Tom has recently retired from a long career in Industry, mainly in manufacturing. After a formative decade or so in the Oil & Gas sector, he joined a niche manufacturing company supplying equipment all over the world, and this role took him to work in many countries including Africa, China, Canada, USA and Egypt. He joined the Board of Directors of a specialist composites company in Somerset in 2002 working in the marine defence and aerospace sectors. He was then appointed as a founding Director of the National Composites Centre in Bristol, before moving on to a Business Development Director role helping a small business to grow in the aerospace market. Tom graduated in Mechanical Engineering in 1977. He is a retired Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Outside of his career, Tom is currently Chair of Broad Chalke Parish Council, and Treasurer of Broad Chalke Community Land Trust enabling affordable housing for the local community.