Defence and national security innovator Roke has appointed Joanna (Jo) Rayson as its first Chief Operating Officer (COO) as the company accelerates its next phase of growth, product innovation and international expansion.
As COO, Jo will be responsible for building the systems, processes and infrastructure required to support Roke’s continued growth. Working across the business, she will help scale operations while enabling teams to maintain the pace of innovation, agility and customer focus that underpin the company’s success.
Jo brings extensive leadership experience across defence, critical infrastructure and technology businesses. Prior to joining Roke, she spent almost a decade at defence company Babcock, progressing from HR Director to Chief Operating Officer of its Land & UK Aviation business, where she built the strategy, systems and operational infrastructure supporting a division designed for large scale and complexity.
She also led Babcock’s pan sector training business and its Police Contracts unit, operating in complex defence, emergency services and specialist technical training environments. Earlier in her career, Jo held senior leadership roles at Leica Geosystems, Network Rail and BT.
“Jo’s appointment is an important step in supporting Roke’s next phase of growth. As we continue to expand our portfolio of products and technologies and increase our presence across UK and international markets, her experience in scaling operations and building high-performing organisations will be invaluable.
Our customers depend on us to innovate and deliver at pace. Jo’s leadership will help ensure we have the systems, processes and operational excellence needed to support that ambition while maintaining the agility that defines Roke.”
Marc Overton
Managing Director
“For more than 70 years, Roke’s technology has helped protect those working across defence and national security. I joined because I want to contribute to that mission, strengthen sovereign capability in the UK and support our allies around the world.
I see my role as enabling the environment in which our people can do their best work. That means providing clear direction and building the systems, processes and infrastructure needed to support growth, while ensuring our teams can continue innovating with pace and agility. Roke has exceptional talent and technology, and I’m excited to help the business achieve its next phase of growth while preserving the culture that makes it so successful.”
Jo Rayson
Chief Operating Officer
