About Us

Paul Jeffrey

Senior Strategy Consultant

Having spent 26 years successfully running leading brand security product manufacturer and developing and implementing its export strategy Paul has a uniquely strong combined understanding of business, finance, export and high security.

Regarded as one of the industry experts in perimeter security, Paul is the current Chairman of the Perimeter Security Suppliers Association (PSSA) and has worked closely with DIT DSO on the 2019 UK export strategy for security products.

Paul’s in depth knowledge and understanding of international security markets coupled with an extensive worldwide list of contacts puts Palo Consulting at the forefront of security export business development.

Simon Everest OBE

Having started his career in the Ministry of Defence in 1985 Simon had various roles spanning his 23 years there including providing support to defence exports, management consultancy for the Army, finance and efficiency, corporate governance and risk management and policy development.

Simon transferred from the MOD to UK Trade and Investment’s Defence and Security Organisation (DSO) in September 2008 to lead a new team set up to provide government support for security sector exports. Between 2008 and 2012 Simon developed the first security and cyber security export strategies and introduced methodology for calculating security exports. This led to his appointment as Head of Business Strategy and Security in 2014.

Simon Transitioned with DSO into the new Department for International Trade (DIT) in July 2016 where, from 2017 to 2019, Simon was a Director or DSO, over-seeing significant maritime exports to Australia and Canada, and helping make 2018 the most successful year on record for UK defence exports.

Throughout his career Simon built and extensive network with the UK defence and security industry and associated trade bodies and retired from DIT as the most senior government official with responsibility for defence and security exports.

Nigel Crowe

After a number of years in industry working in export marketing and promotion Nigel has gained significant experience in the export field including several years in Belgium working on the export of security products.

Nigel subsequently started a business in Belgium with a local partner helping UK based Small & Medium Sized companies (SME’s) to start doing business in the Benelux countries and this led to him being invited to join the UK DTI as one of Michael Heseltine‘s “100 Export Promoters“ on a 3 year contract to encourage and assist SME’s to export.

After the successful completion of the DTI contract, Nigel was invited to join the regional DTI export promotion team in the South West of England as an International Trade Adviser, a role in which he spent 23 years utilising his skills and experience to deliver business support services and advice to 100’s of companies across the region. In addition to those duties he also organised and led successful trade missions to a variety of countries including India, South Africa, UAE, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Canada, USA. His experience in Defence & Security proved to be of particular use in this role as he specialised in helping companies operating in these sectors.

Fred Harbottle

After 39 years as a pilot, Fred retired with the rank of Group Captain having flown many aircraft types in several roles, including three years on exchange with the USAF and three years as an attaché with the British High Commission in Pakistan. With staff tours devoted to Command and Battlespace Management concepts and Joint and Combined Operations plus deployed operational experience in the Falkland Islands, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, he has a wide breadth of military experience
Since retirement in 2009, and following counter terrorist work with the National Crisis Management Centre in Pakistan, his focus shifted to the defence and security industry, his aim being to get British businesses work in SE Asia.

Chris Ware

Chris Ware QPM, BA(Hons) had a 30 year career in a UK police force with his final role as the force’s Director of Intelligence, in the rank of Superintendent. During a varied career he gained experience in a number of areas including air operations, major event planning, contingency planning and was the force’s industrial security lead. He was an experienced operational officer, former firearms commander and for a period he led on regional counter terrorism policing for the aviation and shipping sectors.

On retirement Chris became the Head of Security at a major airport for 5 years before undertaking governmental consultancy roles and acting as a international tour manager for a major UK company.