Air Marshal Sir Simon John Bollom, KBE, CB, FREng (born 1960) is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer who is currently serving as chief executive officer of Defence Equipment and Support.

Sir Simon Bollom
Bollom in 2017
Born1960 (age 63–64)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service / branchRoyal Air Force
Years of service1981–2016
RankAir Marshal
CommandsAir Member for Materiel (2012–16)
Battles / warsThe Troubles
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath

RAF career

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Educated at the University of Southampton, Bollom joined the RAF as an engineer in 1981.[1] He became Director, Tactical Mobility at the Ministry of Defence in November 2000, Director Tornado Future Support at the Ministry of Defence in January 2003 and Tornado Integrated Project Team Leader in March 2005.[2] He went on to be Director of Combat Air at Defence Equipment and Support in January 2008[1] and then Chief of Materiel – Air at Defence Equipment and Support in October 2012.[3] He left the Royal Air Force in April 2016.[4]

He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2011 Birthday Honours.[5] In 2013, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng).[6] He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours.[7]

Post-RAF Career

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In May 2017, he became the interim Chief of Materiel (Ships) at Defence Equipment and Support following the appointment of Vice Admiral Sir Simon Lister as acting CEO of the Submarine Delivery Agency.[8] He became Chief Executive Officer of Defence Equipment and Support in May 2018.[9] In 2021, he was paid a salary of £275,000 to £280,000 and a bonus of £95,000 to £100,000.[10] In October 2023, he became National Chair of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b Professional high flyers: RAF joins forces with the Institution Archived 15 April 2013 at archive.today Institute of Mechanical Engineers
  2. ^ Air Support BAe Systems
  3. ^ Ups and outs ; Promotions, retirements in HM Forces June 2012 Defence News
  4. ^ "Air Rank and Command Appointments List 2.16". RAF. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  5. ^ The Queen's Birthday Honours The Guardian, 11 June 2011
  6. ^ "Royal Academy of Engineering New Fellows 2013". Archived from the original on 28 September 2013.
  7. ^ "No. 61450". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2015. p. N7.
  8. ^ "New Submarine Agency in place" (PDF). Desider. 31 May 2017. p. 11. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  9. ^ "Sir Simon Bollom appointed Chief Executive of Defence Equipment and Support". Ministry of Defence. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  10. ^ Grylls, George (26 July 2022). "Defence chief behind failing quango given £100k bonus". The Times. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  11. ^ SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity. "SSAFA's new National Chair takes post". ssafa.org.uk.
Military offices
Preceded by Chief of Materiel – Air, Defence Equipment and Support
and Air Member for Materiel

2012–2016
Succeeded by
Government offices
Preceded by CEO, Defence Equipment and Support
2018–
Incumbent