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Lockheed Martin hires John Neilson to lead EMEA communications

July 17, 2012

John Neilson has been appointed by Lockheed Martin to the newly created position of communications director, EMEA.

Neilson, who takes up his new London-based role with immediate effect, will be a member of the Lockheed Martin United Kingdom (LMUK) executive management team. He is responsible for leading the delivery of internal and external communications strategies and campaigns to support business growth and drive awareness both in the UK and internationally.

“John brings longstanding expertise in delivering results-driven communications campaigns within complex multinational markets," said Stephen Ball, chief executive of Lockheed Martin UK, "and I am thrilled to have him join my leadership team.”

John Neilson joins Lockheed Martin from BAE Systems where he was most recently VP International Communications, responsible for supporting and expanding business footprint in Australia, India and Saudi Arabia and multi-million pound business winning campaigns in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, he previously held a number of senior communications positions at BAE in both the UK and overseas, responsible for media relations, employee engagement, issues management, merger and acquisition and marketing communications. Before working at BAE Systems, Neilson spent nine years with Nissan Motor Company, where he headed the communications team for its European manufacturing and design centres.

“Lockheed Martin is a customer focused, global technology leader," explained John. "I’m excited by the challenge of working as part of the team to broaden its business footprint in the UK, deepen partnerships with academia and world class British suppliers and secure new export business, in both the defence and commercial sectors, for technologies and capabilities developed by its British engineers.”

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