Project Leads
Madelaine Dowd
CEO and Founder
Madelaine has devoted her career to using design to save lives, channeling this passion to create Helm Innovation. With years of first hand experience in researching disaster zones, Madeleine's work has already been acknowledged by the United Nations. She is an advisor for the ICOMOS Disaster Preparedness committee and lectures around the UK about the potential impact of Social Design Innovation.
Josh Chidwick
CTO and Lead Design Engineer
Josh is always looking to create solutions to complex problems. Through his engineering knowledge and creative thinking, he is able to produce high quality and impactful designs. He is well equipped with a wide range of prototyping and manufacturing skills that enable Helm to create first class industry standard designs. He has worked with several award winning start-ups including Mitt and Zelp, turning their concepts into market ready designs.
Christopher Sim
Head of Strategy, Planning & Operations
Christopher brings a wealth of commercial knowledge and experience having worked with a range of blue chips, SMEs and Startups prior to Helm. His skills in market research and analysis, commercial assessments and modelling provide invaluable insights into our designs and products, ensuring that they are commercially successful and reach their full potential. Christopher is also the founder of Bull & Bear Financial, a boutique consultancy for SMEs and Startups.
Helm Official Advisors
Captain Don Cockrill MBE CMMar FNI
Retired Secretary General, UK Maritime Pilots’ Association
Following eighteen years of a commercial seafaring career during which he progressed from cadet to master specialising in petro-chemicals, he joined the Port of London Authority as a pilot in 1991, from where he retired in December 2019.
Currently and throughout almost all of his pilotage career he has been involved one way or another in the administration and work of the United Kingdom Maritime Pilots’ Association, most recently in the role of Secretary General. He represents the International Maritime Pilots’ Association in a number of PIANC working groups and as IMPA’s partnership representative on PIANC’s Navigating a Changing Climate coalition committee.
A Chartered Master Mariner and a younger brother of Trinity House, Don was awarded an MBE in the 2017 New Year’s Honours for voluntary services to Maritime Pilotage and the Port Industry.
He is passionate about the promotion of safety issues and the maintenance of the highest professional standards. His significant lifelong experience and associated expertise in maritime operations within the ports and shipping industries is widely sought after. Most recently that involves implications for port shipping navigation arising from the development of autonomous vessels (MASS) and also the inevitable effects of climate change on port operations.
Captain Michael Potts
Managing Director at Cambridge Maritime Limited
A senior maritime professional with an extensive auditing back ground and considerable experience gained with leading international organisations. Expertise in auditing, operational safety, environmental provisions and driving projects through to a timely conclusion. Extensive operational experience in various ship handling roles. Able to analyse and interpret operational, HSSE and commercial requirements, focus clearly on objectives, provide meaningful and innovative input and motivation to drive tasks through within budget. Strong team building, leadership, project and man management skills.
Employment History: Managing Director Cambridge Maritime Limited, Quality Audit Manager Shell International, General Manager Videotel Marine International, Director HSSE British Standards Institute/Inspectorate, Safety Manager/Trainer World-Wide Shipping, Safety Liaison Manager STASCo/MISC LNG Japan, SIRE Inspector, Master Mariner"
Lt Cdr David Carter MNM
The Royal Navy’s Merchant Navy Liaison Officer
Lieutenant Commander RNR Amphibious Warfare seconded to the Royal Navy’s Maritime Warfare School, Warfare Training Group, Maritime Trade Operations at HMS COLLINGWOOD, Hampshire, United Kingdom.
Master Mariner and LNG carrier Master with 34 years at sea and 16 in command. Full career with a major multi national until 2012 then mixed part time LNG Master with an independent and also on amphibious warfare exercises with the Royal Navy as an RNR reservist. Read Law at Leeds in the 1990s and obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree. Younger Brother of The Corporation of Trinity House. Member of the Nautical Institute. Seconded to The Royal Navy as The Royal Navy's Merchant Navy Liaison Officer on Full Commitment Full Time Reserve Service and promoted Lieutenant Commander in October 2014.