Biography...

Jez served in HM Forces for 23 years serving with both the British Army and the Royal Marines Commandos.

Jez's career started in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers where he undertook a full apprenticeship, training and serving as an aircraft technician, specialising in rotary wing aircraft (LYNX and GAZELLE).

In 1990 Jez transferred from the Army to the Royal Marines in order to focus upon his military skills. He was awarded a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant and attended Royal Marines Young Officer training. During his military career Jez saw active service in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and most recently Afghanistan; he spent many years overseas in operational, training and residential roles which included a job as Chief Instructor of the Jungle Warfare School in Brunei (1994 - 1997). Jez attended the Joint Services Staff College in 1997 - 1998 and was educated in military vehicle design technology at the Shrivenham Defence Academy.

During the final 8 years of his military career Jez led the Royal Marines All Terrain Vehicle (Protected) ATV(P) - BvS10 VIKING programme, responsible for taking the new amphibious, all terrain, armoured VIKING vehicle through trials and development and bringing it in to service. Jez established the Royal Marines Armoured Support Specialisation and was the lead on the design and delivery of BvS10 individual and collective training for vehicle crews and the units of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines as they converted to the new capability.  The culmination of this significant project saw the vehicle rolled into operational service for the very first time in Afghanistan, with Major Hermer commanding the force Armoured Support Capability.

Jez elected to retire early from the Royal Marines and pursue a new career as an entrepreneur and businessman in the defence vehicle sector; utilising his engineering skills and knowledge gained over eight years developing and fighting armoured vehicles.  His pedigree as a soldier and engineer, his deep knowledge of military all terrain vehicles, combined with his understanding of the procurement process placed him in high demand. OVIK Special Vehicles is the culmination of many years of experience and fulfils his long-standing desire to build a business based upon his passions.

Jez has an HND in Aero Science and Engineering and was appointed MBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 in recognition of his service to the development of armoured vehicles.

Biography...

Duncan started working for himself shortly after leaving university and has never looked back.

After 10 years of building and establishing a successful health club and golf course business in the South West and Channel Islands, Duncan embarked on a fresh challenge and joined his brother Jez at OVIK, when it was just the two of them, an office and a vision.

Duncan’s business experience and commercial knowledge, honed through growing his first business from nothing to 6 significant health and golf clubs, more than 60 employees and over 8,000 members in less than 6 years, has proved fundamental to OVIK as it has grown from a small consultancy based business into a product design and manufacturing house with real global reach.  Under Duncan's leadership in business development, products such as CAMELEON MMS, PANGOLIN and other specialist vehicle projects have taken OVIK into a raft of new territories and into sectors beyond defence, including the emergency services, humanitarian and commercial arenas. Duncan runs the OVIK business operation and business development, constantly seeking new opportunities and building relationships with partners around the world as OVIK firmly establishes its business in India, Africa and Central/South America, with an OVIK India office a top priority for 2012.

Biography...

Glyn Joined OVIK Solutions on the 8th August 2009 - the day after he retired from the Royal Marines.

Glyn's 22 year military career with the Corps spanned a wide range of specialisations including employment as a rifleman in a Commando Unit, as a specialist signaller within the Royal Marines Signals Specialisation, as a landing craft and as fast boat coxswain as part of the Royal Marines Landing Craft Specialisation and in support of Special Forces.  

In 1993 Glyn volunteered to train as a vehicle mechanic and thus began a sixteen year career as a specialist technician within 3 Commando Brigade, responsible for the maintenance and repair of all manner of vehicles. Glyn progressed through the ranks and specialist grades and in 2001 he joined Jez Hermer's VIKING Trails Team - responsible for technical aspects of trials on the Royal Marines' new BvS10 VIKING All Terrain Vehicle (Protected). Glyn accompanied the vehicles around the globe from arctic to desert environments, establishing himself as a leading expert in matters pertaining to the trials, development and employment of the ATV(P) system. He progressed with the project eventually taking a key role in the establishment of the Royal Marines Armoured Support capability.  He also used his considerable skills to take a lead in the design and delivery of VIKING maintainer training at the Royal Marines Armoured Support Training establishment at the Armour Centre in Bovington.

Glyn served on operations in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan - where he commanded a forward repair team utilising the BvS10 VIKING Repair and Recovery vehicle.  

Glyn is the OVIK lead technical consultant and technical training design specialist. Since joining OVIK Glyn has led OVIK's involvement in the design and delivery of WARTHOG maintainer training to the British Army. Glyn was also instrumental in the development of WARTHOG as it went through trials before deploying to Afghanistan to replace VIKING. Following WARTHOG Glyn went on to assist in the development of CAMELEON MMS and played a pivotal role in the design of the new suspension and braking system for PANGOLIN to meet Euro 13H brake standards and VSAG 08 handling standards. 

Biography...

Ian joined OVIK Solutions as the Technical Manager in June 2009.

Ian gained a wealth of expertise and knowledge in vehicle mechanical engineering and technology throughout his working career firstly through 10 years in the Army (REME) serving as a ‘B’ Mechanic in Europe, Northern Ireland, New Zealand and Fiji. 

The knowledge and experience gained during  this time enabled Ian to expand into technical design with the Automobile Association (AA) and through working with a variety of brands across the automotive industry, including Ford, Honda, Land Rover and Jaguar. Ian developed and produced technical and non-technical products in electronic and paper formats and designed and conducted training for overseas technicians in support of Jaguar Land Rover and Ford.

Ian's substantial experience both in the UK and international markets in troubleshooting and rectifying issues quickly together with the delivery of high standards of customer support helps OVIK provide support to customers across a wide spectrum of vehicle products around the world.  Ian also leads on all platform type approvals and is a respected expert in the field of European Whole Type Approvals.

Biography...

Scott joined OVIK as Head of Design in November 2011.

Scott is a professional automotive designer with over ten years of styling and design experience. He has worked on a diverse portfolio of projects from insightful adjustments to large-scale vehicle projects, to ground-up concepts for entrepreneurial brainwaves. He works primarily in concept ideation, design development, branding, marketing & web design but also brings a wealth of Engineering, Test & Development and vehicle knowledge to the organization.

After studying for 5 years in Automotive styling Scott cut his design teeth at Gibbs Technologies where his understanding of Specialist Vehicles developed. He worked for 5 years in numerous roles within Gibbs Technologies developing the Aquada, Humdinga and Quadski amphibious vehicles from concept to production.

The exposure to such innovative projects allowed Scott to develop a wide range of new skills. After Gibbs Technologies he joined PT&A as a vehicle Test Engineer, where he worked on numerous Jaguar, Landrover and Aston Martin vehicle programmes involving vehicle handling & refinement. He went on to work as a freelance product designer with a broad range of clients & projects from Limited Edition Vehicles for JLR Dubai to watch design concepts for Nixon and Quiksilver.

Scott is OVIK's head visual designer. Since joining OVIK Scott has led OVIK's involvement in the design and delivery of a number of marketing, web and vehicle concept projects & continues to push the visual side of OVIK. 

Biography...

Olga joined OVIK in October 2010.

Olga has recently returned from working in Dubai for 12 years, where she held various finance and administration roles.  During this time she witnessed the very small city become the dynamic, extravagant and imaginative metropolis it is now.  Such growth requires development of legislation and financial regulation, which was recognized and encouraged.

Olga has worked for Unilever, Grundfos and Medel, and at the Middle East Office of PWC had international clients such as Morgan Stanley, RBS International and others all of which has added to her experience.

Biography...

Simon retired from the Royal Marines in March 2010 after 23 years’ commando service. During his career Simon served in a broad range of operational, training and front line commands around the world including Northern Ireland and Afghanistan.

In 2003, as a highly experienced Senior NCO, Simon was personally selected to join a small team and help develop the fledgling Royal Marines BvS10 VIKING Armoured Support capability. For seven years he was intimately involved in the trials, development and training design and delivery of vital new armoured equipment for 3 Commando Brigade.  He was a pioneer of the Royal Marines Armoured Support Specialisation and the very first man to qualify as a VIKING instructor and Armoured Support Specialist Class 1. Simon went on to lead a troop of 18 BvS10 VIKINGs in Afghanistan (a role normally reserved exclusively for commissioned officers) in 2006 – under the command of Major Jez Hermer MBE (CEO OVIK Group) and later became the Royal Marines Armoured Support Specialisation Chief Instructor.

Simon is an Associate Consultant to OVIK Solutions; involved in a wide range of training, advisory, trials and developmental tasks across a range of equipments from weapons, to vehicles and beyond. Simon splits his time between military consulting and developing his farm in Northern France.

Biography...

Claudia joined OVIK's subsidiary marketing and communications company OVIKOM in 2010 to take on the mantle of developing an in-house video and film production capability.  OVIKOM is run as a separate (though complimentary) company to OVIK Special Vehicles - see www.ovikom.com - though Claudia and her team occupy offices within the OVIK estate.

Claudia has fifteen years' experience of making high-end TV documentaries and recently, as part of her OVIKOM brief she has branched into the area of high-end equipment-focused corporate film productions; specialising in vehicles, boats, aircraft and all manner of transport related film production. 

In addition to running OVIKOM Claudia owns her own TV production company, Athena Films (www.athenafilms.com) with her business partner Natalie Wilkinson.  Between them they have netted no less than four RTS awards in the past six years!

OVIK benefits enormously from having OVIKOM and Claudia to hand.  With our in-house HD film production and 3D graphics capability we are able to demonstrate our products and assist in the overal product development and vehicle design process. 

Claudia splits her time between OVIKOM and assisting the OVIK design team with graphical, video and artistic input.

Biography...

Mike Mantle joined the OVIK team in 2011 to head the sales team for the TRACK DIESEL Motorcycle.

Mike has been a keen motorcyclist for several decades. He won’t say how many.

Raised and educated in India and East Africa, Mike was a sporting journalist specialising in powerboat racing. He was recruited by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) to head up their dedicated Powerboat Racing Division, shortly after the RYA took over the responsibility for all UK powerboat racing, from Hydroplanes, Formula 1 Circuit boats and all disciplines of Offshore Racing. In 1972 he organised the first National Powerboat Record Week on Lake Windermere, an event that is still held today, although it is now based on Lake Coniston.

Following this he ran a successful printing company, specialising in the promotions and toy markets.

In parallel with this busy commercial activity, Mike raced Offshore Powerboats, initially as a navigator, guiding several world champions to victory in international races, including winning the famous Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race twice.

Mike introduced a new One-design offshore class to the UK in 1999, using a Swedish designed 5.7 litre V8 powered winged monohull – the V 24 “Batboat”. Using this boat, Mike co-operated with DSTL, DERA and Qiniteq to run a series of tests for the MoD, where fast boats were needed to evaluate weapons and defence equipment on Type 42 frigates.

Mike is responsible for accompanying TRACK DIESEL test rides and sales follow up.

Biography...

Charlotte (Charlie) joined OVIK in October 2011 as Head of Communications for the OVIK Group. Charlotte graduated from Oxford in 2007 with a degree in Engineering, Economics and Management and subsequently went on to study Strategic Marketing at IMD in Switzerland.

Charlotte comes to the OVIK Group from a blue-chip, global engineering firm. She brings a huge amount of energy and intellect into the business functions of both OVIK Special Vehicles and OVIKOM and will be a key player in developing the OVIK Group future product strategy.

Charlotte is a self confessed 'petrol head' and counts drag racing and touring car racing amongst her hobbies (as a driver - not a spectator!).