The man responsible for fire safety at BAE Systems’ Barrow shipyard has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award which recognises the value of former military personnel to industry.
Chief Fire Officer Stuart Dolan is among finalists listed in the annual Ex-Forces in Business Awards. He is among ten people in the Military Values in Business category.
After serving in the RAF Barrow-born Stuart joined Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, rising through the ranks to become Operational Commander responsible for south Cumbria during a 20-year career. In 2019 he joined BAE Systems as Chief Fire Officer, an appointment which has seen him follow in the footsteps of his father who was also a Chief Fire Officer with the Cumbria brigade.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the forces and it instilled in me a sense of family which developed me as a resilient, courageous, well-disciplined, and focused young man,” Stuart said. “The skills that I was taught became my foundation in life and without doubt supported my transition to employment within the fire and rescue service.”
The Ex-Forces in Business Awards aims to highlight the achievements of veterans in the workforce and promote links between military values and business excellence. The awards will be presented in October at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. This year’s ceremony will be hosted by BBC, ITV and Sky Sports presenter Jacqui Oatley MBE and BBC correspondent Frank Gardner OBE, a former Army Major, and will feature a keynote from double Olympic champion rower Major Heather Stanning OBE.
The 2020 finalists were whittled down from a record-breaking 500 nominations, with the winners decided by a judging panel of military veterans led by former First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas.
In September 2013, BAE Systems became the first defence company to sign the UK Government Armed Forces Corporate Covenant to support serving personnel, veterans and military families.
“Transitioning back to civilian life and establishing a meaningful second career can be challenging but my time in the military and the values that it instilled helped support a very successful career in the fire and rescue service,” Stuart said. “Although I was only in the forces for a short time, the impact of representing an organisation that protects the country and the wider world, with values and behaviours which support young people to grow is something that I will be eternally grateful for and remember for the rest of my life.”
