Commander Tom Hayzen-Smith

Commander Tom Hayzen-Smith joined the Royal Navy in 2001 as an Artificer, serving
across multiple Type 42 and Type 45 Destroyers achieving the rank of Chief Petty
Officer in 2010. He commissioned in 2015 and was appointed to HMS QUEEN
ELIZABETH during her build phase, where he played a key role in commissioning trials
and the integration of complex systems aboard the Royal Navy’s flagship.
Following this, Tom moved to Navy Command Headquarters as the Small Ships Lead
within Ships Division, where he oversaw In-Service Capability management of Marine
Engineering across 9 ship classes. During this time, he authored the safety case for the
Batch 2 OPV and played an active role in the Platform Assurance Group (PAG)
process, ensuring robust safety and assurance standards across the class.
He later served as Marine Engineering Officer (MEO) of HMS TRENT, deploying the
ship for the first time, serving in the Black Sea, Mediterranean, and Gulf of Guinea.
HMS TRENT earned the Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) pennant for highest availability,
reflecting exceptional engineering performance and operational readiness.
Following HMS TRENT, Tom served as Deputy Platform Chief Engineer (DPCE) for
Amphibious platforms, obsolescence management, capability insertion, and
sustainment of engineering capability across the amphibious domain, and ensuring
vessels were Safe to Operate.
Tom was subsequently appointed MEO of HMS PRINCE OF WALES, where he led the
ship’s recovery from an unplanned docking period and subsequent successful
WESTLANT and STEADFAST DEFENDER deployments.
Tom now serves as the Platform Capability Sponsor (Host) within the Navy Develop
Directorate; he is responsible for shaping the future Hybrid fleet with a focus on
Autonomy, Power, Modular and Survivability strategies.
Tom lives in Whiteley with his wife and three children. Outside of work, he enjoys family
time, Formula 1, DIY, and cycling.