THE HEROPRENEURS AWARDS
WBS Award 2025
In partnership with Warwick Business School
This is one of our most coveted awards, delivered in collaboration with Warwick Business School (WBS). The winner of the WBS Award will receive an extraordinary 100% scholarship to pursue one of their prestigious MBA programmes.
The WBS Award is designed to recognise ambition and help individuals transition to the next stage of their career, providing them with the knowledge and skills to foster both personal and professional growth and to make a meaningful and positive impact on the world.
Meet our finalists
Hugo Mitchell-Heggs MBE
Hugo Mitchell-Heggs MBE is a Royal Navy Marine Engineering Officer who has spent the past 15 years in the Submarine Service, leading teams to operate and maintain nuclear propulsion and ship systems.
In 2018, he founded HMS Oardacious, leading a military team to row across the Atlantic Ocean in 37 days, setting a record for the fastest military crossing. He completed a second crossing in December 2022, becoming one of the few individuals to row an ocean twice.
Through these efforts, Hugo has raised over £1.3 million for charities such as RNRMC and the Taigh Mor Foundation. In 2022, he established the HMS Oardacious – Submariner Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund to support the Submarine community. As the Royal Navy's Head of Human Performance, he focuses on enhancing resilience among personnel while promoting mental health and challenging stigma.
Outside of his military role, Hugo is a devoted father to two daughters and mentors aspiring adventurers. In 2025, he was shortlisted for the WBS Heropreneurs MBA scholarship for his leadership and social impact.
Claudine Martin
Claudine is a highly skilled Senior Executive Assistant, currently supporting the CEO of BNY Pershing EMEA. With a distinguished career spanning nearly 17 years in the British Army, Claudine retired in 2023 at the rank of Staff Sergeant, bringing a wealth of experience in high-pressure environments and strategic operations to her current role.
An advocate for veterans and the Executive Assistant profession, Claudine is a sought-after public speaker and serves on the advisory board for her field. She was awarded PA of the Year in 2019 by PA Life. Additionally, she has mentored young people through the Diana Award and represented the UK at the Invictus Games 2023. In her free time, she enjoys park runs and writing poetry, motivating the next generation with her dedication to excellence.
Ian Powell
Ian is a commercial and technology lawyer at Simmons & Simmons LLP, an international law firm in London, where he specialises in complex technology transactions, artificial intelligence, and regulatory risk. He leads on Defence sector matters within the firm’s Global AI Group, which is recognised as a Tier 1 practice and Global Market Leader by the legal directories.
Before qualifying as a solicitor, Ian served as an officer in the Royal Marines, where he led multinational teams and advising on major Defence projects. Ian regularly advises global clients on legal challenges related to emerging technologies and AI regulation, supporting high-value transactions and corporate acquisitions. Recently, he completed a secondment at a multinational technology company, focusing on implementing a Responsible AI governance program.
With a background that bridges public service, law, and technology, he is committed to driving ethical innovation and contributing to organisations operating at the forefront of change.
Nathan Flye
Nathan is a founder and director at shadowlink Ltd, a UK defence technology startup delivering resilient fibre-optic communications systems. A former British Army officer with 12 years’ service, Nathan specialised in capability planning and integration, most recently developing a modernisation plan that aligned delivery of a £40 billion portfolio with operational outputs.
Since leaving the British Army in June 2025, Nathan has dedicated himself full-time to shadowlink, securing his first Ministry of Defence customer just seven months and seven days after sharing the novel concept with shadowlink's team over WhatsApp. Recognising that shadowlink would benefit from structured business expertise and practical insights, he applied for the Heropreneurs WBS Award to sharpen his strategic acumen and give shadowlink every possible competitive advantage. He feels humbled by the opportunity the award provides veterans.
Nathan is ready to enrich the MBA cohort with his frontline insights and accelerate shadowlink’s impact on defence communications.
Oliver Irvine
Rising through the ranks from Junior Sailor to Commissioned Officer, Oliver has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership in challenging operational and humanitarian environments.
As a Chartered Engineer with extensive experience in military aviation, he combines deep technical expertise with operational leadership. His MSc in Defence Leadership from Cranfield University reflects his commitment to continuous learning and strategic thinking. Oliver has been recognised for challenging the status quo, most notably through leading digital transformation projects such as the development of Power Apps that streamlined processes and improved efficiency.
Passionate about innovation, he has a proven ability to identify problems, design solutions, and deliver organisational impact. At the core of his leadership style is a people-centric ethos, building inclusive teams and mentoring others to help them thrive. Oliver is deeply committed to sharing knowledge and learning from diverse perspectives, and he looks forward to contributing richly to the WBS cohort.
Meet our judges
Karen Barker
Director of Stakeholder Engagement, Warwick Business School
Karen is part of the WBS senior management team with ultimate leadership responsibility for building trusted relationships with prospective students, alumni and organisations looking to transform knowledge, leadership capability and career outcomes.
Karen is a ‘coach’ at heart, with a passion for working with individuals and teams to identify their purpose and move forward with positivity and a growth mindset. She brings this passion to her support of Heropreneurs, as senior sponsor and part of the judging panel for the Warwick Business School Award.
Jon Inegbedion
Director of Recruitment and Business Development, Warwick Business School
Jon leads a dedicated team of business development and admissions professionals who are responsible for student recruitment to the School’s extensive portfolio of pre- and post-experience courses.
Jon started his career in higher education at Warwick in 1997. He brings a wealth of experience to the Heropreneurs judging panel, with over 20 years’ experience in the student recruitment sector, having worked for universities in the UK and Malaysia.
Victoria Greenhalgh
Community Development Manager and Heropreneurs Lead,
Forces Employment Charity
With a passion for fostering connections and empowering others, Victoria is a customer engagement specialist and the driving force behind the Forces Employment Charity’s online community platform and mentoring programmes. Through her leadership of the Heropreneurs programme, Victoria ensures its ongoing success and development, championing entrepreneurial excellence and working with partners, stakeholders and mentors to create sustainable, high-impact support pathways.
Stuart Nicol
Chief Mentor for Heropreneurs
Following a six-year career in the military and a further four years in the reserves, Stuart gained over 20 years of experience in investing in over 70 high-growth UK firms, such as Crowdcube and Octopus. His passion is in investing in small purpose-led companies and helping them grow and develop. He gets a kick from working with entrepreneurs and has personally mentored over 20 veterans, spouses and dependents on the Heropreneurs Mentoring Programme.