Dr Carl Stephen Patrick Hunter OBE is Chairman of Coltraco Ultrasonics, a highly specialised manufacturer of ultrasonic technology. In 2022 he was appointed as a Visiting Fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre.
Carl is also Professor-in-Practice at Durham University Business School and Director-General of the Durham Institute of Research, Development & Invention. In 2016 Carl was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science by Durham University in recognition of his achievements. He recently received Durham’s highest award, the Dunelmensis Award, for his contribution to research and undergraduate development.
Using his extensive international business experience to support Britain’s exporters, Carl focuses his efforts on promoting the UK’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). He is Chairman of the British Exports Association (BExA); Chair of the Manufacturing Policy Unit at the Federation of Small Businesses; the 37th mentor for CommonwealthFirst; and Decision-Making Panel Member and Greater London Agent for the Bank of England. In 2019 he was awarded an OBE for services...Dr Carl Stephen Patrick Hunter OBE is Chairman of Coltraco Ultrasonics, a highly specialised manufacturer of ultrasonic technology. In 2022 he was appointed as a Visiting Fellow at the Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre.
Carl is also Professor-in-Practice at Durham University Business School and Director-General of the Durham Institute of Research, Development & Invention. In 2016 Carl was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science by Durham University in recognition of his achievements. He recently received Durham’s highest award, the Dunelmensis Award, for his contribution to research and undergraduate development.
Using his extensive international business experience to support Britain’s exporters, Carl focuses his efforts on promoting the UK’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). He is Chairman of the British Exports Association (BExA); Chair of the Manufacturing Policy Unit at the Federation of Small Businesses; the 37th mentor for CommonwealthFirst; and Decision-Making Panel Member and Greater London Agent for the Bank of England. In 2019 he was awarded an OBE for services to International Trade & Business.
As an adviser to Government across various departments, Carl is highly active in Westminster. He supports the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Maritime & Ports and has contributed to several Parliamentary Select Committees. Carl was a member of the Government’s Economic Recovery Taskforce in 2020.
Carl is a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering; an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute; a member of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners; a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers; and a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Carl sits on the advisory board of The Council on Geostrategy, a non-profit organisation focused on geopolitics and environmental security.
Carl served in the British Army as an Officer in the Royal Green Jackets.moreless
Chairman of the British Exporters Association, Carl Stephen Patrick Hunter OBE, said the organisation looked forward to working with UK Export Finance over the coming year.
Carl Stephen Patrick Hunter OBE, Chairman of Coltraco Ultrasonics, was the author of this article for Mersey Maritime, an organisation representing the maritime industry in the UK's North West.
Coltraco Ultrasonics is a world-renowned British designer and manufacturer of ultrasonic safety and monitoring equipment. Coltraco services the shipping, offshore oil and gas, power, renewables and safety engineering sectors.
The Durham Institute of Research, Development, and Invention (DIRDI) is a scientific research institute founded in collaboration with Durham University by Coltraco Ltd. It brings together academics and industry professionals from various disciplines, with a focus on physicists, engineers, mathematicians, and computer scientists.
The Centre for Underwater Acoustic Analysis (CUAA), housed within DIRDI, conducts research on the underwater behaviour of sound, as well as the informational techniques used to process received acoustic signals, in order to inform the development and optimisation of novel submarine acoustic technologies.
Carl acted as Senior Advisor International Markets to the CMO and CEO of United Services/United Airlines, the world's lead operator of wide-body aircraft.
Royal Green Jackets
Captain
1985 - 1990
Carl Hunter served in the Royal Green Jackets in Northern Ireland and overseas. The Royal Green Jackets was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1966. In 2007 the Regiment amalgamated with others to form ‘The Rifles’.
Baring Brothers & Co
Trainee - International Asset Management
1980 - 1981
London, UK
Baring Brothers & Co. (Barings Bank) was founded in 1762 by Francis Baring. The bank was a British merchant bank based in London and one of the country's oldest merchant banks.
The British Exporters Association (BExA) is a non-profit trade association that supports the interests of exporters in the United Kingdom. A long-term member, since May 2022 Carl serves the association as Chairman.
The Council on Geostrategy is a non-profit organisation that focuses on a global environment increasingly defined by geopolitical rivalries and environmental crises.
Founded in 1974 as The National Federation of Self-Employed, The Federation of Small Business adopted its new name in 1991. The organisation represents small and medium-sized enterprises across the United Kingdom.
Decision-Making Panel Member & Greater London Agent
2018 - Present
London, UK
The Bank of England, the world's eighth-oldest bank, is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks are based.
Founded in 1965 and one of the UK's oldest business schools, the Durham University Business School is world-class centre of teaching and research excellence.
Chris Roberts, host of The Lemonade Principle podcast, invited Carl Hunter OBE to talk about how Coltraco Ultrasonics developed into an award-winning, high-export company.
Carl and fellow panellists at Elite Business Live highlight the value of having a physical presence in an international market, as well as some considerations to make before expanding your business internationally.
At the 2022 Fire Buyer Live Conference Carl Hunter OBE gave a video address on British Standards playing a wider role for fire safety worldwide, in relation to the Integrated Review.
Carl is interviewed by The Exporter magazine about his successful business career and the ways in which he has sustained a flourishing export business.
BExA is a British national trade association representing the interests of the exporting community. Carl joined the association's Council in May 2019 as Head of Government Relations and stepped into the role of Chairman in May 2022.
The Honourable Company of Master Mariners is deeply committed to the maritime industry's professional standards. Its role is to encourage active debate among members on maritime technical issues affecting the shipping industry and provide support on technical issues.
Three years after winning their first Queen’s Award for Enterprise, Coltraco Ultrasonics has joined the small group of businesses who have won a second.
The University's Senate bestows the Dunelmensis Award on a Durham alumnus or alumna for meritorious and exceptional service in support of the university, particularly for institutional advancement and enhancing the institution's reputation nationally and abroad.
Heathrow Airport's Global Britain Business Champions competition celebrates companies that represent the best of British quality, innovation, technology or design, and have contributed to the country's continued economic growth.
Innovate UK
Technology plan deemed 'outstanding' for COVID19 work
The Queen's Birthday Honours List honours persons from throughout the United Kingdom for their achievements. Carl was awarded an OBE for Services to Business and International Trade.
The Queen's Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the United Kingdom, created to recognise and encourage outstanding achievements in innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.
Carl was the recipient of the inaugural BExA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, honouring his critical role and significant contribution to UK exports. The award seeks to recognise a person who has provided exceptional service to the UK exporting community, has inspired and developed others to achieve international success, and has served as a role model to their peers.
Carl was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Durham University for his contribution to the Durham Institute for Research, Development & Invention.
Carl was the keynote speaker for the Overseas Expansion talk, "Is it necessary to have physical presence in the region you’re expanding to?", on the first day of Elite Business Live. He discusses how businesses can expand to international markets during this challenging time – and why implementing the strategy is critical before execution.
Charitable Interests
St. George's Hanover Square Primary School
Governor
London, UK
St George's Hanover Square Church of England Primary School provides a distinctively Christian education in a welcoming setting. The school strives to provide challenging learning opportunities while encouraging achievement in all areas and nurturing social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
The Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre (RNSSC) serves as the Royal Navy’s ‘think tank’ and was established in December 2019 to strengthen the conceptual component of fighting power.
The Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) is a global organisation that represents naval architects. Its members are involved at all levels in the design, construction, repair, and operation of ships, boats, and marine structures all over the world. Carl is also a former trustee of the institution.
The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology is a global membership organisation and learned society for marine professionals working in the fields of marine engineering, science and technology.
