A huge congratulations to DE&S colleagues Kat Bavington and Simren Sondh on being shortlisted for the prestigious Women in Defence Awards 2024.

They join 60 other inspirational individuals who have been nominated this year from organisations including Rolls-Royce, Babcock International, BAE Systems, GCHQ and MI5.

Kat has been nominated in the Outstanding Contribution category, which honours those who have gone over and above the expectations of their role to deliver an exceptional contribution to the output or mission of an organisation. Simren has been nominated in the Emerging Talent category, which highlights the achievements of early career professionals, showcasing the future skills of the Defence sector.

Jo Osburn-Hughes, DE&S Director People and Diversity Co-champion, said: “We are really proud to see both Kat and Simren shortlisted for the Women in Defence 2024 Awards and huge congratulations to all of the DE&S colleagues who were nominated for an award prior to shortlisting. For both Kat and Simren this serves as fitting recognition of the exceptional work these two incredible women are delivering not only at DE&S, but in support of Defence as a whole. Very well deserved and best of luck for the final event.”

Women in Defence UK is an independent not-for-profit organisation, founded in 2011 by former Army officer Angela Owen OBE. With a network of more than 15,000 people and 40+ partners spanning every level of the defence sector, it aims to stimulate positive change across Defence.

Kat, who is the Lead Finance Business Partner in the DE&S Weapons Operating Centre, said: “Receiving recognition for the role the team and myself play in delivering critical outputs through a time of crisis is humbling. I’m incredibly grateful for being nominated by my colleagues – I’m blown away for the recognition I’ve received for what I see as the routine day job.”

The awards stand as a testament to the extraordinary contributions women, men, individuals and teams make to Defence. By celebrating success, the awards hope to inspire more individuals to step forward, challenge barriers, and contribute to the transformation of the Defence sector.

Simren, who is the Puma Transmissions and Role Equipment Engineering Authority in the DE&S Multi Helicopter Platform Delivery Team (MHP DT) said: “I am thrilled to be shortlisted for a Women in Defence UK Award. I am extremely grateful for the nomination by my colleagues, proud of my achievements so far, and excited to tackle the engineering challenges yet to come!”

We wish Kat and Simren the best of luck in the next stage of the process, as judges will now go on to decide the finalists for each category.

Winners will be announced at a ceremony later in the year.