SMD Expands Sales Team

Wallsend-based manufacturer of subsea vehicle systems, Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) has added two new members to its sales teams.

Ian Bryan, who qualified as a chartered engineer while working on nuclear submarines in the Royal Navy, joins SMD team from the Crown Estate. Ian brings with him a range of experience and expertise in renewable energy technology.

In his previous role as a senior development manager Bryan was heavily involved with the development of commercial scale wind farms as part of Round 3, and more recently with the Crown Estate’s test and demonstration programme for offshore wind, wave and tidal technology.

Ian will be working across SMD’s Trenching, Mining and Renewables teams, supplementing and further supporting the team’s existing skillset.

Mike Jones, MD of SMD’s Trenching, Mining and Renewables team, said: “Ian’s wealth of experience, engineering background and business acumen will be valuable in developing our business during an exciting period over the next few years.”

Chris Waller has joined the SMD Customer Support team, bringing over twenty years of experience in various management roles within the power sector. Starting his career as a graduate apprentice with Parsons Turbine Generators in Heaton, Waller has subsequently worked for Reyrolle, GEC Alstom, Rolls Royce, VA TECH, Siemens and latterly with Applied Superconductor Ltd, where he led the drive to introduce an innovative technology utilising the unique properties of superconductivity.

During his period with VA TECH and Siemens he was responsible for developing the aftermarket capability for the global installed base of Reyrolle branded Electrical Switchgear products.

Steve Shoulder, Managing Director for the SMD Customer Support team, commented “Chris’s comprehensive understanding of aftermarket sales and marketing has further strengthened the ability of the SMD Customer Support team to meet the growing needs of our customers. This team is already very highly regarded in the industry and we view Chris’ appointment as a positive indicator of our commitment to being the leading company in our market sector.”