ABOUT AVANTIS PERFORMANCE

Tony co-founded Avantis with the vision of helping all organisation improve their performance and increase the value they generate. Graduating from the University of Bristol with a Masters in Aeronautical Engineering, he used his analytical mindset to grow and run a £16m per annum Defence Digital portfolio. The account growth and profitability were significant contributors to VIMA’s high value sale to KBR in 2022.

He has over 17 years’ experience of delivering client facing Defence and engineering projects including: £20bn+ cost estimates into a major defence design & procurement programme, contributing to saving £150m (30%) over 4 years in a defence equipment support programme, establishing and maturing PMOs and redesigning the Governance of a government IT department. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Certified Cost Estimator/Analyst (ICEAA).

Married, with 2 daughters, Tony lives near Bath. He enjoys cycling, astrophotography and watching rugby. He is a Parish Councillor and a Governor of the local primary school.

Avantis Co-Founder Sam Crowder is a passionate believer that people are the heart of any business.

As the Head of People and Organisational Development at VIMA Group Sam developed and implemented a People Strategy that saw VIMA grow from 10 to over 150 staff in just four years with a staff turnover of less than 7%.

Sam has had a varied and interesting career working on a range of projects including air to air refuelling tankers, complex weapons systems, maritime navigation aids, marketing campaigns, closing down PFI contracts, acquisitions, mergers and growing multi million-pound businesses. Working across the public and private sectors for large and small organisations.

Sam has a BSc in Astrophysics and an MSc in Aerospace Engineering. He has gone onto become a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) and gain qualifications in Leadership Coaching and Mentoring as well as Project and Programme Management.

He lives in the South-West of England with his family where he enjoys cycling, spending time with his two sons and supporting his local rugby club.

Consultant Finlay McEwan was drawn to Avantis having previously worked with Tony and Sam at VIMA. Seeing first hand the success and enjoyment that a values focused business can achieve Finlay wanted to help build the next iteration.

A Managing Consultant at VIMA (later part of Frazer Nash Consultancy), Finlay supported the development of key new opportunities and the growth of existing contracts. He did this through the provision of valuable insights that supported decision making and the delivery of P3M capabilities. He enjoys solving problems and supporting others to develop professional skills and further their career.

Finlay has experience working on a variety of projects across the Oil and Gas and Defence Sectors including offshore decommissioning campaigns, complex manufacturing , digital transformation and development of government skills frameworks.

Finlay has a MEng in Mechanical and Offshore Engineering and is committed to continuous development through personal study and attainment of recognised qualifications.

Finlay lives in Bristol with his Fiancée and enjoys training for novice strongman events, snowboarding and exploring Bristol restaurants.

A former senior leader at VIMA Group, Consultant Jim Brennan is delighted to have the opportunity to work with Tony and Sam again at Avantis Performance.

A vastly experience Consultant and Capability Leader Jim is a qualified P3M, Control Account Manager and Learning & Development (L&D) professional with over a decade of experience working across a variety of secure and public sector environments. Areas of expertise include Organisational Change Programmes, Information Technology (IT) including Cryptographic Security, Nuclear and Unmanned Air Systems.

Jims’s passion is L&D in professional environments. He has set up and run highly successful L&D capabilities and delivered several Early Careers (Graduate Programmes) receiving 3* recognition for his work with the MoD client.

Jim is a British Army veteran who had a successful career which spanned 24yrs. He now lives in Berkshire with his wife and two young children and enjoys family life to the full and is an avid Liverpool FC supporter.

Kate was eager to join Avantis to reunite with her trusted former colleagues from VIMA, and contribute to the growth of Avantis.

Kate has over eighteen years of experience in delivering technical and business transformation programmes across secure and public sector environments. She excels at understanding client challenges and applying appropriate governance processes to manage solutions. Her passion for helping clients succeed is evident in her personable, supportive, and professional style.

As a P3M Group Leader at Frazer Nash Consultancy, she played a key role in developing P3M capability and supporting professional development of others.

Kate is married with two young children and enjoys traveling, cooking, and exploring the countryside.