About Us
Simon Chelton
Managing Director
A Japanese speaker who has been working with Japan since 1987, Simon is a graduate of the National Institute for Defence Studies in Tokyo, and was the UK Defence Attaché in Tokyo between 2003 and 2007. From 2009 to 2012 he was Vice President for Corporate and Business Development North East Asia in BAE Systems, and was involved in the creation of new industrial relationships and connections, in support of a strategic initiative to work more closely with Japan. Whilst at BAE Systems, he was also a Director of the UK/Japan 21st Century Group, a top-level bilateral government advisory group. In February 2012, he created Cheltons Consulting Ltd, working with companies to take advantage of the new collaboration opportunities emerging between the UK and Japan. He is also an Associate Fellow of RUSI, with a focus on Japan.
Dylan Monaghan
Living in Japan since 1993, Dylan has worked at all levels with Japanese businesses, the Self Defence Forces, US and other foreign militaries, diplomats, and senior officials in support of security objectives within the Asia Pacific Region. A former Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force with expertise in US Foreign Military Sales and security cooperation, Dylan is a fluent Japanese speaker and writer published in the Nikkei Business Online Journal. With considerable experience of successful sales and partnership with Japanese defence industry he has a deep insight into the workings of business in Japan. He was the in-country US government representative for Japan’s fighter aircraft competition that resulted in Japan’s selection of the F-35. Dylan is currently a director of the Tama-Tokyo US Japan Association and a member of the Japan-America Air Force Goodwill Association. He advises Japanese business on ways to grow their productivity as a Senior Performance Consultant at Dale Carnegie Training Japan.
Peter McDermott AM CSC
Peter served for over 40 years with the RAAF, retiring from active service in 2003 with the rank of Air Commodore, and then serving as a reservist as the Director-General of RAAF Reserves. Career highlights were the command of the Australian Defence College, founding Commandant of the Australian Command and Staff College and Defence Attache to Japan. His work in Japan was recognised with the award of the Conspicuous Service Cross and his thesis written during attendance at the Japanese Institute of National Defense Studies was published in Japanese and used as input into Japanese defence engagement policy. He is well-connected with the Defence Establishment in Canberra, initially as Adjunct Professor of Defence Management at the University of Canberra, and from 2009 until the present as National Secretary of the Royal United Services Institute of Australia and President of the RAAF Association (ACT Division). He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Dr.Eng. Hiroyuki Motoyama, Captain, JMSDF(Retired)
Captain Motoyama, served in the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) for more than thirty years until 2020. He spent many years in research and development and ship design as a technical officer and also served as an instructor in the Science and Engineering Department of the National Defence Academy and the Technology Department of JMSDF 2nd Service School. In research and development, he was awarded a Doctor of Engineering for research in the fields of structure and materials. He achieved various new results in ship hull structure and materials, propulsion systems and submarine design. He completed his last official position as the Chief Designer of Japan’s ‘Taigei’ class submarine, which is still entering service.
Patrick Carroll
Patrick Carroll has lived in Japan since 1983 and is a fluent Japanese speaker. He has been Representative Director of GEC Marconi (Japan) then BAE Systems (Japan) and President of Airbus Japan KK. He was seconded to the Royal Navy as project interpreter for the Maritime Self Defence Forces 07MSC minesweeper project and deployed on the initial vessels to ensure a smooth introduction into service. He is a Flight Instructor who has operated 3 aircraft in Japan and in Asia. He currently runs an aerospace consultancy.
Nozomu Yoshitomi
Major General Yoshitomi spent more than thirty years in the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF) until 2015. He served as a field artillery officer, an intelligence analyst, and an instructor/researcher. His assignments included Chief of Division for Strategy/Concept, JGSDF Research and Development Command, Professor of the School of Defence Sciences at the National Defence Academy of Japan, Commander of the 1st Surface to Ship Missile Regiment, JGSDF and Councillor of the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office. Now a Professor at Nihon University, his research covers a wide range of issues including Japan’s defence strategy, JGSDF’s defence posture, and civil-military collaboration in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. He has published many papers and articles both in Japanese and English on these issues. His recent focus is the collaboration between Japan and UK on military operations and technologies.
Tony Graham MSc, CEng, MBA, FRINA, FICCPM, FREng, RCNC
Tony Graham achieved a very successful track record in Engineering and Programme/Project Management inside the Ministry of Defence over a 34+ year career. Tony trained as a naval constructor and achieved the rank of Constructor Rear Admiral, the first to hold such a high title since the Second World War alongside his full title as Head of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors. Whilst, he well known for his leadership of the Battlefield Infrastructure team during OP TELIC (Iraq War) and his turnaround of both the Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary) project and the MARS Fleet Tanker project; it is his sustainment of the Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier programme over a highly challenging seven-year period for which he is perhaps best known. Constructor Rear Admiral Tony Graham led the UK/Japan naval technical talks for four years. He is presently the Chairman of UKNEST, Director of Bluewater Portfolio Ltd and a Non-Executive Director of both Cammell Laird and Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited. Tony is also currently acting as the Cammell Laird T31e Frigate Project Director.
Oliver Clark
Oliver served as a British Army Officer from 2011 to 2025 and worked across various fields such as logistics, crisis response, intelligence and defence diplomacy. Oliver is a fluent Japanese speaker who was the first British Officer to attend the JGSDF Command & Staff Course. From 2017 Oliver served as the UK Deputy Defence Attaché in Tokyo and was heavily involved in establishing the first bilateral UK-Japan land exercise in Japan. He served as a UK liaison officer to the Japanese Ministry of Defense for 3 years where he contributed towards the development of strategic relationships between both countries. Oliver holds a BA in Japanese Studies from the University of Sheffield and an MBA from Durham University Business School.
