We are delighted to congratulate Colin Harley, Senior Associate at Shirley Parsons, on being awarded the 2025 John Bullock Quality Ambassador Award by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD).
This prestigious recognition highlights Colin’s exceptional commitment to advancing quality across the defence sector and his long-standing dedication to mentoring, collaboration and continuous improvement.
The MOD Quality Awards, sponsored by the Chartered Quality Institute (CQI), celebrate individuals and teams who deliver significant business benefits through a quality-driven approach. Receiving the John Bullock Quality Ambassador Award is a testament to Colin’s reputation as a role model, someone who goes above and beyond to embed positive cultures, coach and mentor others, and champion best practice that drives meaningful outcomes.
A career defined by Quality and leadership.
With over 50 years of experience in quality, health & safety, and environmental management systems, Colin has built a distinguished career across the petrochemical, nuclear, defence, infrastructure, manufacturing, and process industries. His senior leadership roles, including Director of Quality and QHSE Director within global organisations such as KBR (formerly Brown and Root) and Bechtel, have placed him at the forefront of some of the UK’s and the world’s most complex engineering and infrastructure programmes.
Colin has contributed to major high-profile projects including the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, the Devonport Redevelopment Team, and significant North Sea and Middle East oil and gas projects for leading international operators. His ability to foster collaboration across multi-company environments and deliver robust management systems has consistently enabled teams to achieve outcomes on projects of exceptional scale and complexity.
Notably, during his tenure as QSHE Director for the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, Colin introduced process improvements and behaviours that reduced waste, delivered major cost savings, and helped set new standards for quality in UK shipbuilding.
Beyond project delivery, Colin continues to share his expertise across the defence supply chain through mentoring, advisory work, and regular podcast contributions, shaping the next generation of quality leaders.
He says:
“I am fortunate to have been given the opportunities to flourish in my career by some of the best leaders in their respective fields. By their leadership they have provided me with the encouragement, responsibility and authority to develop in ways that I would not have thought possible. I have enjoyed a varied and satisfying career and my recent involvement with the CQI Defence Network means I can, hopefully, give something back’ and provide others with the benefit of my experiences. As a Senior Associate with Shirley Parsons I, with the team of other Senior Associates, strongly believe that we can provide support across the industry sectors that we engage with.”
A valued leader within Shirley Parsons’ Consulting network.
Colin is a key part of our Quality Consulting practice and one of the industry leaders who helps shape our “right first time” service delivery for clients. His depth of knowledge, calm authority, and collaborative style exemplify the values that underpin our consulting offering.
Managing Consultant Jonny Montgomery says:
“Colin’s contribution to our business has been outstanding. His depth of experience and calm, authoritative leadership continually raises the standard of what we deliver for clients. Having industry leaders like Colin embedded within our consulting teams ensures our work is grounded in real-world insight and proven best practice. Quality-driven leadership is central to our approach at Shirley Parsons, and Colin embodies this. His ability to mentor others and champion excellence strengthens our capability and helps our clients achieve consistently exceptional outcomes.”
Celebrating excellence in Quality.
Shirley Parsons is incredibly proud to see Colin recognised at a national level for his contribution to quality in defence. His award reflects not only his personal commitment but also the impact of quality professionals who champion better ways of working, inspire teams, and help organisations deliver safer, more efficient and more resilient outcomes.
We look forward to sharing more of Colin’s insights and continuing to support the development of quality leadership across the industries we serve.
