Mike Maiden

Mike Maiden has worked in the defence and security sector for over 50 years, both in government and in the private sector. 

Mike’s earlier career included over 30 years’ service in the UK Ministry of Defence, working in international policy, equipment procurement and support, and for 12 years in defence exports. In 1989, Mike opened and ran the DESO office in the British High Commission in Canberra for 5 years. Mike’s last appointment in the MOD was as DESO’s Middle East Director. 

After leaving government service Mike became Export Sales and Marketing Director at Alvis-Vickers. He subsequently joined BAE Systems as Government Relations Director where he was primarily involved with the company’s external relations and with UK-US defence trade issues. He subsequently ran his own independent defence and security business consultancy.

Mike is a former Advisory Board Chairman of Northern Defence Industries (now Make UK Defence) and a former Senior Adviser to Renaissance Strategic Advisors Ltd, a leading UK-US specialist defence and aerospace business consultancy. He also acted as an adviser to the State Governments of Victoria and New South Wales.

Mike is a former Chairman of RUSI’s Finance and Performance Committee, and served as a Trustee for 5 years. He has been a Distinguished Fellow since 2018.