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MBDA Employees revealed as finalists for the 2025 LGBTQ+ Defence Awards
Friday 5 September 2025
MBDA is honoured to share that five of our employees have been successfully nominated in different categories for the 2025 LGBTQ+ Defence Awards.
Since 2023, the LGBTQ+ Defence Awards have been a prestigious and inspiring platform for recognizing and highlighting the achievements made by the LGBTQ+ community across the aerospace, defence, and security industries.
The awards aim to raise the profile of LGBTQ+ role models in the defence sector by celebrating LGBTQ+ individuals who have fully realised their potential for their organisations and the UK defence sector, while being comfortable as their true selves at work. Furthermore, the awards also honour those who advocate for and support the LGBTQ+ community in their workplaces.
Our finalists are:
Rick– Outstanding Achiever
Ricky has received the nomination for the Outstanding Achiever of the Year award due to his proactive approach in providing innovative solutions and products within tight timeframes. Ricky participated in an MBDA Entrepreneurial Program where he successfully delivered a pitch for a cost-effective technological solution despite the tight schedule. His innovative efforts garnered highly favourable feedback from the MBDA technology leaders and secured funding for the project.
Jo – Trailblazer of the Year
Jo has advocated for the LGBTQ+ community by leading the PRIDE@MBDA Network. As a co-chair at PRIDE@MBDA, Jo has transformed the network from a committee to a leadership team, emphasizing the importance of responsibility and strategic thinking in the workplace. This reorganization has transformed the network into a platform where individuals can acquire new skills, boost their confidence, and advance their careers, ultimately contributing to a more robust workforce.
Ana - Ally of the Year category
Ana has demonstrated steadfast dedication to LGBTQ+ inclusion within MBDA and throughout the broader industry. Ana has engaged in numerous activities to ensure that the LGBTQ+ community feels empowered while working at the company. Her responsibilities include securing funding for the committee, protecting time for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) initiatives, and fostering relationships across the broader business. Ana consistently advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Alice - Team Leader of the Year
Alice demonstrates her exceptional leadership qualities through her empathetic approach towards her team members. She ensures that each team member fully comprehends their responsibilities within the department. Furthermore, she fosters a sense of value and importance among team members. Alice excels at motivating her colleagues to engage and participate in activities, including joining MBDA’s wide range of networks. This has enabled her fellow members to become allies, stepping beyond their comfort zones and furthering their personal development.
PRIDE@MBDA network – Network of the year
PRIDE@MBDA has been nominated for Network of the Year because of its efforts to enhance the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace. They achieve this through various methods, promoting visibility for their members by supplying them with professional wearable items that enable them to stand out and feel included in the community, and by hosting events on key topics to spotlight LGBTQ+ role models in the business.
James Allibone, internal sponsor for Pride@MBDA, MBDA’s employee network for LGBTQ+, said:
“Congratulations to all our nominees! Pride@MBDA sincerely appreciates your outstanding contributions to the company.
“At Pride@MBDA, our goal is to foster a community of employees committed to LGBTQ+ inclusion, empowering them to be confident role models and allies within the organisation.
“Establishing a community where everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender, can take pride in being their true selves creates a culture where everyone can give their best.
“MBDA takes great pride in each of our employees’ shortlisting in their particular accolade category and wishes everyone the best of luck at the awards ceremony.”
This year marks 25 years since the ban on LGBTQ+ people serving in the British Military was lifted. Before 2000, being LGBTQ+ in the Armed Forces was illegal, causing significant hardships for many.
On 12 January 2000, the UK government lifted the ban, allowing LGBTQ+ people to serve openly. Many military personnel believe that this improvement enhanced morale and demonstrated how inclusivity strengthens the UK Defence.
The awards aim to further the development of the LGBTQ+ Defence community by demonstrating that inclusive workplaces contribute to the future success of defence organisations. Defence environments that foster LGBTQ+ inclusivity are more effective in attracting and retaining top talent, leading to improved outcomes for the sector.
MBDA is supporting the awards in collaboration with other defence companies such as Babcock and Thales. Furthermore, leaders of these defence organisations, together with the three branches of the military, constitute the judging panel for the awards.
The awards ceremony in September will celebrate this year’s winners. MBDA congratulates all its finalists.