RNS22 Jan 2026 12:07
22 January 2026
London, UK
Defence Holdings PLC
(“Defence Holdings” or the “Company”)
Defence Holdings Appoints Jim Clover OBE to Advisory Board, Strengthening Defence and National Security Focus
Defence Holdings PLC (“Defence Holdings” or the “Company”), the UK-listed sovereign defence software company, today announces the appointment of Jim Clover OBE to its Advisory Board.
The appointment follows Defence Holdings’ recent announcement of a new National Security pillar within Defence Technologies and reflects the Company’s focus on building defence-led, mission-aligned capability across areas where software, information advantage and national security requirements increasingly converge.
Appointment Overview
Jim Clover OBE is a former UK national security and cyber operations senior leader with over 25 years’ experience across cyber operations, open-source intelligence and digital forensics.
He served as Deputy Director of Cyber Operations within HM Government, holding senior responsibility for the design and execution of cyber and digital activity in support of UK Defence and national security objectives, including work with allied partners. He was awarded an OBE for services to UK and overseas national security.
He now works independently with organisations operating in complex, regulated and mission-critical environments, advising senior leaders and technical teams on cybersecurity and technology challenges, with a particular focus on the responsible development and deployment of AI-enabled software.
Strategic Rationale
Jim’s appointment strengthens the Advisory Board’s depth of experience across Defence, national security and cyber operations, directly supporting Defence Technologies’ expanding role in defence-led programmes.
His experience operating at the interface between Defence, government and advanced technology development supports Defence Holdings as it:
· Advances software-defined capabilities aligned to Defence priorities
· Engages on sensitive, mission-critical requirements within Defence and allied environments
· Strengthens execution capability across defence-focused national security work
The appointment further reinforces Defence Holdings’ emphasis on defence-grade leadership, governance and advisory depth as the Company progresses from capability development into deployment-aligned delivery.
Alignment with Defence Technologies’ National Security Pillar
Defence Holdings recently announced the establishment of a National Security pillar within Defence Technologies, focused on applying sovereign software and AI capabilities to Defence-led national security challenges.
Jim’s appointment adds senior-level insight into how such capabilities are shaped, governed and deployed within Defence contexts, reinforcing the Company’s emphasis on Defence-first delivery, operational relevance and responsible use of advanced software in national