School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering

Professor Gardner was made an Honorary Graduate (DSc.) of Loughborough University in recognition of his outstanding services to the aerospace engineering industry globallly but also, closer to home, for the part he played in establishing the MEng degree in Systems Engineering at this university. It was unique at the time and a key feature in the award of the first Queen's Anniversary Prize to the University in 1994.

David Gardner was born in Preston in 1941.  He was educated at Blackpool St. Josephs College and completed a five year apprenticeship at English Electric Aviation, obtaining a Bachelor of Technology  Degree in Aeronautics at Loughborough University.

For the first thirteen years of his career he principally followed specialisation in Aerodynamics, working on TSR2, Jaguar and Tornado aircraft and researching into aircraft drag.  His work was published as Engineering Sciences Data Unit (ESDU) information and he served on the Performance Committee of the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS). During this period the Company progressed through British Aircraft Corporation to British Aerospace (BAe).  In 1979 David Gardner moved to Flight Test and took over leadership of the Air Defence Variant of Tornado during its early flight trials.

In 1981 he moved into Project Management, taking over the Tornado programme within the Company and becoming a Functional Director of Panavia GmbH, the tri-national management company established to manage this project.  Various other Project responsibilities were added to his portfolio before, in 1986, he was appointed Technical Director at Warton and subsequently Technical Director for the whole of  BAe Military Aircraft Division (MAD) with a total engineering resource of 5,000 people.  He was appointed to the Board of MAD Ltd. in 1990.

In 1991 he returned to Project Management to lead the company’s efforts on Eurofighter, being appointed a Board member of Eurofighter GmbH and Panavia GmbH (Tornado) in 1992, and in 1994 he was appointed to the post of Director European Programmes and also a Board member of SEPECAT (Anglo French Jaguar).  In December 1995 he was appointed Managing Director Programmes.

Also in 1991, David Gardner became a Visiting Professor at his old University and in 1992 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 1995 he received an O.B.E. for his services to the Defence Industry and was also awarded the RAeS Gold Medal.  In July 1998 he received an honorary Doctor of Science from Loughborough University.

In November 1998 he became Engineering Director for British Aerospace plc, and in November 1999 Group Engineering Director for BAE SYSTEMS formed from the merger of British Aerospace and Marconi Electronics Systems with 27000 engineers world wide.

In December 2000, the responsibility for the BAE Systems Virtual University was added to his portfolio when he added the role of the Vice Chancellor to his Engineering responsibilities.

Professor Gardner retired from BAE Systems in December 2001 and took up a part time post in Munich as Advisor Product Strategy to Eurofighter GmbH. He retired from Eurofighter in March 2004.

Professor Gardner was appointed a Non-Executive Director of N. G. Bailey in 2002 retiring in July 2009 and remains a Visiting Professor to Loughborough University. 

 His principal interests are golf, music, travel, and Formula 1 motor racing.