Meet your aerospace defence experts

Tony Burnell

Chief Executive Officer

Tony joined the RAF in 1991 and, amongst other senior positions, worked as an anti-submarine warfare and signals intelligence specialist. After leaving the service in 2012, Tony founded METIS Aerospace to provide technical advice to the military.  Initial success in this field led to investment in research and development.  In 2014, Tony and the METIS team began developing SKYPERION and HYPERION.  As CEO, Tony has prime responsibility for all major corporate decisions and oversees the daily operational management and direction of the company.

@Tony Burnell - MSc AFRIN

Helen Hives

Chief Operating Officer

Helen specialises in Intellectual Property law. Combining her extensive commercial experience with her legal acumen, Helen oversees all aspects of METIS’s business, from operational matters to the contractual, adeptly balancing the need for commercial pragmatism with the importance of minimising legal risk.

@ Helen Hives

Ben Hewitt

Head of Sales and Marketing

Ben joined Metis in August 2025 as Head of Sales and Marketing, responsible for driving new business across the company’s portfolio. He has an extensive career in Counter-Uncrewed Aircraft Systems, initially within the MoD and later in industry with Leonardo UK and Operational Solutions Ltd. Ben’s 13 years in the RAF Regiment included numerous operational tours, delivering training to regular and reserve forces, and culminated in commanding elements of the UK MoD’s C-UAS capability on deployments around the world.

@Ben Hewitt