About Blast EcoShield Ltd
Our Story
Blast EcoShield began with Dr Hazael's research into how engineered natural systems might influence blast and impact events in the urban environment. Those early ideas were then shaped and tested through collaboration; drawing on the teams operational experience from decades of working in safety-critical environments, where evidence, judgement and accountability matter. By bringing theory and practice together, Blast EcoShield explores careful, responsible ways to improve safety and resilience while supporting more sustainable designs.
Our Founder and Chief Technology Officer; Dr Rachael Hazael CEng
Rachael is a Reader in Applied Materials at Cranfield University and an internationally recognised expert in blast phenomena and material response, with over 60 peer-reviewed academic publications in the field. She graduated from University College London (UCL) with a PhD in Chemistry, where her research laid the foundations for her work at the intersection of materials science and explosive effects.
Rachael combines academic rigour with practical engineering insight. A Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), she has worked alongside specialist agencies across government to improve safety in both public and critical infrastructure domains, contributing technical expertise to complex, safety-critical challenges.
Her work is underpinned by a strong personal commitment to ensuring that protective engineering is not only technically effective, but also responsible and sustainable. In 2025, she was named in the prestigious Top 50 Women in Engineering awards. She was also shortlisted for the Women in Defence Awards 2022 (Research and Innovation) and was a finalist in the Women in Engineering Awards in the Safety and Security category.
Our Chief Executive Officer; Dr Gareth Collett CBE, CEng, Hon. FIExpE
Gareth brings a wealth of practical and academic experience in explosives threat reduction to Blast EcoShield. His specific areas of expertise are blast and fragmentation mitigation, the optimisation of venue security to counter the threat of explosive violence, and the assurance of such products to the customer.
Gareth is a former senior British Army officer and Diplomat, whose 35-year career spanned multiple global conflict zones, including Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, and several lesser-known theatres of operation. Rising to become the head of the United Kingdom’s bomb disposal profession, he led some of the world’s most skilled teams in confronting and mitigating the evolving nature of explosive violence. He was awarded CBE in 2013 for his life-saving contributions to blast mitigation in Afghanistan, and the provision of specialist threat mitigation to the 2012 Olympics.
After retiring from the Army in 2018, Gareth continued his commitment to global safety and assurance as the United Nations’ Chief Technical Advisor on weapons abatement. Over four years, he worked extensively across fragile environments to reduce the risks posed by exploded remnants of war, improvised explosive devices, and to optimise force protection. Today, he serves as a Director in Higher Education, where his focus is on rebuilding national capacity in the energetics industry - supporting the safe innovation, production, and management of explosive materials.
With a Doctorate in Defence & Security, Gareth provides specialist advice to organisations such as Action on Armed Violence and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and contributes to war crimes investigations involving explosive violence.
Our Chief Operations Officer; Edward Clinton MBE, CEng, FIExpE
Edward is the former Head of the British Army’s Explosive Engineers, representing a cadre of approximately 450 specialist engineers. With over 20 years of experience in global Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operations, he was awarded the Queens Commendation for Bravery in 2016. He has operated at the highest levels of technical and strategic responsibility within safety-critical environments.
Edward completed the MSc in Explosive Ordnance Engineering at Cranfield University and is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow and Board Member of the Institute of Explosive Engineers. His contribution to the profession was recognised with the Harold Swinnerton Award in 2024 for impact on the explosives engineering industry, and he was subsequently awarded an MBE in 2025 for services to bomb disposal.
Throughout his career, he has worked alongside specialist agencies and international partners across the wider Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear EOD domain, contributing to capability development, assurance and professional standards in complex risk environments.
Our Advisory Board
Susan Robson MBE
Lieutenant General Sir George Norton KCVO CBE DL
Lieutenant General Sir George Norton KCVO CBE DL
Susan is an experienced strategy and innovation leader with a 25 year career spanning consulting, engineering and energy. She currently serves as Chief Executive of the Women’s Engineering Society, where she leads a national organisation focused on strengthening the engineering talent pipeline and enabling women to build influential, long
Susan is an experienced strategy and innovation leader with a 25 year career spanning consulting, engineering and energy. She currently serves as Chief Executive of the Women’s Engineering Society, where she leads a national organisation focused on strengthening the engineering talent pipeline and enabling women to build influential, long lasting careers across the sector.
Susan brings deep commercial and operational expertise developed through senior consulting roles at PwC and National Grid, where she advised on business model design, operating model transformation and largescale organisational change. Her strategic capability is underpinned by an Executive Diploma in Strategy and Innovation from Oxford Saïd Business School, equipping her with contemporary frameworks for scaling ventures, navigating disruption and building resilient, opportunity led organisations.
Across industry and the public sphere, Susan is recognised for her ability to translate complex strategic challenges into practical, high impact solutions. In engineering and energy she has built a reputation for aligning organisational design, workforce strategy and innovation to deliver growth, performance and long term value.
Beyond organisational leadership, Susan plays an influential role in shaping national policy on skills, inclusion and the future of engineering. She brings evidence, lived experience and industry insight to policymakers, ensuring that the voices of underrepresented talent inform decisions that will define the sector’s future.
Her contributions have been widely acknowledged: she is a Financial Times Champion of Women in Business, a former Sunday Times NonExecutive Director of the Year finalist, and was awarded an MBE in 2024 for services to inclusion in engineering.
Susan offers a rare combination of strategic rigour, operatingmodel expertise and sectorspecific insight. She brings a clear, practical vision for how organisations can scale sustainably, innovate confidently and build cultures where diverse talent thrives, creating the conditions for spinouts to grow with purpose, credibility and longterm impact.
Lieutenant General Sir George Norton KCVO CBE DL
Lieutenant General Sir George Norton KCVO CBE DL
Lieutenant General Sir George Norton KCVO CBE DL
Lieutenant General Sir George Norton was appointed Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies in July 2020 after an Army career which spanned 38 years and culminated in his appointment as the UK’s senior military diplomat in Brussels.
His wider military service has been primarily operational in nature, including 12 months in
Sarajev
Lieutenant General Sir George Norton was appointed Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies in July 2020 after an Army career which spanned 38 years and culminated in his appointment as the UK’s senior military diplomat in Brussels.
His wider military service has been primarily operational in nature, including 12 months in
Sarajevo in the Headquarters tasked with implementing the Dayton Peace Agreement; three tours of Afghanistan, including a year as the first UK Deputy Commander of the US 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward); and multiple deployments in Northern Ireland, most recently as the first Commander 38 (Irish) Brigade.
He was appointed General Officer Commanding London District and the Major General Commanding the Household Division in 2011. During his tenure in London he was responsible for the military ceremonial aspects of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and as Joint Military Commander (London) provided the Army’s support to the 2012 Olympic Games. He served from 2013-2016 as Deputy Commander of the NATO Rapid Deployable
Corps Italy based north of Milan, and concluded his uniformed career as the UK’s longest serving Military Representative to NATO and its final Military Representative to the European Union.
He lives near Welwyn with his German wife Lexi, with whom he has 3 daughters. He spends his spare time gardening and, amongst other things, as Deputy Chair of the National Army Museum; Lieutenant of the Tower of London; and as a Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.
Peter Shelley
Lieutenant General Sir George Norton KCVO CBE DL
Peter Shelley
Peter is and has been the founder, managing and technical director of Onepoint4 Ltd for the past seventeen years. Previously he has held posts at the Health and Safety Laboratory as Director, UK Explosives Notified Body and Head of Explosives Section. Before that head of the Explosion and Ballistic Protection section at the Home Office Sc
Peter is and has been the founder, managing and technical director of Onepoint4 Ltd for the past seventeen years. Previously he has held posts at the Health and Safety Laboratory as Director, UK Explosives Notified Body and Head of Explosives Section. Before that head of the Explosion and Ballistic Protection section at the Home Office Scientific Development Branch and various other explosives engineering posts.
Formally of the British forces, with an Honours Degree in Electronic and Electrical engineering, Peter is trained in munitions clearance IMAS Level 2 and Force Protection Engineering at Cranfield, is also a member of the Institute of Explosive Engineers and International Society of Explosives Engineers.