In recognition of his military service, and his ‘second career’ achievements with Serco, Mike Hayes has been selected as a Young Leader of the Year Finalist in the British Ex-Forces in Business Awards.
Over the last 18 months, Mike has supported our Defence team to prioritise opportunities across our £200m+ service delivery portfolio. In addition, Mike led the exit a £1bn PFI (Private Finance Initiative) service contract overseeing the operational transition to the £200m Continued Provision of Maritime Services contract, ensuring the continuity of service critical for the Royal Navy to deploy at sea. Mike is committed to personal development, and recently gained an MBA with distinction.
In addition to his day job, Mike sits on the Innovation Advisory Board for the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport, and the Technical Advisory Group for Plymouth’s Ocean Futures Programme.
Mike was elected to the council of the Maritime Science and Technology Group for the Society of Maritime Industries and is a strategic partner for Connected Places Catapult, helping SMEs in the maritime sector to commercialise innovations and increase technology adoption.
Notable innovations include, partnering with Ecomar Propulsion, University of Plymouth and University of Exeter, winning £1.4m grant funding to design and build a zero emissions outboard motor. The team then explored how a vessel engine room could be retrofitted with a battery-hydrogen hybrid propulsion system, instead of a traditional internal combustion engine.
Mike is also part of a consortium with Purple Sector and the Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS), winning £8m in grant funding for a project to build a revolutionary ‘half board’ engine for the maritime sector which, dependant on operational requirements can be run on diesel, methanol, electric, or a combination of fuels.
The Clean Hybrid Alternative Marine Propulsion 2 (CHAMP 2) project aims to provide the maritime industry with a data driven solution to inform future technology solutions.
Mike supports youth in his local community through the Local Enterprise Partnership and works with Solent Partners and the Solent Careers Hub, aiming to increase opportunities for people in the Solent. Mike’s goal is to forge meaningful relationships between the local maritime industry and next generation talent, to cultivate a pipeline which will help us solve the problems of the future. Mike also volunteers with Inspiring the Future of Maritime Careers and is a Career Mentor for the Women in Defence ‘Moving Ahead’ Programme.
Before joining Serco in 2017, Mike served as a Royal Marines Commando, specialising in heavy weapons, anti-tank warfare, and tactical intelligence. He saw active duty in the Mojave Desert, Norway, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.