Michael Sykes

Michael Sykes is a Principal Engineer and Software Project Lead at MBDA, leading an agile software engineering team focused on sensitive project delivery since October 2025. Prior experience includes serving as an Advanced Engineer at Vertical Aerospace, where development of a multi-application web platform significantly improved telemetry data analysis efficiency, and engineering tools to enhance data verification processes. At Airbus, Michael held the position of Advanced Professional, implementing crucial updates to the A350 braking and steering systems while deploying data analytics pipelines to address system safety risks. Prior roles at Thales as a Lead Systems Engineer and Rolls-Royce as a Project Engineer involved leading teams and cross-functional integration for radar and engine systems, respectively. Michael began his career at Airbus as a Structural Analysis Engineer, focusing on stress analysis and structural design for the A350. Michael holds a Master of Engineering from the University of Bristol, obtained in 2008.