Lieutenant General (Retd) Sir David Eastman KBE joins Mott MacDonald as global defence capability director

Deepening Mott MacDonald’s global defence capability offering

Lieutenant General (Retd) Sir David Eastman KBE, former deputy chief of the general staff to the British Army, has joined Mott MacDonald, the employee-owned engineering, management and development consultancy, as its global defence capability director.

Based in Brisbane, Sir David will deepen Mott MacDonald’s global defence capability offering, drawing on his extensive experience in military operations, strategic planning and capability development. He will work alongside Mitch Mitchell CB, MBE who has taken on the role of global market lead for defence and security.

During his time in the British Army, Sir David served across the globe, including on operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan twice.

He later undertook operational planning and strategic management roles, including work on the redeployment of British forces from Afghanistan and the development of the UK military force structure and capability in support of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Sir David previously held international policy roles covering Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Euro-Atlantic security. He also served as both deputy commander and then commander of the UK’s Standing Joint Command during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Commenting on his appointment, Sir David said: “Delivering an effective defence capability in such a complex, geopolitical environment requires an integrated approach that connects strategy, people, infrastructure, technology and operations. I’m looking forward to working with the brilliant people from across Mott MacDonald’s global network to help governments and defence organisations navigate this challenge.”

David Johnson, group executive board director at Mott MacDonald, said: “Sir David has held some of the most demanding operational and leadership roles in the British Army during his impressive military career. He joins us at a time of rapid evolution in the defence market and he brings significant expertise to our team as we continue to establish ourselves as a trusted supplier partner in defence, AUKUS and beyond.”

Mott MacDonald has been active in the defence market for over four decades, working on land, maritime, air and nuclear infrastructure programmes across the globe. This includes acting as the UK Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s delivery partner for the F-35 sub-programme, working with the Australian Department of Defence on its Base Services Transformation Program and supporting Babcock on the modernisation of Devonport Royal Dockyard near Plymouth, UK.