
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Maddison Illsley
Thales in the UK is proud to be sponsoring one of its engineers who has achieved a remarkable sporting achievement after being selected for the ultra-competitive Great Britain Women's Bobsleigh squad in her first year of trying the sport.
Our Thales Engineering team in the UK were very supportive of Maddison and her sporting ambitions, and with help from the business, they made the sponsorship possible.
Maddison Illsley, who works at the Thales Crawley site in West Sussex, has now left the UK to start her winter training in Norway, before the team competes in the Europa Cup and events across Europe.
Former degree apprentice, and now a systems engineer with Thales, Maddison's selection for this season's GB team is all the more amazing in that - although she is an experienced track and power athlete - she was only selected for bobsleigh training earlier this year.
Thales in the UK has also implemented a hybrid working scheme that allows her to balance her engineering career with the unique demands of her sport; Maddison is able to commit to a high level of athletic training, while still developing her engineering career.
She said: When I told my line management about being selected for the GB team, they were incredibly supportive. The sponsorship from Thales is going to make a huge difference. The chance to represent your country is an absolute honour and to have your company behind you is just amazing .
Speaking from her winter training camp in Norway, Maddison reflected on her experiences growing up that have led her to this remarkable position.
She said: As a kid, I wanted to be a pilot and engineering has always been there as a passion for me. My Dad was a huge inspiration for my brother and I; he is an engineer and scientist so it was just a family thing. Taking things apart, putting them back together was just a part of my childhood.
When I got to sixth form and my friends were thinking about university, I wasn't sure if it was for me. My dad was once again the inspiration - he had done an apprenticeship which also led to getting his Masters, so I started researching the largest UK engineering companies that could offer apprenticeships while studying for a degree.
Maddison's experience with Thales so far has included time at Crawley and Glasgow, working on programmes such as the Royal Navy's next generation Type 31 warship and optronics technology for the highly-advanced Astute submarine.
She said: Engineers have a shared enthusiasm for understanding how things work and I've loved the fact I've been exposed to these sort of high-profile programmes already. It was definitely the right choice for me.
Also, being an engineer has helped me understand the sport of bobsleigh that little bit better. The mechanics, the technical and weather challenges, how the sled moves on ice - that understanding of how things happen.
It is a choice to do both and it takes commitment from both sides to make this work. But Thales have been amazing .
Mike Seabrook, Company Secretary for Thales in the UK, said:
We are incredibly proud of Maddison's achievements and wish her and the squad the very best as they head into the winter season. For us, it is incredibly important we provide the right level of support in such a demanding schedule.
You can find more information about careers at Thales in the UK here.
About Thales Thales is a global technology leader in the Aerospace, Transportation and Defence & Security markets. In 2019, the company generated revenues of 18.4 billion with 80,000 employees in 68 countries. With its 30,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, working with customers and local partners around the world.
Thales in the UK is a team of over 7,000 experts, including 4,500 highly skilled engineers, located across 9 key UK sites.
Each year Thales invests over £575 million into its UK supply chain, working with over 2,000 companies. They are dedicated to research and technology, working with partners to invest over £130m+ in R&D in the UK annually.
With a heritage of over 130 years, Thales in the UK understands the importance of developing skills for the future. They currently have 112 graduates and 238 apprentices, and are forecasting an additional 56 graduates and 104 apprentices for their 2023 intake in the UK. Thales is committed to supporting its people, and continuously developing talent, and highly skilled experts.
Thales helps its customers think faster and act smarter. Whatever it takes.
02 Dec 2022
Space Cargo Unlimited and Thales Alenia Space unveil details of their alliance for the development of REV1 , the first space factory
Read more
01 Dec 2022
Eutelsat selects Thales Alenia Space to build a new Flexible Software-Defined Satellite
Read more
01 Dec 2022
Thales addresses inclusivity with its Voice Payment Card'
Read more
More from Thales
30/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales has secured a major contract to modernise...
29/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
In a world where identity fraud represents a critical vulnerability for citizens and societies, Thales is leading the transforma...
25/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Enhancing Data Protection and Governance Service...
24/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Order intake: 3.8 billion, down -25% (-27% on an organic basis1)
Sales: 5.0 billion, up 12.2% ( 9.9% on an organic basis)
A...
23/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Enables Michelin to focus on development of its ...
22/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
The Technologies for Existing and Future Main Ba...
17/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thursday, 17 April 2025 - The next step has now been taken in the Franco-German armaments project Main Ground Combat System (MGC...
16/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
In order to enhance satellite performance and mi...
14/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales has been selected by NATO to deliver phas...
08/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales
Thales subsidiary, Thales Defense &...
08/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales revolutionizes inflight TV with 360Stream...
07/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (F r...
07/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales is a global leader in inertial navigation...
03/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales, a global leader in advanced technologies...
03/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
The new flight training centre features Thales...
02/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Strengthening Europe's critical navigation infrastructure thanks to EGNOS satellite-based augmentation system Cannes, April ...
01/04/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) and...
31/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Presented for the first time at SOFINS1, PANORAMIC is a lightweight, compact night vision goggle equipped with four light intens...
31/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
The French defence procurement agency (DGA) has awarded Thales a contract to provide hybrid networking kits for French Army vehi...
27/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
SaveCrops4EU leverages Earth observation and adv...
26/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
The French defence ministry's integrated str...
26/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
France 2030 has announced its support for the Im...
21/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
The new Thales MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) facility in Gurugram is strategically located near the Delhi airport in Indi...
20/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Under the European Defence Fund (EDF), Thales is to coordinate the EISNET (European Interactive Sensor-Based Dynamic Defence Net...
19/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Under an agreement signed by Thales and Naval Gr...
17/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales and Malaysia Airlines have signed a long-...
14/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales has reached a historic milestone by deliv...
13/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...
12/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Moonlight: ESA program to create a satellite con...
12/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
In 2025, Thales ranks among the top 0.01% of the...
11/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales today announced that it has delivered the...
10/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thaless Modem21 system typically equips sovereig...
10/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Tokyo / Cannes, March 10 2025 - Asia's large...
06/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
The CSO system comprises three defense and security satellites
This trio has two distinct missions: reconnaissance for CSO-1 an...
06/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
EOLO partners with Thales to bring ultrafast broadband to underserved Italian communities.
Thales eSIM solution enables seamle...
05/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Ericsson, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and Thale...
04/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Order intake: 25.3 billion, up 9% ( 6% on an organic basis1)
Sales: 20.6 billion, up 11.7% ( 8.3% on an organic basis)
Adjus...
03/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
SHIFT, the German pioneer in sustainable and ethical handset manufacturing, has partnered with Thales, a global leader in advanc...
03/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
On the occasion of IDEX-NAVDEX 2025, EARTH, an e...
03/03/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales subsidiary, Thales Defense & Security, Inc. (TDSI), has been awarded a contract for Scorpion Helmet Mounted Display (HMD)...
28/02/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Munich, Germany - February 28, 2025 - A signific...
27/02/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Cubic, a leading global provider of software-def...
27/02/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales, a world leader in cybersecurity for crit...
25/02/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales marks a new major milestone in its global acceleration in trusted AI with the launch of cortAIx in the UK to address defe...
24/02/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales, a global technology leader in the defenc...
20/02/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
February 18, 2025 - Abu Dhabi, UAE: Milrem Robot...
18/02/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales and Sopra Steria form a strategic partner...
18/02/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
This new contract covers over 300,000 cards annu...
14/02/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
New solution allows Enterprises to accelerate an...