Brand Manager
Lucy Lapham
Marketing & Brand Manager
Lucy is an experienced global marketing and brand manager, with a passion for branding and creative visuals. She started her journey in marketing with our product Talk Holiday in 2017, and since then has experienced a variety of industries, bringing well-rounded marketing knowledge to the team.
Adam McLean
QA & Operations Manager
Adam McLean
QA & Operations Manager
Adam is all in the details, he brings an attention to detail and a breadth and depth of knowledge to the team. He has previously worked in testing teams at Barclays and is our resident satellite expert, working with our partners to ensure smooth delivery of satellite imagery and information.
Gordon Bain
Programme Manager
Gordon Bain
Programme Manager
Gordon is a qualified Agile Project Manager and Technical Program Director with a strong history delivering large scale corporate projects for both Public and Private sector organisations. Gordon’s background includes working for several Global Fortune 500 companies in addition to setting up a number of his successful projects.
Abby Purdon
Marketing Intern
Alan Cavanagh
Head of Software Engineering
Alan Cavanagh
Head of Software Engineering
Alan brings over 25 years of experience in software development and leadership to Space Aye. With a proven track record in building high-performing teams and delivering innovative, scalable solutions, he is passionate about leveraging cutting-edge technology to drive growth and impact. Alan oversees the technical strategy and engineering excellence at Space Aye, ensuring the delivery of world-class solutions for clients and partners
Advisors to the board
Alderman Professor Emma Edhem
Lord Mayor's Aldermanic Envoy for Space Technology & Innovation
Alderman Professor Emma Edhem
Lord Mayor's Aldermanic Envoy for Space Technology & Innovation
Emma is an Alderman of the City of London Corporation, the Lord Mayor’s Aldermanic Envoy for Space Technology and Innovation, Professor in Practice at Durham University in the Space Research Centre and Economics Departments, Master of the Bench at Gray’s Inn for Distinguished Barristers, Geopolitical Barrister practicing from No 5 Chambers advising international governments, sits on the Board of the City of London Police Authority Board and Finance Committee overseeing and scrutinising City Cash and Fund, Chairman of an international chamber of commerce, Ambassador for the World Humanitarian Forum, Co-Chair of Women Peace and Security Summit, President Elect of City Livery Club and sits on various working groups and NGO’s on thought leadership and charities. She strengthens economic ties internationally with the UK and delivers speeches both nationally and globally on various topics of current significance.
Amanda Brock
CEO of OpenUK
Amanda Brock
CEO of OpenUK
Amanda is the CEO of OpenUK, the organisation for the business of Open Technology – open source software, open hardware, open data, open innovation and open standards. Amanda is listed as the 37th Most Influential Woman in the UK Tech by Computer Weekly in 2023 and in Computing’s IT Leaders 100 2023. A former lawyer, Amanda has 30 years experience of the tech sector and offers valuable insights and knowledge for the Space Aye team.
Maggie Titmuss
Director, Advisor & Consultant
Maggie Titmuss
Director, Advisor & Consultant
Maggie is an extremely experienced, respected Chair, leader and Board Advisor. She is the current Chair of the National Cyber Resilience Advisory Board for the Scottish Government, holds a number of Non-Executive and Advisory Board positions.
She carries a unique blend of senior private sector career leadership blended with highest level of international law enforcement leadership and management within national law enforcement. She spent over 5 years in the Finance Sector latterly as the Director of Intelligence & Incident response at Lloyds Banking Group. Maggie brings investment, security and GTM advice to Space Aye.
Caroline Barnett
Strategic advisor and consultant: Defence, Law Enforcement and Intelligence
Caroline Barnett
Strategic advisor and consultant: Defence, Law Enforcement and Intelligence
Caroline is a leader in data, technology and strategy for public benefit. With extensive public sector experience across Home Office, MOD and FCDO, Caroline is well-versed in building compliant, ethical data and technology capabilities in highly regulated sectors using sensitive data to ensure continued public safety and security. Now working for a private data analytics and AI company, Caroline is providing consultancy advice and thought-leadership to help industry collaboratively solve some of the thorniest issues facing global societies.
Nawaz Haq
Experienced Director
Dave Keighley
Managing Director, Defence & Security at Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd
Dave Keighley
Managing Director, Defence & Security at Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd
Dave brings 25 years of unparalleled Defence space expertise to the Space Aye team. During his 34-year military career, he commanded 2 RAF stations, pioneered the creation of the UK Space Operations Centre, informed cross-Government space policies, and was a trusted space advisor to senior decision-makers (including Ministers). He has operated and instructed on 3 strategic space systems (including the US Space-Based Infrared System) and has been a key influencer on international space security issues. He also led the information management and business continuity enterprise for NATO’s Allied Command Operations and has served on UK, NATO, EU and UN missions across Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the South Atlantic. This rich mix of experience makes Dave well-placed to advise on both space operations and how Earth observation data can inform critical decision-making across multiple sectors. Dave was recently appointed Managing Director, Defence & Security at Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd. Goonhilly is a world-renowned satellite and space communications company with ground stations in the UK and USA.
Joe Little
Former Technology Principal & CTO, Digital Technology Innovation – British Petroleum
Joe Little
Former Technology Principal & CTO, Digital Technology Innovation – British Petroleum
Joe’s experience in leading BP’s Digital Innovation Organisation, helps him identify potentially highly disruptive technologies, solving business problems with real, innovative, digital solutions. Key-note speaker, author and former chair of the London Technology Fund.