Our Committee
Our committee is made up of volunteers from our member firms and organisations.
Chairman
AVM Ranald Munro
Ranald Munro was called to the English and Welsh Bar at Grays Inn in 1986. He has significant in-house legal and commercial experience, having worked in a number of multi-national organisations, in a diverse range of industries. He is currently an independent consultant. Ranald is an Air Vice-Marshal in the RAF Reserve appointed to the role of Commandant General Royal Auxiliary Air Force and Chief of Staff Reserves, the RAF’s Senior Reserve appointment. Prior to his appointment, he was a Major General in the Army Reserve and served as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets), a tri-service appointment – Defence’s most senior Reserve appointment.
Secretary
Matthew Walsh
Matt is an experienced programme manager with a range of infrastructure, network, cyber and AI projects. Prior to joining Clifford Chance LLP in 2017, Matt was a project manager at UK Parliament.
With operational experience in Iraq, and overseas deployments to Belize, Kazakhstan and Canada, Matt continues to serve in the Army Reserve as a Captain in The Rifles.
Simon McMenemy
Vice Chairman
Simon McMenemy is the London Office Managing partner of US labor and employment firm Ogletree Deakins. He was called to the Bar in 1995, and subsequently qualified as a solicitor and has advised on the employment aspects of many major international and multi-jurisdictional mergers and acquisitions. He also has a wide range of experience in advising companies on change management, particularly in relation to employee benefits. Simon advises on data privacy and data protection in the workplace and is a Certified Information Privacy and trained mediator.
Simon’s military career has run alongside his legal career for the last 25 years. Having joined the Inns of Court & City Yeomanry while at Bar School he has deployed on operations abroad, and ended his Regimental service as Commanding Officer of the Army Reserve’s largest Light Cavalry Regiment, The Royal Yeomanry. Having just spent three years in Defence Engagement he is now part of the Capability branch at Army Headquarters.
Kathlene Burke
Charities Lead
Kat Burke is a corporate restructuring lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP. Ms. Burke represents debtors, creditors and equity holders in large complex restructurings, with an emphasis on cross-border cases. She is also the lead UK/EU SkadVets coordinator. Prior to her legal career, Ms. Burke served as an automated logistics specialist for the US Army’s 8th Military Police Brigade and was stationed in South Korea.
Alistair Johnson
Finance Lead
Alistair served for six years in the Royal Engineers, serving on operations in Bosnia, Northern Ireland and Kosovo and undertook several exercises in Canada, Poland and Brunei. He joined Fujitsu on a military leavers programme and has spent the last 20 years in a variety of operational management roles primarily in the technology and legal sectors. He is currently the COO at international law firm RPC and volunteers as a mentor with the charity Supporting Wounded Veterans.
Ben McGuire
Comms Lead
Following a 15 year career with the Light Infantry and then the Rifles, including operational tours to Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, Ben left the Army in 2012 and completed the full time MBA at Warwick Business School.
He is now the Managing Director of Simmons & Simmons Solutions, and is responsible for the growth and integration of Simmons & Simmons non-traditional businesses and capabilities.
Sid Welham
Sid served 19 years as an infantry officer, with the Royal Regiment of Wales and latterly the Royal Welsh. He is currently COO of the international law firm HFW. Prior to this, he spent eight years working for KPMG across their Financial Services practice, finishing as the FS COO, establishing both their military network and a highly successful Service Leavers Programme. Sid is also a Director of the City Veterans CIC, a partner network to MiLNet.
Haig Tyler
Haig is an experienced senior IT executive, with experience in IT transformation, outsourcing/insourcing and offshore/near-shore delivery. His areas of expertise cover most aspects of operational management and leadership, Agile and waterfall systems development and testing, business engagement and analysis, as well as strategy and architecture.
Haig joined Herbert Smith Freehills in April 2012 as Chief Information Officer following a number of senior IT roles at Bupa, including interim Group CIO during 2009. Prior to that Haig spent time at Cable & Wireless working in various IT director roles, as well as a sales director role.
An early 12-year career in the Royal Air Force as an engineering officer was followed by a number of years as a consultant at Deloitte.
Peter Lewis
After graduating (LLB Hons) from King’s College, London, Peter was commissioned into the RAF’s Administrative Branch. Retiring in the rank of Group Captain, his career included tours in the USA, Australia, as Officer Commanding RAF Brampton & Wyton and as Head of the RAF’s Infrastructure Organisation. His career since has included 6 years as Managing Director, HR & Administration with Cantor Fitzgerald, and the past 14 years heading up the international operations functions in 3 different US-headquartered law firms. He is currently Director of International Operations at Akin Gump.