Meet the Judges

Captain Allan Youp has over 25 years’ experience in the maritime sector, focussing on skills, apprenticeships, innovation, and strategic development. He formed the Solent Maritime Enterprise Zone (MEZ) in 2019, a collaboration between the Royal Navy, industry, academia and government, to address maritime sector opportunities. The regional success of the MEZ informed the Royal Navy’s national, place-based approach to Maritime Enterprise Engagement, which he has led since early 2022.

Rachel Kitley is the Principal of Cowes Enterprise College, an Ormiston Academy, which is based on the Isle of Wight. The academy has undergone rapid improvement under Rachel’s leadership and it is now ranked as the best on the Island for the progress students make and has received widespread praise for the innovative approach to education being championed.

A standout achievement during Rachel’s time at Cowes has been her success in implementing and promoting Maritime Futures, a curriculum that the academy has developed in collaboration with the sector to help students develop skills and access opportunities in the maritime space.

Rod joined the newly formed National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) as Deputy Director in July 2021. He is a key member of the strategic leadership team driving the NSO and the delivery of the refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy working across Government and the entire shipbuilding enterprise.

From 2015 Rod held various Deputy Director roles in the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Maritime Directorate. He has also previously led EU negotiations on aviation security issues, worked for HS2 Ltd and led the DfT’s Business Planning process. Rod also had spells in private office and at the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.

Paul has an extensive 37-year history of senior management positions, both in the private and public sectors and within small business and multi-national corporations. Paul joined CMN in 2005, and since becoming CEO in July 2008, Paul has led the business through a period of growth and on-going sustainability, with CMN hugely respected for its significant achievements within Cornwall, nationally and across Europe. 

In 2015 Paul was awarded an MBE for services to the Maritime Industry and the community in Falmouth, Cornwall. 

Paul is Chairman and / or Director of a wide range of Partnership and Board positions across Cornwall, including being the longest serving private sector representative on the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership Employment and Skills Board. In 2020, Paul was appointed as a Director of Maritime UK, and in 2021, Paul became Chair of the Maritime UK Regional Cluster Council. 

Outside of CMN, Paul is a voluntary sector fund-raiser, having led local groups to raise more than £300,000 in the last 25 years, including a current role as Chair of RNLI South and West Cornwall Fundraising Events Groups. Paul likes fundraising challenges and in 2019 ran the London Marathon, in 2020 completed a 10-mile raft row and in 2021 cycled 215 miles from Bristol to St Austell. 

Iain is a four time Olympian, three time Olympic medallist and double Olympic champion. He is also a veteran of four America’s Cup challenges beginning in 2005 as a helmsman for the +39 Challenge, before joining Great Britain’s America’s Cup challenge, Team Origin.

After retiring from Olympic competition in 2012, he joined Artemis Racing as a tactician, and was appointed Team Manager in October 2013. Iain then went on to lead the team’s successful 35th America’s Cup campaign in Bermuda, reaching the Louis Vuitton Challenger Series final in 2017.

Passionate about protecting the oceans, the economics graduate founded Artemis Technologies in 2017, with a mission to see how America’s Cup technology could play a part in the decarbonization of the maritime industry.

He has overseen the company’s transition from a sailing services provider, to an applied technologies company focusing on green innovations for marine transportation.