Team

Adam Parnell MSc BEng AFNI

Director (Maritime)

Adam has been a professional mariner all of his adult life and has gained significant experience of managing people, budgets and organisational change from a wide range of multi-disciplinary roles – both at sea and ashore – in the defence, private industry and the public sectors.

He joined the Royal Navy in 1988, initially as an Engineer officer where he gained Chartered Engineer status and held a sea-going role as Deputy Head of Department, but when appointed ashore into a teaching role, he swiftly transferred to the Operations (Warfare) branch to realise his ambition of spending more time at sea. This move was rewarded by his being appointed in command of HMS Grimsby and subsequently HMS Bangor as their Commanding Officer several years later.

Alongside his seagoing roles, Adam has also worked in the UK’s Joint Force Headquarters (where he visited 26 countries in 3 years on defence diplomacy and operational liaison visits, including working alongside the Iraqi Department of Defence and working with the United Nations in Sudan), has attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course and also worked in the Ministry of Defence, London.

In 2013 Adam decided to make the move ashore more permanent and, after a time-limited interim role as an engineer Project Manager for Babcock International, took up the post of Marine Officer and Harbour Master of Salcombe (a Local Authority port) from 2014. 

In 2018 he took on the larger challenge of running Tor Bay Harbour which includes the enclosed ports of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham – England’s largest fishing port. In all of these roles, the identification of hazards, risks and their consequences (if not properly controlled) has been vital. He is thus very well placed to continue to build on the success of his predecessor in his role as CHIRP’s Director (Maritime). 

Captain Dave Watkins MNI

Deputy Director (Maritime)

Dave enjoyed a 28 year career at sea commencing in 1976 with a cadetship at Ellerman and City Liners, eventually obtaining his Master’s CoC with Panocean Anco in 1987. His last 12 years at sea were in command on a variety of ships including VLCC’s, Cape Size, Container ships, and General cargo feeder ships.

Dave worked for 30 years at the China Navigation Company Pte. Ltd (CNCo), spending the last 14 years in Hong Kong and Singapore as Fleet Safety Security and Environmental Manager and DPA before retiring from CNCo as Fleet Quality Assurance Manager and DPA. During this time, Dave’s team were awarded the Lloyds List Asia safety award and were finalists in the Lloyds List Global safety awards.

During his time in Hong Kong, Dave served on the Hong Kong Victoria pilot’s examination board, was a member of the Pilots’ Advisory Committee and was the Vice President of the Hong Kong Nautical Institute. In 1997 Dave obtained his Pilot’s licence for the port of Jebel Ali, Dubai.Aside from Dave’s position as Deputy Director with CHIRP Maritime, he is also the Networking and Communications Director for Befrienders Worldwide, a global emotional support organization.

Captain Alan Loynd FNI FITA MCIArb

Maritime Advisor (Hong Kong)

After serving with the RFA, Alan joined the Swire Group and sailed with China Navigation and Swire Pacific Offshore. He then joined HK Salvage & Towage, where he spent 20 years as mariner, salvor and manager before founding his own consultancy in 2007. He is a founder member of the International Tugmasters Association, and served as Chairman from 2012 to 2015.

Liz Hughes OBE

Executive Director

After completing an MA and professional training in Social Work in 1988, Liz spent five years working for Social Services and charities in the UK, before moving on to work in the international development and humanitarian sectors. Assignments have taken her to the Balkans, Caucasus, West and Central Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia Pacific. Liz has spent the bulk of her career serving in charity leadership roles, joining MapAction, a humanitarian data and mapping charity, in 2013 as its Chief Executive. During this period, Liz supported the evolution of MapAction’s technical services, enabling data driven decision making for partners.

Liz has served on several Boards as a Trustee promoting professional practice and grant making. Liz was awarded an OBE in 2021 for services to humanitarian crisis operations. She lives on the Mendips with her scruffy dog, Nell.

Ged Barker

Marketing and Communications Lead

Ged is a senior communications practitioner who has specialised in working with non-profit, research and public sector organisations. 

Having begun his working life in book publishing, he ‘went digital’ project managing online courses for the University of Oxford before moving to Oxfam GB where he helped to found the Public Engagement: Innovation and Change Strategy team. From there he developed his specialism in delivering communications and stakeholder engagement for organisations working on behalf of others. 

He has over a decade of agency and client-side experience, leading communications and business development activities for non-profits, NGOs, think tanks and public sector organisations. Before CHIRP he was a management consultant specialising in public sector engagement.

Ged’s expertise encompasses communications strategy, digital and publications practice, creative services implementation, project management, data safety and organisational development.

Stephanie Dykes

Administration & Finance Manager & Company Secretary

Stephanie started her career in aviation in 2004 working for bmi British Midland as a Customer Service Agent based at London Heathrow.  After 3 years, she moved to the Flight Training Department based at the Stockley Park Training Centre working as the Flight Training Administrator and was responsible for the administration and organisation of cabin crew and flight crew training.

Stephanie joined CHIRP in May 2012 as the Administration and Cabin Crew Programme Manager. Working alongside the Chief Executive, her main responsibilities were the smooth running of the charity, as well as managing the Cabin Crew Programme.  In October 2018, she was appointed as Company Secretary for the charity and addition to her current tasks, became responsible for the governance of the charity, management accounts and the yearly financial audits as well as the annual reporting to Companies House and the Charity Commission.   

After returning from maternity leave in August 2021 in a part time capacity, she handed the role of Cabin Crew Programme Manager over to Jennifer Curran on a permanent basis. Jennifer covered the role during Stephanie’s maternity.

She has remained in post as Administration and Finance Manager and Company Secretary since her return from her second period of maternity leave in April 2024.