Meet the Naval Review team

Alex Howlett holds a PhD from the Defence Studies Department at King’s College London, where he studied British naval aviation during the First World War. A graduate of the Department of War Studies at King’s, and the History Department at Simon Fraser University, he is actively engaged researching the history of strategy and maritime operations, naval procurement, and contemporary defence policy.

Emma Rowlands joined the Executive Team as Secretary-Treasurer in 2019 but is not a newcomer to the work of the Naval Review, having been actively involved for the previous decade. Although she has never served, she has been part of the wider naval family for over 20 years and brings to the role a wealth of experience from various fields. In her spare time she raises one daughter and five chickens.

James has extensive experience encompassing academic and policy-relevant research and analysis for a range of customers, including UK Government bodies. He has written widely on issues including the development of British Maritime Strategy, maritime airpower Russian maritime doctrine naval and wider military(including nuclear) modernisation and China’s evolving strategy.

Simon Ancona retired after 37 years in the navy, having held appointments in the Fleet Air Arm and MoD as well as enjoying the privilege of several Commands at sea. After working as the Chief Operating Officer for Network Rail’s Anglia area for several years he is now working in the Whitehall and Industry Group, which focuses on improving co-operation and understanding between these sectors.

Dr Tim Benbow is Professor of Strategic Studies in the Defence Studies Department of King’s College London, based at the UK Defence Academy.  He took a BA in PPE, then an M.Phil. and a D.Phil. in International Relations at the University of Oxford.  He then moved into professional military education, first from 2002 at Britainnia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, and then from 2004 at the Joint Services Command and Staff College with King’s.  Tim’s research and writing interests focus on British naval history and strategy from the Second World War to the present; see https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/benbow-dr-tim for more details.

Sarah is a Royal Navy Captain with nearly 30 years’ experience at sea and ashore. Career highlights include protecting the Iraqi Oil Platforms as part of the Task Force Iraqi Maritime on Op Telic, command of the offshore patrol vessels HMS Mersey and HMS Clyde, and, as Captain Britannia Royal Naval College, being responsible for New Entry Officer training, Leadership training and the University Royal Naval Units. Now back in the Ministry of Defence she enjoys combining her work in Head Office, with her role as a Trustee of the Naval Review.

David Burns retired from the Royal Navy in 2021 after a 35 year career which saw him undertake an eclectic range of duties as a warfare officer specialising in communications and intelligence, from command at sea, to planning the operational communications for the invasion of Iraq, to two tours of duty dealing with subsequent insurgency in Iraq. A University Cadet physics undergraduate when he joined, his post-9/11 career led him to complete the International Relations MPhil at Cambridge in 2012, focussing on the Middle East and US Foreign Policy. He now works in business development for the maritime engineering and consultancy firm BMT.

James Sproule is a political and economic policy expert. In 2019 he was a Senior Business Adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and has worked with the think tanks UnHerd and the Legatum Institute; between 2014-2017 he was the Chief Economist and Director of Policy at the Institute of Directors. Before the IoD he was head of UK Research with Accenture. He started his financial career as a merchant bank economist working with Bankers Trust, Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Kleinwort, and eventually helped to found the boutique bank Augusta and Company. James started his working life as a signals officer in the Royal Navy, where he remains an honorary Captain. James Sproule sits on the European advisory board for the strategic consultancy L.E.K.; he stood for Parliament at the 2005 general election; and was for seven years a visiting fellow in the Department of Management Economics at the London School of Economics.

Fran is a Royal Navy Warfare officer, specialising in Hydrographics and meteorology. She is passionate about diversity and inclusion within Defence, and Co – Chairs the Naval Servicewomen’s Network.