From ADS Annual Dinner 2025, Chief Executive Kevin Craven talks about why we do what we do for our members…

Now, as the evening almost draws to a close – and I promise, this is the final speech of the evening, and I’ll make it quick – I would like to take the opportunity for a few thank yous, if I may.

Fifteen years (and two days) ago we held our first ADS Annual Dinner – and we have grown both as an organization, and quite literally, in our numbers here today since then.

I’d also like to take the chance to thank our political speaker today, the Secretary of State for Defence, alongside his ministerial colleagues, for their ongoing support.

Events like tonight take a great deal of preparation – long nights, endless table planning dilemmas, more post it notes than you can count – so if I may indulge and ask you all to celebrate the ADS events team, in particular, who organised over 100 events last year – including this one – to support you, our members.

They are also not possible without the support of our event sponsors:

  • Acubed.IT, a research & software development company, mitigating data aggregation risk on low-trust domains
  • Babcock International Group, UK-headquartered defence company, delivering sovereign capabilities
  • BAE Systems, designers and developers of critical military capability
  • Dassault Systèmes, a global leader in Model-Based Engineering and digital transformation solutions using Virtual twin technology
  • Poeton Industries, a surface treatment business based in the UK & Europe
  • Siemens, a leading technology company whose purpose is transform the everyday
  • Finally, with sincere thanks to our SME Spotlight sponsors Digi2al & Lava Advisory Partners.

At ADS, we cannot do what we do without the unwavering support of our members, political and international stakeholders, and everyone in between.

Last year alone, our membership grew more than 10% to reach well over 1400 organisations.

We thank you for your trust, wish you a prosperous year and a safe journey home – whenever that begins!