Rebs Foran-Coutts, BAE Systems Digital Intelligence

Inclusion Award

It’s not easy leaving the military.

Gone is the clear structure, set routine and chain of command. Suddenly, you’re taking life-changing decisions in isolation and adapting to a very unfamiliar pace of life.

Transitioning into this new world does not come easy – something Rebs Foran-Coutts knows about all too well. A military career cut short, together with a variety of physical and mental health challenges, left her reliant on a daily cocktail of opiate-based medication. And that’s not all.

Arriving with high hopes at BAE Systems a few years ago, she was greeted by a lack of tailored support and a general lack of understanding about the needs, wants and ways of a veteran. She decided there and then that this had to change.

Fast forward to today, and new arrivals can count on the presence of VetNet, a new Veterans Network. Open to all, it provides an inclusive community for individuals to share and learn from each other, as well as providing mentoring, support and a calendar of events and training.

Thanks to Rebs and her colleagues, VetNet now numbers nearly 700 members across the entire BAE Systems Group – with more joining every month – and is a key part of BAE Systems’ Gold Award in the Armed Forces Covenant.

From their first day onwards, VetNet is ensuring that BAE Systems is a great place to work for veterans and reservists, and is right there with them as they step forward into their new life.

View the BAE Systems Digital Intelligence profile in the MCA Members Directory.