We are proud to announce the beginning of a new Strategic Partnership with Make UK Defence, designed to significantly enhance support for businesses operating in the UK’s defence equipment manufacturing sector.

To kick off this exciting collaboration, we welcomed Kelly Maddison Director at Make UK Defence, to our HQ. During her visit, Kelly "Walked the Gemba", we shared real-world case studies across all our World-Class Manufacturing portfolios, and showcased some of the diverse customer products that we are involved with.

A key point for discussion was a display from Beaufort, a global leader in marine and aviation survival systems. Their life-saving technologies are deployed in platforms like the RAF Eurofighter and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, special forces and many other global defence organisations. A Huge thanks to Dominic Cartwright and Eve Pybis, FCIM for helping us proudly shout about the rebirth of their historic brand. The global manufacturing operations, capabilities and product innovation of this business is mind blowing, truly world-class. Born in 1932, Reborn in 2024.....

Why This Partnership Matters

With over 23 years of experience supporting World-Class Manufacturing organisations, Morgan Ryder brings unrivalled expertise in sourcing and developing the talent required to succeed in complex, high-integrity environments, including air, land, and marine systems, communications, tactical equipment, wearable devices, firearms, and advanced weapon systems.

During her visit, Kelly also led a roundtable with members of our defence delivery team — many of whom have up to 24 years’ service with Morgan Ryder and together hold nearly 200 years of manufacturing recruitment experience. The session explored the operational, commercial and talent related challenges facing their members today and highlighted the critical work that Andrew Kinniburgh and the Make UK Defence team are doing to support network members by engaging with the MOD and UK Government.

What Is Make UK Defence?

For those unfamiliar, Make UK Defence is the UK’s leading membership network for the defence manufacturing sector. A specialist division of Make UK, it connects SMEs, Tier 1 suppliers, and OEMs across all tiers of the UK defence supply chain.

The organisation plays a vital role in:

• Linking SME manufacturers with defence primes and procurement opportunities
• Representing sector interests in government and influencing defence policy
• Supporting innovation, capability development, and skills across the sector
• Providing practical support to help members grow in domestic and global markets

With 95% of UK defence businesses classed as SMEs, Make UK Defence is a vital conduit between these suppliers and the broader defence ecosystem. Strategic partners include Boeing, AWE, Lockheed Martin, KNDS, MBDA, and many more.

How We’ll Support the Network

Through our new partnership, Morgan Ryder will provide Make UK Defence members with access to specialist support that goes far beyond recruitment. This includes services tailored to help companies attract, retain, and develop the right people to deliver in a sector with increasing opportunity and expectation — especially under the evolving Strategic Defence Review.

Our services include:

• End-to-end talent acquisition strategy review and redesign
• Hiring process optimisation — including assessment design and hiring manager coaching
• Salary benchmarking and competitor insights
• Veteran and ex-forces talent programmes
• Support for defence sales, commercial, and programme management recruitment
• Leadership, engineering, quality, and operations talent expertise
• Employer branding and onboarding process enhancements
• Full recruitment outsourcing for high-volume or specialist needs

We will also act as a conduit for businesses within our existing 23-year network who are exploring new opportunities in defence — helping them become “Fit for Defence.”

Moving Forward

As defence spending rises and UK sovereign manufacturing capability becomes more strategically important, having the right talent in the right roles has never been more critical.

Through this partnership, Make UK Defence members are better equipped to meet demand, access skills, and build future-ready teams that can compete globally and deliver securely.

We're proud to contribute to that mission!

To learn how we can support your defence manufacturing journey, get in touch via email in the first instance and a member of the team will be in touch: MakeUKDefence@MorganRyder.co.uk