John Howe CB OBE
Non-Executive Director, Thales UK
 
John joined the company in 2000, after a civil service career in the MOD, ending as Deputy Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. He retired from his executive position as Vice Chairman, Thales UK at the end of January 2009 but remains a member of the Thales UK Advisory Board.
 
Earlier, he held a wide variety of positions on both the management and policy sides of the MOD, including a spell in Northern Ireland in the early 1970s; secondment to the FCO as Counsellor in the UK Delegation to NATO in the early 1980s; founding Head of the Defence Arms Control Unit; a spell as Private Secretary to the Defence Secretary George Younger; and Personnel Director.
 
John was educated at Shrewsbury School and Balliol College, Oxford.
 
Married to Angela, John has two daughters, one grown up, one very nearly.