Regional Directors Archives - Hawkins Forensic Investigation https://www.hawkins.biz/management/regional-director/ Specialising in Forensic Investigation Wed, 04 Feb 2026 08:59:51 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://www.hawkins.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/favicon-1.png Regional Directors Archives - Hawkins Forensic Investigation https://www.hawkins.biz/management/regional-director/ 32 32 Joe Penn https://www.hawkins.biz/our-experts/joe-penn/ Wed, 19 Nov 2025 10:20:45 +0000 https://www.hawkins.biz/?post_type=leadership&p=41813 Joe is an electrical engineer with experience in power plant control systems and software engineering.

The post Joe Penn appeared first on Hawkins Forensic Investigation.

]]>

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. 

The post Joe Penn appeared first on Hawkins Forensic Investigation.

]]> John Holland https://www.hawkins.biz/our-experts/john-holland-dublin-rd/ Tue, 17 Sep 2024 10:29:08 +0000 https://www.hawkins.biz/?post_type=leadership&p=33680 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 […]

The post John Holland appeared first on Hawkins Forensic Investigation.

]]>

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.

The post John Holland appeared first on Hawkins Forensic Investigation.

]]> Sophie Parsons https://www.hawkins.biz/our-experts/sophie-parsons-rd/ Tue, 13 Feb 2024 16:45:05 +0000 https://www.hawkins.biz/?post_type=leadership&p=28265 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, […]

The post Sophie Parsons appeared first on Hawkins Forensic Investigation.

]]>

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.

The post Sophie Parsons appeared first on Hawkins Forensic Investigation.

]]> Chris Wareham https://www.hawkins.biz/our-experts/chris-wareham/ Fri, 02 Sep 2022 08:25:21 +0000 https://www.hawkins.biz/?post_type=leadership&p=8222 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 […]

The post Chris Wareham appeared first on Hawkins Forensic Investigation.

]]>

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

The post Chris Wareham appeared first on Hawkins Forensic Investigation.

]]> David Rose https://www.hawkins.biz/our-experts/david-rose/ Thu, 01 Sep 2022 11:34:03 +0000 https://www.hawkins.biz/?post_type=leadership&p=8069 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 […]

The post David Rose appeared first on Hawkins Forensic Investigation.

]]>

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

The post David Rose appeared first on Hawkins Forensic Investigation.

]]>