Stephen Bentley

Strategy and External Assurance Director, Emergency Services Mobile Communication Programme, Home Office

Steve Bentley CBE joined the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) in 2025, leading the CGI Technical Delivery Partner team within ESMCP and taking up the role of Director Transition.

Steve is a former Royal Air Force helicopter pilot, having operated in both the Search and Rescue and Support helicopter roles at home and abroad over a 30-year career, gaining 3500+ flying hours experience. An experienced operational leader in both defence and emergency response contexts, as the Force Commander he successfully led the RAF Search and Rescue (SAR) Force during the transition and handover of UK SAR helicopter provision to HM Coastguard.

During his military career Steve also garnered significant major programme experience, working up to Programme Director and SRO-level. Latterly this included responsibility for a broad portfolio of over 270 projects, delivering some of Defence’s most demanding and complex niche capabilities, with a strong digital change and innovation focus and supporting multiple user groups.

After leaving military service, Steve was most recently SRO for HM Coastguard, delivering aviation and digital change programmes, including the UK SAR Second Generation Aviation Programme, bringing in an updated SAR aviation service for the UK, enabled by a digital tasking and information capability, and the Command & Control programme.