Leigh Smith

Leigh is an award-winning business leader with deep expertise in automotive, consulting, and vacuum technology industries.

In his most recent corporate role as a Programme Director, he leveraged extensive experience managing the entire product lifecycle from strategic inception to global launch, delivering complex products in diverse international markets. At Jaguar Land Rover, he led large-scale vehicle programmes, overseeing six models and three platforms across five global plants to introduce new Hybrid/BEV vehicles. He directed cross-cultural teams of 150+ professionals across R&D and manufacturing facilities in the UK, Slovakia, and China, balancing technical precision with operational excellence and cultural intelligence. His innovations included pioneering localization initiatives and global expansion strategies. During the 2022 semiconductor crisis, he accelerated a critical programme by nine months, ensuring production continuity despite severe supply chain disruptions.

Previously, Leigh led a technology development Centre of Excellence at Ricardo (UK) for mobile modular power solutions. This built on his cross-functional career at Edwards Vacuum (UK, Korea, and Czech Republic). During his 14 years at Edwards, he progressed through operations, manufacturing engineering, and product management in the semiconductor division before transitioning to the scientific equipment. He advanced to Chief Manufacturing Engineer, leading global industrialisation of ultra-high vacuum systems, and ultimately held a cross-functional NPI leadership role responsible for end-to-end design and industrialisation of turbomolecular pumps.