Meet TWI at Materials Testing 2026

Rory leads TWI’s industrial membership and commercial engagement activities across the energy, defence, and advanced manufacturing sectors. With a strong focus on building collaborative partnerships, he works closely with companies to align TWI’s technical expertise with their innovation, safety, and integrity challenges.

Rory is an accomplished business leader and strategist with over 30 years of industry experience in capital equipment in-service support and asset management. In the last 20 years, Rory has been at a senior level, holding directorial positions in operations and sales and as a managing director. During his career, Rory has worked with most of the major UK defence companies, gained awards for achieving operational excellence, and helped companies grow organically.

Nathan Hartley is an experienced Chartered Engineer and Project Manager with more than 20 years’ experience in the defence, nuclear, energy, manufacturing and non-destructive testing industries. Since joining TWI in 2018 he has managed a variety of complex and high value engineering and research projects with a focus on automation and development of novel NDT techniques. He recently introduced multi-frequency microwave inspection to TWI’s capabilities and has been instrumental in the integration and use of mobile and collaborative robots. He has also overseen the development of a novel, automated acoustic inspection method for the inspection of highly attenuative glass fibre structures. Nathan is also an accomplished NDT practitioner, holding CSWIP Level II qualifications in UT and PAUT (Welds).

James is an elected Council member of the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT) with a PhD in electromagnetic NDT. He founded the BINDT ET Industry Users Group, as an open forum for knowledge exchange on electromagnetic NDT. He is also leading the changes in PCN electromagnetic NDT certification, including the implementation of Eddy Current Array ISO 9712 training / certification.

James works in the NDT Section as a Chief Engineer.

Craig Popplewell is a Principal Engineer specialising in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), with over two decades of experience in advanced ultrasonic inspection technologies.

Having played an active role in the early validation and adoption of Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT), he has worked extensively with leading OEM manufacturers to advance inspection techniques, equipment, and software.

Craig has built his career around bridging the gap between academic research and industrial deployment, helping translate emerging technologies into practical solutions for real-world inspection challenges.

Stephen’s credentials span 35 years in NDT initially specialising in RT, MT and PT at a lost wax facility whilst acting as NDT facility manager at the age of 23 yrs.

He went onto become technical manager at a larger foundry and fabrication section testing and producing technical NDT procedures including bespoke procedures for client projects in all industry sectors, including shipping, oil and gas, nuclear, power generation and medical. The largest structure tested being a nuclear flask weighing in at 90 tonnes. Stephen went onto gain further specialisms in Digital radiography, TOFD and Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing.

He initially joined TWI in 2007 eventually becoming an Advanced NDT Lecturer and Chief Examiner across both PCN and CSWIP before joining IMechE Engineering Training Solutions as Courses and Examinations Manager in 2013.

Stephen returned to TWI Training and Examinations in March 2018 as Team Manager (NDT) and is the Training UK Group Manager.