REG - Defence Holdings PLC - Appointment of Chief Technology Officer

Defence HoldingsAnnouncement

18/08/2025 07:00

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RNS Number : 6094V  Defence Holdings PLC   18 August 2025

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

18 August 2025
London, UK
Defence Holdings PLC
("Defence" or "the Company")

 

Defence Holdings Appoints Former Microsoft Ventures UK CEO as Chief Technology Officer

 Defence Holdings PLC (LSE: ALRT), the UK's first listed software-led defence company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrew McCartney as Chief Technology Officer ("CTO"), effective immediately. McCartney is a recognised pioneer in AI infrastructure for national security, having co-founded Whitespace, a UK-based deep-technology company delivering generative AI capabilities into defence, public sector, and highly regulated industries. A former CEO of Microsoft Ventures UK, he brings decades of experience building, scaling, and deploying secure, sovereign AI systems in complex, mission-critical environments.
This appointment follows the recently announced long-term strategic partnership between Defence Holdings and Whitespace, where the partnership are co-developing sovereign AI applications for high-priority defence and national security use cases. As CTO, McCartney will lead the design and deployment of our AI product stack aimed at redefining how defence capabilities are conceived, scaled, and delivered across UK and allied domains.
 
Key Highlights

 

●    Former CEO of Microsoft Ventures UK, where he launched the company's
first global venture innovation platform outside the US, scaling dozens of
high-growth technology businesses.

●    Co-Founder of Whitespace, the AI platform powering live UK Ministry
of Defence deployments.

●    Proven track record in delivering deployable AI infrastructure,
cyber-resilient platforms, and mission-ready software systems for defence and
national security applications.

●    Deep strategic network across defence, government, and technology
ecosystems in the UK and allied nations, enabling rapid market access and
partnership formation.

●    Will lead the design, build, and deployment of Defence Holdings' AI
product stack, targeting critical defence priorities and positioning the
Company at the forefront of the software-first transformation in global
defence.

 

Strategic Rationale

The global defence sector is undergoing a structural shift from hardware
platforms to software-first ecosystems, creating urgent demand for secure,
compliant, and resilient AI infrastructure. McCartney's appointment embeds
deep technical leadership at the core of Defence Holdings' strategy, directly
aligning with the Company's plan to become a leading provider of sovereign
digital capabilities.

Having built Whitespace into a trusted supplier of AI infrastructure within
live UK defence and national security programmes, McCartney understands the
technical, operational, and regulatory complexities required to deploy at the
edge. His expertise in scaling trusted platforms across insight-poor,
data-rich environments positions him uniquely to architect the next generation
of Defence Holdings' capabilities.

McCartney's appointment marks the first in a series of planned senior hires
designed to deepen Defence Holdings' technical, operational, and strategic
strength as it executes its five-year plan.

 

Credentials

 

Andrew McCartney is the Co-Founder of Whitespace, a UK deep-technology company

delivering AI-native infrastructure into defence, national security, and
regulated public sector

environments. Since 2015, McCartney has built mission-critical platforms for
organisations

operating in complex, data-rich environments where insight, security, and
interoperability are

non-negotiable.

 

Under McCartney's leadership, Whitespace has:

 

●    Delivered AI platforms now actively supporting frontline Ministry of
Defence Operations.

●    Integrated Collective OS, its proprietary AI platform, into live
national security networks.

●    Joined the Oracle Defence Ecosystem as a founding member, expanding
allied technology collaboration.

●    Been selected for the UK Ministry of Defence's "Engine for Growth"
programme, accelerating sovereign innovation into frontline operations.

 

Prior to founding Whitespace, McCartney served as the inaugural CEO of
Microsoft Ventures

UK, launching the company's first global innovation hub outside the United
States. Over

three decades, he has built and scaled frontier technology ventures spanning
AI, cyber

resilience, and sovereign-grade digital infrastructure.

 

Leadership Commentary

Andrew McCartney, Chief Technology Officer of Defence Holdings, commented:

"We are at the very beginning of a fundamental shift in how defence capability
is conceived, built, and deployed. Over the next decade, the leaders will be
those who can deliver sovereign, AI-native infrastructure that works in the
harshest real-world conditions. Secure, explainable, and trusted at the edge.
At Defence Holdings, we have the means to move faster than traditional
players, deliver systems that change the tempo of operations, and define the
software-first era of defence. We're not waiting for the future to arrive.
We're building it, and this is just the start."

 

James Norwood, Chairman of Defence Holdings, added:

"Andrew has spent a decade building the capabilities that modern defence
actually needs - resilient, deployable, sovereign AI infrastructure. His
appointment sends a clear message: Defence Holdings isn't here to observe the
future of defence, we're here to build it. This will be the first of several
strategic additions we expect to make to our leadership team in the months
ahead."

 
About Defence Holdings PLC (ALRT)

Defence Holdings PLC is a London‑based publicly listed (ALRT) defence
technology platform. The Company focuses on developing and acquiring AI-driven
analytics, autonomous systems, secure communications, and critical
infrastructure solutions across land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains.
Supported by deep capital‑markets insight and long-term tech partnerships,
the Company is dedicated to transforming European defence capabilities.

Media Enquiries
Brian Stockbridge, Director

Defence Holdings PLC

Tel: +44 (0)20 3855 5551 · Email: press@defencetechnologies.com

 

 

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