Dan Sykes-Gelder MBA

Commander
DISC Type : D

Director of Business Development at Davie

Canada

Overview

Dan is a results-oriented leader with over two decades of experience in naval operations and the defense industry. As Director of Business Development at Davie, he specializes in developing commercial solutions for defense challenges, focusing on NATO and global maritime programs. His background includes significant roles at the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal Navy.

He is recognized for his strong intellectual and expressive capabilities, with a recommendation highlighting his unconventional and high-value research during his MBA at the University of Northampton.

Unique fact: Dan successfully transitioned from a 20-year career in naval operations to a strategic leadership role driving international business in the private defense sector.

Personality Overview

Strong-Willed

Decisive

Very Quick

They prefer to be the ones controlling the conversation or defining the terms.  They like to move fast and expect the same from others. They are not always relationship oriented.

Topics They Care About

Maritime Defense Solutions
His entire career is focused on connecting commercial innovation with naval and defense requirements for governments, NATO, and allied navies.
NATO & Global Alliances
A core part of his role involves developing business with NATO and allied nations, reflected in his recent visits to European naval shipbuilders.
Unmanned Maritime Systems
His current business development focus explicitly includes unmanned systems in the maritime domain, a key area of innovation in modern naval strategy.

Media Appearances

Dan has no verified media appearances

Work History

1-2023
Director of Business Development at Davie
2-2023 - 8-2024
(Secondment) Director of Contracts at Federal Fleet Services Inc
2-2022 - 11-2022
Chief of Staff & Business Development Manager at MSubs Ltd
5-2020 - 2-2022
Capability & Programme Manager at UK Ministry of Defence
6-1999 - 5-2020
Executive & Operations Officer to Commander of the Overseas Patrol Squadron at Royal Navy

Education

2019 - 2020
Master of Business Administration - MBA from University of Northampton
2019 - 2019
Pearson BTEC Level 7 Diploma and Extended Diploma in Strategic Management & Leadership inc MBA from Pearson College London

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 23 Location : Canada Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Director of Business Development at Davie
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Insights For Selling To Dan

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Speak about competitive differentiation that your product offers
  • Refer to testimonials from well-known industry leaders
  • Use phrases like ‘it’s your decision’, ‘strategic impact’ etc.

DONT's

  • Do not back off when challenged, respond with a confident, objective answer instead
  • Don’t be in a rush to invite them for a social meet and greet
  • Don't try too hard to forge relationships with them

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Dan is

  • Conviction around the impact matters the most to them, followed by a sense of achievement and ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Dan

  • If they are not convinced, they will say no without any hesitation.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Dan move?

  • They can reach decisions fairly quickly if they are convinced.
  • Can Dan take some risk or not?

  • They don’t mind risks but can be quite binary about them.

You And Dan

Personality Compatibility


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