Defence Holdings Agrees Appointment of Chief Executive Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

24 December 2025

London, UK

Defence Holdings PLC

("Defence Holdings" or the "Company")

Defence Holdings Agrees Appointment of Chief Executive Officer

Defence Holdings PLC (LSE: ALRT), the UK-listed defence technology group, is pleased to confirm that it has agreed the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer, following the conclusion of a comprehensive and highly targeted appointment process.

As referenced in the Company's recent Operational Update, the Board had progressed to the advanced stages of a Chief Executive Officer appointment process, with a further update expected in January. The Board is pleased to confirm that the process has now concluded and that agreement has been reached ahead of that anticipated timeframe.

The new Chief Executive Officer is expected to formally move into the role in early Q2, following completion of contractual arrangements and notice period obligations associated with the appointee's current position. The Company will provide a further update once these matters are finalised.

Strategic and Commercial Context

The agreement represents a key milestone as Defence Holdings transitions from capability development into sustained delivery and commercial execution across its sovereign-AI and mission-critical defence software programmes.

The individual selected brings senior executive leadership experience across defence, national security and government-aligned technology environments, alongside a proven commercial and operational track record. Their background includes leadership of organisations operating at scale, responsibility for significant revenue growth and P&L performance, execution of complex fundraising and capital strategies, and experience across mergers, acquisitions and business transformation.

The appointee has also led large, multi-disciplinary teams delivering complex technology and infrastructure programmes within highly regulated and security-sensitive frameworks, working closely with senior government, defence and national-level stakeholders.

This combination of defence credibility, commercial execution and delivery leadership materially strengthens Defence Holdings' executive capability and provides the leadership required for the Company's next phase of delivery and scale.

Board Comment

Andy McCartney, Chief Technology Officer of Defence Holdings, commented:

"Following an extensive and highly competitive search, during which we considered a number of high-calibre candidates from across defence, national security and mission-critical technology, the Board is delighted to have reached agreement on this appointment.

This individual brings deep experience leading complex, defence-aligned organisations through delivery and scale, and we very much look forward to working with him as he joins the Company and leads the next phase of execution."

Next Steps

Further details regarding the appointment, including background and professional history, will be announced in due course once contractual and disclosure restrictions have been lifted. The appointment remains subject to the completion of customary regulatory and background checks.

With agreement reached on the appointment of a Chief Executive Officer, Defence Holdings is well positioned to further strengthen programme execution and organisational readiness as its sovereign-AI capabilities progress toward operational deployment in support of UK and allied defence requirements.

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