Leadership team

Alex is a forensic accountant, with over 30 years experience, specialising in the investigation, analysis and quantification of complex financial losses, business interruption claims and commercial disputes. He provides clear, robust financial analysis and practical commercial insight to support claims, negotiations and strategic decision-making.

Alex graduated from Cardiff Business School and qualified with KPMG. Prior to joining Hawkins in 2009, he gained experience across process manufacturing, R&D and construction, working with global organisations including Associated British Foods, Caterpillar, 3M and Unilever.

His expertise includes:

– Business interruption and loss of profit claims

– Stock valuation and stock loss assessments

– Prolongation cost analysis in construction disputes

– Financial modelling and spreadsheet/data integrity reviews

– Fraud investigations, including royalty payment disputes

Alex’s instructions range from focused financial reviews to complex engagements, including a £120m business valuation and funding review. He is frequently appointed where independent, expert financial analysis is required to support claims, disputes, negotiations and commercial decision-making.

Alex is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is a Director of Hawkins Forensic Accounting Practice and CFO for the Hawkins Group of Companies.

BSc (Hons) Business Administration
FCMA Chartered Management Accountant
CGMA Chartered Global Management Accountant

As part of his first degree Andrew worked for Alusuisse, Switzerland analysing production methods of lithographic alloys and for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency on new materials for aerospace applications. His career in failure investigation began while carrying out his PhD, which was an investigation to determine the failure characteristics of fibre reinforced composite materials using fracture mechanics and surface analytical techniques, that was sponsored by BAE Systems. After completing his PhD, Andrew continued his interest in failure investigation by undertaking a post-graduate research project for Thames Water on the failure modes of cast iron trunk mains systems.In 2001 Andrew joined Hawkins, specialising in the investigation of materials failures, escapes of water, fires and explosions. He has investigated a wide range of failures in plastic, ceramic, metal and composite materials. He also uses his engineering knowledge and experience of the processes required for a forensic investigation to determine the causes of fires in residential, commercial and industrial premises.Andrew is experienced in the legal process; he is frequently appointed as a Single Joint Expert and has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Magistrates’ and Crown Courts.

In 2022, Andrew was promoted to Managing Director and is based in our Reigate Office.

BEng (Hons) Materials Science and Engineering - University of Surrey
PhD Intralaminar Cracking of Fibre Reinforced Composites - University of Surrey
CEng Chartered Engineer
CSci Chartered Scientist
FIMMM Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining

Andrew graduated from Cambridge University in 1992 with a first class degree in Engineering Science, specialising in geotechnics, structures and materials. He was sponsored by Ove Arup & Partners both before and during university gaining over a years’ worth of experience on site and in the design office. On graduation he joined Arup’s geotechnical division in London and then spent the next 7 years in London, Berlin and Hong Kong on the design and site-supervision of large infrastructure projects such as Canary Wharf towers, Merrill Lynch HQ, Berlin Velodrome and Swimming Pool and The Centre, HK.

During this time Andrew specialised in the design and construction of deep basements, retaining walls and foundations using diaphragm walls and large diameter piles. He also studied for a master’s degree in Soil Mechanics at Imperial College, with his thesis on the effects of rising groundwater on bored piles in London, graduating with a distinction.

In 1999 Andrew joined a strategy consultancy, Mars & Co, where he carried out numerous projects on behalf of blue-chip companies in UK, Turkey, USA and France.

In 2007 Andrew formed his own company carrying out both business and engineering consultancy projects for a range of clients. He expanded his engineering knowledge into domestic buildings, adding design in timber and masonry and working knowledge of building regulations to his skillset. In this time he also completed a Masters in Renewable Energy Systems Technology, at Loughborough University’s Centre for Renewable Energy and graduated with distinction. His thesis was presented at the IET Conference on Renewable Power Generation, 2011.

Andrew joined Hawkins in 2013 in order to expand the Built Environment capability of the company, which now includes Forensic Architects, Hydrologists and Fire Engineers as well as a core group of Civil and Structural Engineers. Andrew has investigated over 250 civil and structural cases including flooding, building collapses, retaining wall and foundation failures, as well as storm and vibration damage. Andrew has extensive knowledge of health and safety regulations, including CDM2015 and is often instructed on personal injury cases involving operatives on construction site.

MA Engineering Science, Cambridge University
MSc, DIC Soil Mechanics, Imperial College
MSc Renewable Energy Systems Technology, Loughborough University
CDipAF Certified Diploma in Accounting and Finance, ACCA
CEng Chartered Engineer
FICE Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers

Andrew’s career in forensic engineering began while carrying out an undergraduate placement at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, analysing the cause of aircraft component failures for the Air Accident Investigation Branch. Following his Masters Degree he joined Rolls Royce plc, Military Engine Division in 1988 where he was trained in the forensic investigation of engine failures for both in-service and development engines. Other areas of responsibility included carrying out in-service turbine component condition assessments and writing quality standards.

Andrew resigned from Rolls Royce at Senior Scientist grade and joined Hawkins in 1991.

Since joining Hawkins, Andrew has carried out over 1700 forensic investigations involving engineering, fire and explosion incidents both in the United Kingdom and overseas. These cases have covered a great range, from small domestic incidents to multi-million pound losses in shops, warehouses, factories, power stations (gas turbines & compressors), aerospace and marine.

Andrew is experienced in the legal process and has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Magistrates’ Courts, County Courts, High Courts, Crown Courts, Coroner’s Courts, mediations and arbitrations on numerous occasions. He is listed as an expert in the Expert Witness Directory.

Andrew is currently a Director of Hawkins and based in the Bristol office.

BSc (Hons) Metallurgy - Brunel University
MSc Aerospace Materials Engineering - Cranfield Institute of Technology
FIMMM Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining
CSci Chartered Scientist
CEng Chartered Engineer

Ian gained sponsorship for his degree from GEC Satchwell Control Systems. Whilst studying for his degree he also undertook periods of formal training with Satchwell in their Electromechanical Section, Technical Laboratory and the London North Office. After obtaining his degree with honours, Ian worked as a design engineer for Satchwell.

Ian utilised his knowledge of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering to take a number of projects from concept to manufacture. These projects included the design of microprocessor based control systems, valve actuators and gearboxes. He was also responsible for project planning and the ISO 9001 documentation for each of his designs.

In 1999 Ian joined Dr J H Burgoyne & Partners LLP as a Consulting Engineer, where he specialised in the forensic investigation of fires, explosions and engineering incidents. Ian conducted around 400 investigations and was appointed on several occasions to present expert evidence in accordance with Part 35 of the CPR and also for criminal proceedings.

In 2006 Ian joined Hawkins’ office in Reigate, Surrey where he continues to carry out forensic investigations of fires, explosions and engineering incidents. Ian has conducted a wide range of investigations including fires in domestic, commercial and industrial premises, fires in domestic appliances, fires involving electrical distribution equipment, vehicle fires, explosions and escapes of water.

Ian is a Principal Associate in our Reigate office and our Director of IT.

BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Electronic Systems - Brunel University
AMIMechE Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

After completing a Post Doctoral Research Fellowship, Robert joined Liverpool John Moores University as a Lecturer and then Senior Lecturer in Environmental Chemistry. Here he developed a successful research programme in environmental chemistry and environmental analysis, publishing numerous papers in scientific journals and books and presenting research work at many national and international conferences.

Robert has lectured extensively on analytical, environmental and corrosion chemistry. He was the course leader for the University’s MSc Analytical Chemistry course and was an assessor for the Higher Education Funding Council (Wales). Robert also gave annual lecture courses and workshops in Universities in Thailand, where he was a visiting lecturer.

Since joining Hawkins in 2001, Robert has specialised in post-fire, post-flood and post-chemical spill contamination investigations throughout the world. This work involves determining the effects of contaminants on buildings, production equipment, complex computer systems and products, including food stuffs, and providing advice on the long term effects of the contaminants and best remediation techniques for recovery.

During his time at Hawkins, Robert successfully completed the BOHS course for surveying buildings for asbestos and has since carried out asbestos contamination surveys following various incidents in the UK and Europe.

Robert has also conducted many forensic fire investigations in a variety of domestic and industrial situations. He is experienced in the legal process and has been involved in providing independent advice in the form of verbal and written evidence in both civil and criminal cases relating to fire investigation and contamination work.

Robert is currently a Principal Associate based in the Manchester office as well as Hawkins’ Operations Director.

BSc (Hons) Chemistry - University of Wales, Cardiff
PhD Chemistry - University of Wales, Cardiff
PgC Higher Education - Liverpool John Moores University
FRSC Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
CChem Chartered Chemist
BOHS - P403 Buildings Surveys and Bulk Sampling for Asbestos
BOHS - P406 Supervision and Management of the Safe Removal and Disposal of Asbestos

After graduating, Russ was employed by the Avon & Somerset Constabulary as a Scenes of Crime Officer engaged in the forensic examination of crime scenes, including fires.

In 1998 he joined the Avon & Somerset Scientific Support Fire Investigation Team specialising in arson cases. In 2000 he was promoted to Team Leader Scenes of Crime Officer, with responsibility for the coordination of the Constabulary’s response to vehicle crime, while continuing to play an active role in fire investigation. He has lectured to Police Officers, Fire Brigade personnel and Scenes of Crime Officers on subjects including the identification and preservation of evidence, scientific analysis of exhibits and the influence of DNA on crime scene examination.

In 2002 Russ joined Dr J H Burgoyne & Partners LLP as a Consulting Scientist specialising in the investigation of fires and explosions. He was responsible for investigating a diverse range of incidents including small fires in domestic properties, large fires in restaurants, commercial buildings and vehicle fires.

In 2005 Russ joined Hawkins, where he continues to carry out fire investigations. He is also frequently asked to provide expert assistance in criminal cases. He was Regional Manager of the Bristol Office for many years, and currently serves as Quality Manager.

Russ is experienced in the litigation process, having produced reports in connection with Court Proceedings and has given evidence in Court.

BSc (Hons) Biochemistry Reading University
Dip CSE Diploma in Crime Scene Examination University of Durham
MCSFS Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences

Graeme joined the Glasgow Claims Department of Commercial Union in 1982 and left to join Thomas Howell Selfe as a trainee loss adjuster in 1986. Over the ensuing 16 years Graeme worked variously for Cunningham Hart, Willis Corroon, THG, Davies, Crawford & Co and GAB Robins, including a period of self-employment trading as Whittle Drysdale & Co.

In 2002 he joined AXA Corporate Claims, Ipswich handling Major Loss First Party & Casualty losses. He also enjoyed a short secondment increasing his knowledge of EL/PL and Motor Injury claims.

Graeme was attracted by the lure of the bright lights and in 2010 left to join Zurich Global Corporate in London as a Senior Adjuster, handling some of the highest value property damage claims in the global market on a lead basis. Graeme found this the most challenging and technically interesting job in his career so far.

Graeme joined Hawkins in May 2013 as Business Development Manager and brings his extensive contacts and experience of the workings of the London, UK and International Insurance Markets. He is based in Cambridge and has desks in our Glasgow and London offices. Graeme travels extensively meeting existing and potential customers.

He attained the ACII Diploma of the Chartered Insurance Institute in 1990 and qualified as a Chartered Loss Adjuster, ACILA in 1994. He is now a Chartered Insurer and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters and retains a keen interest in insurance education. He is a committee member of the CILA Liability SIG and was honoured to be elected the Deputy President of the Insurance Institute of Cambridge in 2013.

He sees his role as both developing the business and maintaining Hawkins’ excellent reputation. Please contact Graeme if you have any queries about service delivery or need advice on the appointment of an expert.

ACII Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute
FCILA Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters

An Intel scholar, John graduated with a 1st Class Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering from University College Dublin, Ireland in 2000. As part of his degree he developed an automatic moisture sensor for use in the peat industry for which he was awarded the Hewlett Packard national award for innovation in engineering.

After a brief period with Schlumberger Oilfield Services in Peru, John returned to Ireland to take up a position with Teradyne Connection Systems, before joining Timoney Technology as a mechanical design engineer, where he specialised in the design and development of Hydropneumatic Suspension Systems for specialty off road vehicles. In this role he also gained considerable experience with computer aided engineering techniques such as Finite Element Analysis and Vehicle Multi-body Dynamic Analysis.

John was appointed engineering manager with Timoney Technology and took over full technical responsibility for all engineering projects and products. Projects of note include the DARPA Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle, the USMC Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Vehicle and the Timoney ADT Independent Suspension Axle System manufactured under licence by Terex Equipment Ltd.

John was also involved with the Ginaf Rally Power and DeRooy race teams for the 2007 Dakar Rally and has numerous automotive suspension patents filed in his name.

In 2007, John joined Hawkins, and in 2016 he became the Regional Manager of our Glasgow Office. John specialises in the investigation of fires, explosions, escapes of fluid, engineering failures, personal injuries – particularly those involving plant and machinery, building damage resulting from water ingress, and road traffic accidents. His level of experience in the design of heavy-duty off-road vehicles gives him a unique insight into incidents involving HGVs.

John has a detailed knowledge of the health and safety regulatory framework in the UK and of how relevant regulations apply to the design, development, provision and use of plant and machinery in industry. Since joining Hawkins, he has investigated over 700 incidents, ranging from small domestic losses to major and complex incidents involving serious injuries and fatalities. He has produced expert reports for Pursuers and Defenders and has given expert evidence in the Court of Session and in the Sheriff Courts. He has also been appointed, via the National Crime Agency, to assist Police Scotland in criminal investigations and has prepared reports for criminal defence lawyers. He is known for his attention to detail, his pragmatic approach, and his ability to explain complex engineering matters in a way that is clear and easy for non-technical readers to understand.

John presents regularly on topics such as the forensic investigation of fires and escapes of water, as well as on health and safety related topics, at events organised by the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters, the Chartered Insurance Institute, insurance companies and law firms.

BE (Hons) Mechanical Engineering - University College Dublin, 2000
CEng Chartered Engineer
MIMechE Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Prior to becoming an investigator, Nico worked in a international environmental consultancy where he was involved in a number of major government marine projects in Hong Kong, as well as oil and gas, and mining projects around Asia. In 2011 he joined HFS-Asia in Hong Kong, where he worked as a fire investigator and consulting scientist. In 2015, Nico moved to London where he joined Hawkins to bolster our growing International and Shipping Incidents team. He continued investigating a broad range of land-based and marine incidents, both in the UK and internationally. He was also a member of our contamination team, taking on cases in the UK and Europe. Hawkins acquired HFS-Asia in 2016 and in 2020 Nico returned to Hong Kong to head the office he helped to build several years earlier.

Nico has investigated several fires in large industrial plants, as well as in commercial and residential premises. On the marine side, he has investigated major fires on container and general cargo vessels. He has worked on numerous cases of bulk cargo spoilage, involving grains, oil seeds and seedcake. Nico has also worked on cases involving the carriage and storage of mixed chemical cargoes, and the contamination of liquid bulk cargoes. While continuing to work in these areas, he is also developing our offering in the Environmental sector. Nico has provided technical advice notes and given presentations on loss prevention to law firms, P&I clubs and loss adjusters. He has prepared expert witness reports for use in civil litigation and has appeared in court in Thailand and in arbitration in London.

Nico is Swiss and grew up in Hong Kong. He is the Regional Director of Hawkins’ Hong Kong Office.

LANGUAGES

Nico is proficient in English and German

MSc Environmental Management

BSc Biology with Oceanography

Sandra is a Business Development Manager at Hawkins, with experience across sales, lead generation, marketing, and client engagement within the insurance, legal, technology, and wider professional services sectors.

She focuses on building and maintaining long-term relationships with clients and stakeholders by developing a strong understanding of their needs and connecting them with the appropriate expertise within Hawkins.

Sandra is fully bilingual in English and Spanish, enabling effective communication with a diverse range of clients and international stakeholders. She has experience working across international markets, including Europe, North America, and Latin America, within commercially driven, client-facing environments.

Her background also includes working with clients across a range of professional sectors, strengthening her ability to adapt to different industries and stakeholder requirements. She supports clients and key stakeholders by ensuring they are connected with the right experts to meet their needs.

Please contact Sandra if you have any queries or need advice on the appointment of an expert.

After he graduated, Chris completed a doctoral research project on the isotope and trace element chemistries of precious- and base-metal mineral deposits in the Rocky Mountains. Following a brief spell contributing to a variety of research projects at the NERC Isotope Geoscience Laboratory he joined the British Antarctic Survey and headed for the mountains of Antarctica, where he continued his research using isotopes and trace elements.

Chris published many scientific papers before leaving academia in 1998 to join Hawkins at our Cambridge office, after which he opened the Glasgow office in 2008 and the Dubai office in 2014. During this time he has investigated 1200 incidents in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

His investigations include fires, dust and vapour explosions, electrical and mechanical failures, product defects, personal injuries/fatalities, and post-incident contamination assessments; the incidents have occurred in many environments such as refineries, power plants, retail, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, mining, warehouses, hotels, hospitals, dwellings and ships/aircraft/trains/automotive. The root causes he regularly encounters involve systems’ failures and process faults, equipment and materials’ failures of all types and ‘human intervention’ (e.g. fraud, ‘poor practices’ and breaches of Regulations such as DSEAR).

Chris has extensive experience in the litigation process and with providing technical advice to Hawkins’ clients; he has prepared many reports for use in legal proceedings and has presented expert evidence in Court on a number of occasions.

Chris is a Principal Associate and is the Middle East Director based in our Dubai office.

LANGUAGES

Chris is fluent in English

BSc Geology - Leicester University
PhD Geochemistry - Aberdeen University
FGS Fellow of the Geological Society

David’s career started in the Technical Services and Development Laboratory at the BP facility in Hythe. He then moved on to study anti-oxidant behaviour in lubricating oils for his PhD at the School of Chemistry at Leeds University. After graduation he studied hydrocarbon combustion as a research fellow.

In 1993 David joined the Defence Research Agency (latterly known as DERA) working for the Fuels & Lubricants Centre in Farnborough, running the Fluids Handling and Flammability Hazards laboratories. His research varied from developing methods of preventing gearbox explosions, self-cleaning filtration systems, the compression ignition of hydraulic fluids to fuel reformation for fuel cells. He acted as a consultant to the Armed Forces concerning fire hazards associated with fuels and lubricants.

David became interested in forensic investigation while working as part of the DERA TWA 800 air accident investigation team, investigating the destruction of a Boeing 747 that was caused by the ignition of a fuel-air mixture in the centre wing tank.

Since joining Hawkins in 2001, David has carried out over 1,000 forensic investigations involving petrochemicals, confined space entry, fire and explosion incidents both in the United Kingdom and overseas. These cases have included small scale incidents to multi-million pound losses involving vehicles, houses, shops, warehouses, factories, petro-chemical plants and ships. David is experienced in the legal process and has given evidence in the capacity of an expert witness in Magistrates’ Court, Crown Court, High Court (Queen’s Bench Division) Arbitration and Mediation in the UK; the Supreme Court and a Public Inquiry in Singapore, Guangzhou Maritime Court (People’s republic of China) and the Samut Prakan Provincial Court in Thailand.

David became a Senior Associate in 2006 and the Company’s health and safety manager, a role he held until 2009, when he then became the Regional Manager of the Cambridge Office. He became a Principal Associate in 2011 and in 2014 he became the Company’s International & Shipping Manager, a role he held until he opened the Company’s Singapore office in 2016, where he is the Regional Director.

LANGUAGES

David is fluent in English

BSc (Hons) Portsmouth Polytechnic
PhD Leeds University
FRSC Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry
CChem Chartered Chemist

Joe earned a Bachelor of Commerce in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of Cape Town in 2005. After several years in the manufacturing, events, and education sectors, he completed a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2015. His Master’s thesis focused on the disaggregation of signals in domestic power supplies.

Since completing his engineering degree, Joe has worked on control systems for renewable energy plants and in software engineering before joining Hawkins as a forensic investigator. His areas of experience include:

> Design, implementation, testing, and commissioning of plant/substation control systems and human-machine interfaces (SCADA) for electricity infrastructure projects, including control systems programming for power-plant grid connection.

> Software development for online platforms and back-end systems, largely for financial services applications, incorporating a wide variety of programming languages, platforms, and database systems: most notably ASP.NET and SQL stack, Python, and JavaScript front-end development.

> Investigation of fires in residential, commercial and industrial locations, as well as in vehicles and machinery.

> Investigation of electrical, electronic and control systems failures.

LANGUAGES

Joe Penn is also proficient in Afrikaans.

Electrical Engineering - University of the Witwatersrand

An Intel scholar, John graduated with a 1st Class Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering from University College Dublin, Ireland in 2000. As part of his degree he developed an automatic moisture sensor for use in the peat industry for which he was awarded the Hewlett Packard national award for innovation in engineering.

After a brief period with Schlumberger Oilfield Services in Peru, John returned to Ireland to take up a position with Teradyne Connection Systems, before joining Timoney Technology as a mechanical design engineer, where he specialised in the design and development of Hydropneumatic Suspension Systems for specialty off road vehicles. In this role he also gained considerable experience with computer aided engineering techniques such as Finite Element Analysis and Vehicle Multi-body Dynamic Analysis.

John was appointed engineering manager with Timoney Technology and took over full technical responsibility for all engineering projects and products. Projects of note include the DARPA Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle, the USMC Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Vehicle and the Timoney ADT Independent Suspension Axle System manufactured under licence by Terex Equipment Ltd.

John was also involved with the Ginaf Rally Power and DeRooy race teams for the 2007 Dakar Rally and has numerous automotive suspension patents filed in his name.

John specialises in the investigation of fires, explosions, escapes of fluid, engineering failures, building damage resulting from water ingress, road traffic accidents and personal injuries – particularly those involving plant and machinery. His level of experience in the design of heavy-duty off-road vehicles gives him a unique insight into incidents involving HGVs.

John has a detailed knowledge of the health and safety regulatory framework in the UK and of how relevant regulations apply to the design, development, provision and use of plant and machinery in industry. Since joining Hawkins, he has investigated over 700 incidents, ranging from small domestic losses to major and complex incidents involving serious injuries and fatalities. He has produced expert reports for Pursuers and Defenders and has given expert evidence in the Court of Session and in the Sheriff Courts. He has also been appointed, via the National Crime Agency, to assist Police Scotland in criminal investigations and has prepared reports for criminal defence lawyers. He is known for his attention to detail, his pragmatic approach, and his ability to explain complex engineering matters in a way that is clear and easy for non-technical readers to understand.

John presents regularly on topics such as the forensic investigation of fires and escapes of water, as well as on health and safety related topics, at events organised by the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters, the Chartered Insurance Institute, insurance companies and law firms.

BE (Hons) Mechanical Engineering - University College Dublin, 2000
CEng Chartered Engineer
MIMechE Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Sophie is a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining (MIMMM). She received her BEng and PhD (Eng) from Queen Mary College, University of London in Materials Science & Engineering.

After a post-doctoral research post at Queen Mary’s, she joined LGC Forensics, UK, as a Forensic Chemist, specialising in the examination of textile fibres and polyurethane foam retrieved from crime scenes. During this time, Sophie analysed trace evidence, prepared detailed technical reports for court and presented evidence in court as a Court Reporting Officer.

Following her arrival in Hong Kong, Sophie worked as a Research Fellow at City University, Kowloon Tong, developing techniques for analysing trace material evidence in crime laboratories.

In 2012, Sophie joined Hawkins’ Hong Kong Office, and has since provided expertise in materials failure analysis, corrosion incidents, and contamination incidents in both the marine and land-based sectors. As a materials engineer, Sophie has conducted investigations involving the failure/corrosion of glass, ceramic, plastic and metal, and is particularly experienced at investigating lift and wire rope failures and criminal work involving trace evidence. For contamination incidents, Sophie can assist in determining the impact and extent of exposure to fresh water, salt water, foul water, and miscellaneous substances on working components. On the marine side, Sophie is highly competent at conducting investigations involving the failure of marine coating, the liquefaction of Group A cargoes and their associated laboratory testing, as well as incidents involving cargo and hull damage. In addition to her casework, Sophie regularly presents to law firms, P&I Clubs and loss adjusting companies on materials failure analysis, corrosion, and cargo/liquefaction matters. Sophie has provided testimony as an expert witness in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the UK.

Sophie relocated to Hawkins’ London Office in 2019 and is a Principal Associate. She is available 24/7 to discuss any urgent matters.

BEng (Hons) Biomedical Materials Science & Engineering - Queen Mary College
PhD (Eng) Materials Science & Engineering - Queen Mary College, University of London
Chartered Engineer (CEng) awarded by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
MFSSoc Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences
FIMMM Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining

Gareth started his career in engineering with an industrial placement during his third year at Loughborough University. The twelve months were spent working for Xerox as a Systems Engineer where he undertook a wide range of engineering work as well as developing a system to monitor paper control timings for a paper transport module. As part of his placement he spent five months working in Venray, Netherlands, integrating new products into the manufacturing line. On completion of his placement he received a bursary from Xerox for the final two years of his degree. His final year project was sponsored by Xerox and investigated “The environmental effects on glass reinforced plastic”.

After completing his degree Gareth joined Xerox on their Graduate Engineering programme based in Welwyn Garden City. During his five years at Xerox, Gareth obtained a wealth of experiences in both the mechanical and software aspects of engineering. He started working in the Mechanical group where he was the lead engineer on a paper handling module.

This was followed up by two long term assignments to Senai, Malaysia and Wilsonville, USA. During his third year at Xerox Gareth undertook a conversion course in Software Engineering. The skills learnt on this course opened the door for Gareth to take on the role of Integration Engineer on a new Xerox product using prototype solid ink technology. During his last year at Xerox Gareth worked as a Project Engineer with responsibility for the implementation and integration of software and hardware for controllers of Xerox products manufactured in Southern Malaysia and Singapore. This role resulted in his second assignment to Senai, Malaysia.

During his time at Xerox Gareth gained Chartered status at the IMechE. He is also a Green Belt in Electro-mechanical and Software DfLSS and a qualified Scrum Master. In his last year at Xerox he was also awarded a place on Xerox’s Business Seminar Scheme.

Gareth joined Hawkins in 2011 and has since investigated fires in domestic and commercial premises as well as engineering failures.

Gareth is a Principal Associate and Regional Manager based in our London Office.

LANGUAGES

Gareth is also proficient in Spanish.

MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering - Loughborough University
CEng Chartered Engineer - Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers
DIS Diploma in Industrial Studies
MIMechE Member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers
FEABHAS Software Conversion Training
University of Edinburgh Fire Science and Fire Investigation Course

Ian started his career working for Aspen Burrow Crocker on a variety of civil engineering projects. He was involved in the design of numerous highway and infrastructure schemes, waste transfer stations and the Thameslink rail project. He has also spent time supervising construction work on site including a year working at wastewater treatment plants. In 1999, Ian joined Hyder Consulting where he spent 11 years working predominantly on the design and project management of major infrastructure projects including the N5 in Ireland, the A2 widening in Kent and the A421 improvements in Bedfordshire.

Ian joined Hawkins in 2010, specialising in the investigation of property damage and personal injuries involving civil engineering and building incidents. He is also an experienced fire investigator, having investigated over 200 fires including major and complex losses in domestic, commercial and industrial premises.

In his specialist field of engineering, Ian has determined the causes of a wide range of losses from small domestic claims of water ingress through to catastrophic building collapses. Other examples of incidents that Ian has investigated include wall failures, subsidence, flooding and problems associated with ground-borne vibration. Much of this work has involved advising on matters in relation to the requirements of Building Regulations and relevant design standards.

Ian is the Regional Manager of the Reigate office.

MEng (distinction) Civil Engineering - University of Surrey (1995)
CEng Chartered Engineer (2001)
MICE Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers

Ian started his career working for Aspen Burrow Crocker on a variety of civil engineering projects. He was involved in the design of numerous highway and infrastructure schemes, waste transfer stations and the Thameslink rail project. He has also spent time supervising construction work on site including a year working at wastewater treatment plants. In 1999, Ian joined Hyder Consulting where he spent 11 years working predominantly on the design and project management of major infrastructure projects including the N5 in Ireland, the A2 widening in Kent and the A421 improvements in Bedfordshire.

Ian joined Hawkins in 2010, specialising in the investigation of property damage and personal injuries involving civil engineering and building incidents. He is also an experienced fire investigator, having investigated over 200 fires including major and complex losses in domestic, commercial and industrial premises.

In his specialist field of engineering, Ian has determined the causes of a wide range of losses from small domestic claims of water ingress through to catastrophic building collapses. Other examples of incidents that Ian has investigated include wall failures, subsidence, flooding and problems associated with ground-borne vibration. Much of this work has involved advising on matters in relation to the requirements of Building Regulations and relevant design standards.

Ian is the Regional Manager of the Reigate office.

MEng (distinction) Civil Engineering - University of Surrey (1995)
CEng Chartered Engineer (2001)
MICE Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers

After completing a PhD at the University of Sydney, Jake joined the National Measurement Institute of Australia producing certified analytical reference materials. He then took a Post Doctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Warwick, performing chemical synthesis and analysis for a wide variety of projects.

In 2006 Jake joined the Forensic Science Service as a Researcher and then R&D Science Manager in the physical sciences. He led progress in the analytical sciences (in particular the toxicology & illicit drug testing fields) and drove the development and implementation of quality assurance standards at a European level. Jake also worked on many collaborative projects with universities and other research organisations. Since joining Hawkins in 2012 as a fire investigator, Jake has investigated many fire scenes from small domestic losses to large commercial losses. More recently Jake has also investigated chemical, post-fire and post-flood contamination events.

Jake is currently a Principal Associate and Regional Manager of our Birmingham office.

BSc Chemistry - Massey University, New Zealand
MSc Chemistry - Massey University, New Zealand
PhD Chemistry - University of Sydney, Australia
MRSC Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
MACS Member of the American Chemical Society

An Intel scholar, John graduated with a 1st Class Honours Degree in Mechanical Engineering from University College Dublin, Ireland in 2000. As part of his degree he developed an automatic moisture sensor for use in the peat industry for which he was awarded the Hewlett Packard national award for innovation in engineering.

After a brief period with Schlumberger Oilfield Services in Peru, John returned to Ireland to take up a position with Teradyne Connection Systems, before joining Timoney Technology as a mechanical design engineer, where he specialised in the design and development of Hydropneumatic Suspension Systems for specialty off road vehicles. In this role he also gained considerable experience with computer aided engineering techniques such as Finite Element Analysis and Vehicle Multi-body Dynamic Analysis.

John was appointed engineering manager with Timoney Technology and took over full technical responsibility for all engineering projects and products. Projects of note include the DARPA Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle, the USMC Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Vehicle and the Timoney ADT Independent Suspension Axle System manufactured under licence by Terex Equipment Ltd.

John was also involved with the Ginaf Rally Power and DeRooy race teams for the 2007 Dakar Rally and has numerous automotive suspension patents filed in his name.

John specialises in the investigation of fires, explosions, escapes of fluid, engineering failures, personal injuries – particularly those involving plant and machinery, building damage resulting from water ingress, and road traffic accidents. His level of experience in the design of heavy-duty off-road vehicles gives him a unique insight into incidents involving HGVs.

John has a detailed knowledge of the health and safety regulatory framework in the UK and of how relevant regulations apply to the design, development, provision and use of plant and machinery in industry. Since joining Hawkins, he has investigated over 700 incidents, ranging from small domestic losses to major and complex incidents involving serious injuries and fatalities. He has produced expert reports for Pursuers and Defenders and has given expert evidence in the Court of Session and in the Sheriff Courts. He has also been appointed, via the National Crime Agency, to assist Police Scotland in criminal investigations and has prepared reports for criminal defence lawyers. He is known for his attention to detail, his pragmatic approach, and his ability to explain complex engineering matters in a way that is clear and easy for non-technical readers to understand.

John presents regularly on topics such as the forensic investigation of fires and escapes of water, as well as on health and safety related topics, at events organised by the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters, the Chartered Insurance Institute, insurance companies and law firms.

BE (Hons) Mechanical Engineering - University College Dublin, 2000
CEng Chartered Engineer
MIMechE Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Jonathan’s engineering career began at Morganite Thermal Ceramics. Here he ran projects to develop a non-destructive testing technique for their foundry ceramic products, as well as a new product with very high thermal shock resistance.

Jonathan joined BAE SYSTEMS in 2000 as an engineer in the Advanced Technology Centre, Stealth Materials Group. He ran development and application engineering projects there, mostly using elastomeric and composite materials as radar absorbent or transparent media. These were applied to military aircraft, ships and vehicles. This work enabled him to develop strong project management skills and in his last year he led a team of engineers and scientists in developing a sprayable, radar absorbent coating for aircrafts.

In 2003 Jonathan joined Cytec Engineered Materials, where he ran qualification testing programmes for aerospace composite materials and provided technical advice and assistance to customers, particularly in relation to processing issues. His customers included Airbus, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, with whom he worked to incorporate advanced, recently developed materials into their aircraft structures.

Jonathan joined Hawkins in January 2007, where he trained in the investigation of fires and explosions to add to his engineering expertise. Jonathan has now been involved with a broad range of forensic engineering investigations, including materials failures, escapes of water and other fluids, personal injury cases, property break-ins and component failures in machinery and appliances. He specialises in materials issues, particularly with composites and non-metals. He has investigated numerous fires and explosions in residential, commercial and industrial premises.

Jonathan has experience with the legal process and has been involved in producing statements and giving advice to the Police, loss adjusters, lawyers and the Fire Service. He has given expert witness evidence in Court.

Jonathan is a Principal Associate and the Regional Manager of our Manchester Office.

BEng (Hons) Materials Engineering - Loughborough University
CEng Chartered Engineer
MIMMM Professional Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
Recipient of the Cardiff University Law School Bond Solon Expert Witness Certificate

After completing his degree in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield, Mark worked as a Project Engineer at one of the UK’s leading engineering investigation companies. Specialising in non-destructive investigation techniques Mark worked within a wide range of civil engineering environments, which included carrying out detailed electromagnetic surveys of roads, railways and structures for most of the UK’s leading engineering consultancies and contractors. Mark then led a team of technicians specialising in the testing of deep pile foundations before working as a site engineer for a piling contractor involved mainly in limited access applications.

Following his time working in construction, Mark decided investigation work was where his skills were best applied and he joined Hawkins in 2008 as a fire investigator. He has since investigated over 1000 fires, ranging from small domestic incidents to large multi-million pound losses. In 2011 Mark completed a Masters degree in Fire and Explosion Engineering at the University of Leeds and is now a Principal Associate and Regional Manager of our Cambridge office.

BEng (Hons) Materials Science and Engineering - University of Sheffield
MSc Fire and Explosion Engineering - University of Leeds

Paul is a full-time specialist in the niche area of slips, trips and stair fall incident investigation, and leads Hawkins’ work in this area. He is a sought-after Expert Witness in this field, regularly preparing reports and giving evidence in Court.

He was part of the small HSE team that developed HSE’s early understanding of the causes of pedestrian slips, trips and stair falls. Paul’s work at HSE’s Laboratories (HSL) involved leading and coordinating research in these subject areas, and led to him serving as HSE’s principal Expert Witness for cases involving pedestrian accidents, presenting evidence to Magistrates’ Courts, Crown Courts and at Coroner’s Inquests.

On becoming HSL’s Research Technical Leader for slips, trips and stair falls, Paul continued to lead HSL’s research into these subjects, including their input into a large pan-European research project and managing the two largest research projects into slips and falls ever undertaken by HSE. He maintained responsibility for the authorisation of HSL’s slip, trip and stair fall forensic reports and represented HSE on several British Standards Committees, taking part in the production of numerous HSE Guidance documents and National Standards (such as BS7976-2 and BS5395-1) concerning slips, trips and stair falls.

He has developed a substantial list of publications in this subject area, is a long-standing, active Member of the UK Slip Resistance Group (UKSRG) and was the Editor of Issue 5 of the UKSRG Guidelines. He is a Chartered Scientist, a Chartered Physicist and a Fellow of the Institute of Science & Technology.

Paul joined Hawkins in 2009, and is a Principal Associate and Regional Manager of our Leeds and Glasgow offices.

BSc (Hons) Engineering Physics
PhD The Microstructure of Organic Polymer Gas Sensors
CSci Chartered Scientist
CPhys Chartered Physicist
FIScT Fellow of the Institute of Science & Technology
MCSFS Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences
MInstP Member of the Institute of Physics
AMIMechE Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Paul is a full-time specialist in the niche area of slips, trips and stair fall incident investigation, and leads Hawkins’ work in this area. He is a sought-after Expert Witness in this field, regularly preparing reports and giving evidence in Court.

He was part of the small HSE team that developed HSE’s early understanding of the causes of pedestrian slips, trips and stair falls. Paul’s work at HSE’s Laboratories (HSL) involved leading and coordinating research in these subject areas, and led to him serving as HSE’s principal Expert Witness for cases involving pedestrian accidents, presenting evidence to Magistrates’ Courts, Crown Courts and at Coroner’s Inquests.

On becoming HSL’s Research Technical Leader for slips, trips and stair falls, Paul continued to lead HSL’s research into these subjects, including their input into a large pan-European research project and managing the two largest research projects into slips and falls ever undertaken by HSE. He maintained responsibility for the authorisation of HSL’s slip, trip and stair fall forensic reports and represented HSE on several British Standards Committees, taking part in the production of numerous HSE Guidance documents and National Standards (such as BS7976-2 and BS5395-1) concerning slips, trips and stair falls.

He has developed a substantial list of publications in this subject area, is a long-standing, active Member of the UK Slip Resistance Group (UKSRG) and was the Editor of Issue 5 of the UKSRG Guidelines. He is a Chartered Scientist, a Chartered Physicist and a Fellow of the Institute of Science & Technology.

Paul joined Hawkins in 2009, and is a Principal Associate and Regional Manager of our Leeds Office.

BSc (Hons) Engineering Physics
PhD The Microstructure of Organic Polymer Gas Sensors
CSci Chartered Scientist
CPhys Chartered Physicist
FIScT Fellow of the Institute of Science & Technology
MCSFS Member of the Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences
MInstP Member of the Institute of Physics
AMIMechE Associate Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Jari began his career in forensic investigation in 2017 as a Trainee Process Engineer while completing his BSc thesis at LFoundry, a 200 mm semiconductor manufacturer. His research focused on characterising volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination in the photolithography area. Using TD-GC/MS and thermal outgassing analyses on silicon wafers manufactured in the cleanroom, he identified the source of contamination and developed a mitigation strategy to manage and reduce it, contributing to significant potential cost savings.

During his Master’s degree, Jari participated in an exchange programme at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), where he developed a mathematical resilience indicator to analyse the vulnerability of hazardous industrial installations to domino effects triggered by intentional and unintentional events. His work combined resilience assessment with cost-effectiveness analysis to support optimal recovery strategies for chemical industrial clusters following major incidents.

Jari has extensive experience as a forensic engineer for major insurance companies, providing expert technical consultancy (CTP) in both civil and criminal proceedings. He has conducted over 400 investigations involving fires and explosions, both in Italy and further afield. These cases ranged from small domestic incidents to multi-million-euro losses affecting retail premises, warehouses, process plants, factories, photovoltaic installations, wind turbines, and wildland areas. His work included analyses using FDS (Fire Dynamics Simulator) and arson fire investigations.

Jari also has experience reconstructing road traffic collisions, including vehicle examinations and 3D simulations with dynamic analysis using PC-Crash software.

He joined Hawkins in October 2025 as an Associate, based in our Italy office.

LANGUAGES

Jari is fluent in both English and Italian.

BSc – Industrial Engineering – University of L’Aquila
MSc – Chemical and Process Engineering – University of Bologna
CEng – Chartered Engineer Italy- Industrial Engineering (Section A)
Fire Safety Engineer (Registered in the Italian Ministry of the Interior)
Member of the European Association of Fire Investigators (E-AFI)
Member of the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI)
Fire Investigation Technician – International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI-FIT)