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Tim Owen

Tim Owen AM is a 32-year services veteran and former Deputy Commander of the Australian forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a highly regarded defence industry consultant with significant expertise in the Australian Defence Force contracting process and experience working with defence primes.

Amy List

Amy List was appointed managing director of Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) in February 2024. In this role, List leads the BDA businesses, capabilities and functions at the organisation’s 13 Australian sites. Her duties include establishing and executing new and existing programs, achieving business objectives, and implementing corporate strategies that position Boeing’s Australian defence activities for continued success.

Prior to her appointment, List was director of Operations where she provided strategic advice to the executive and managed day-to-day operations and administration of the business. From March 2020 to October 2023, she was the director Sustainment Operations where she was responsible for managing the company’s through-life sustainment support and training solutions for military platforms in order to maximise operational readiness while reducing cost of ownership. This included delivering sustainment contracts for Australia’s F/A-18F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, CH47F Chinooks and F/A-18 A/B Classic Hornets; the C-17 Globemaster III logistics support and maintenance; and the Helicopter Aircrew Training System, as well as for the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s CH-47Fs.

List joined BDA in December 2018, performing a number of leadership positions including director of the Structures and Build capability and director of Wedgetail Programs, where she led all sustainment and training programs for the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) fleet of six E-7A Wedgetail aircraft. Prior to Boeing, List spent over nine years at Raytheon in operational and business development roles, including as head of Business Operations for Raytheon Australia, where she was responsible for the successful delivery of all programs across the company’s portfolio, as well as business intelligence and reporting.

List started her professional career as an Aeronautical Engineering Officer in the RAAF. During her tenure, she served in a number of operational roles, before running both acquisition and sustainment programs for the Defence Materiel Organisation. Post-separation from the Australian Defence Force, List ran a consulting business, offering project and risk management services to clients across the defence and mining industries.

List is a graduate of the Australian Defence Force Academy and holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Aeronautical) and a Masters Degree in Project Management. She is also a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Air Vice-Marshal Nicholas Hogan, CSC (TBC)

Air Vice-Marshal Nicholas Hogan joined the Royal Australian Air Force as a (then) navigator in 1991. He graduated from flying training in 1993 and was posted to fly the C-130 Hercules. Over the next 16 years, Air Vice-Marshal Hogan accrued over 6500 military flight hours in all C-130 roles and missions. During this time he served as an USAF exchange officer at Pope AFB (North Carolina), staff officer in Special Operations Command and Joint Operations Command, the C-130 Wing Headquarters as the standards and safety officer and as the Executive Officer at 37SQN.

At the cessation of his flying duties in 2009, Air Vice-Marshal Hogan completed Australian Command and Staff College and then served as a staff officer for the Chief of the Defence Force prior to taking Command of Number 285 Squadron. At the completion of his command, he served as Staff Officer to the Chief of Air Force prior to assuming the role of the Director of Current Military Commitments in Military Strategic Commitments for which he was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross.

Air Vice-Marshal Hogan took Command of Number 84 Wing in 2019 prior to assuming the role of Director General Space Domain Review in October 2020. In conducting the Space Domain Review, he assisted in the creation of Defence Space Command where he held the inaugural role of Director General Space Capability in 2022. Air Vice-Marshal Hogan commenced the role of Director General Force Options and Plans in 2023 where he assisted to design the future force of the Australian Defence Force.

Air Vice-Marshal Hogan was promoted to the role of Head of Air Force Capability in December 2024.Air Vice-Marshal Hogan has completed operational tours in Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq, Afghanistan and numerous overseas humanitarian assistance operations.

He has a Master of Science and Technology (Aviation Management) and a Master of Arts (Strategic Relations).

Michael Shoebridge

Michael is Director of Strategic Analysis Australia. From 2018 until September 2022, he was the Director of the Defence, Strategy and National Security Program at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) in Canberra.

Before the think tank world, Michael was a deputy in two Australian intelligence agencies – the Australian Signals Directorate and the Defence Intelligence Organisation.

He has worked in two Australian Federal Government ministers’ offices. As the First Assistant Secretary for Strategic Policy in Defence, he led the team that wrote Australia’s 2013 Defence White Paper and also administered defence exports policy and legislation. In his first Senior Executive Service role he led the tender evaluation, selection and contract negotiations for the Australian Navy’s Armidale Class Patrol Boats. His last role in the Defence organisation was as the head of the Contestability Division that provides objective analysis of the overall $270 billion investment program.

Michael was Australia’s senior defence policy official in the Australian Embassy in Washington from February 2005 to June 2007. He was seconded to the UK Ministry of Defence in 1999-2000. He has also served in the Senior Executive Service in both Australia’s Finance Department and the Prime Minister’s Department, where he was head of the Defence, Intelligence and Research Division.

Andrew Chapman

Andrew began his career in the Royal Australian Air Force as a technician on aircraft avionics and test equipment. He subsequently undertook and completed a degree in
Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Queensland University of Technology and commenced work as an engineer with Boeing Australia on the F-111 Avionics Update Program. Andrew then joined BAE Systems and was seconded to the United Kingdom to work as part of the design team for the Australian Hawk Lead-In-Fighter aircraft. Upon his return to Australia, Andrew took on various engineering roles, culminating in his appointment as the engineering manager for the Hawk Lead-In-Fighter.

After being awarded BAE Systems’ Australia Engineer of the Year in 2009 and the Manager of the BAE Systems Engineering Team of the Year in 2010, Andrew was appointed as Head of Aerospace Engineering for BAE Systems Australia. In August 2017 he was appointed as F-35 Campaign Manager and he took over as Director to Aircraft Sustainment & Training for BAE Systems at the beginning of 2019, a role he still holds today.

The Aviation Sustainment and Training line of business Andrew leads provides broad
reaching sustainment, manufacturing and training activities focussed on optimised
availability, capability and innovative aviation training and solutions. It currently supports the F-35 for the RAAF and the Asia-Pacific, the Hawk Lead-In-Fighter for the RAAF and Aviation Technical Training for the ADF, from four major Australian locations.

Her Excellency The Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC

Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC is the 39th Governor of New South Wales, commencing her five year tenure on 2 May 2019.

Prior to her appointment as Governor, Her Excellency enjoyed a long and distinguished law career spanning 43 years, during which time she served as a role model for women in law at both the State and national level.

Appointed Queen's Counsel in 1989, in 1993 she was made a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, the first woman to sit exclusively in that Court. In 1996, she achieved the distinction of being the first woman appointed to the New South Wales Court of Appeal and, subsequently, as the first woman to be appointed as its President. She served, on a number of occasions, as Administrator of the Government of the State of New South Wales.

She was made an Officer in the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours List on 12 June 2006 for service to the judiciary and the law.

Her Excellency has three children - Erin, Lauren and Anthony Sullivan - and is married to Mr. Dennis Wilson, a barrister, mediator, accredited international arbitrator and Adjunct Professor of Law, at Notre Dame University, Sydney.

Her Excellency brings her deep commitment to education, youth leadership, human rights and social justice to the role in service of the people of New South Wales.

John Fry

Based in Canberra, John commenced the role of Managing Director in 2019 where he has since been responsible for establishing and growing Kongsberg's business operations in Australia. This has included the manufacture and integration of key sub-systems for the NASAMS Ground Based Air Defence capability, the Protected Mobile Fires capability, and the Naval Strike Missile capability, through an Australian production team and a local supply chain.

Before joining Kongsberg Defence Australia, John worked in Business Development for Raytheon Australia, Fujitsu Australia and Booz Allen Hamilton. This followed a 13 year career in the Australian Defence Force as an Officer in the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery which included stints in Capability Development Group and the (then) Defence Materiel Organisation.

John is a graduate of both the Cranfield University, having attained a Master of Science (Guided Weapon Systems), and the University of New South Wales where he attained a Master of Management Studies (Project Management) and a Bachelor of Science (Honours Class 1). He was also a qualified Missile Weapons Inspector with the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission. John is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Mick Ryan AM

Mick is a highly skilled leader and strategist with more than three decades of experience working in senior roles in the Australian military and beyond.

Mick's work reaches a global audience, and he is a recognised expert in leadership, institutional strategy, technology, organisational adaptation and change management, institutional reform, as well as personnel development.  A prolific writer and speaker, Mick's expertise in thinking about and preparing for the future is sought after by institutions in Australia, the United States and beyond.

Mick has a distinctive mixture of experience and skills, underpinned by a foundation of seeking excellence in himself and those he leads. He is known for leading dynamic organisations to overcome adverse circumstances and solve challenging problems. Whether it involves leading the reconstruction efforts for an entire province in Afghanistan or managing institutional change, Mick is most comfortable when leading, or being part of, a diverse team that is focussed on solving complex problems.

While he has his deep experience in institutional leadership and delivering organisational transformation, Mick's first love over his 35-year career has been investing in people. In this technological era, many forget that it is people upon which companies and institutions are founded. To that end, Mick has a deep and abiding commitment to leading and personally investing in people, being an exemplar for continuous learning, and for being their most passionate advocate.

Mick is highly sought after as an in-demand keynote speaker and he has addressed forums, conferences and educational institutions across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Indonesia, India and Australia.

Mick is also an adjunct fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC, and a non-resident fellow at the Low Institute in Sydney.

He is the recipient of multiple awards for service and excellence from both Australian and United States military institutions. In 2008 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for distinguished leadership of the Australian 1st Reconstruction Task Force in Afghanistan.

Katherine Ziesing

Katherine is an experienced Strategy and Communications leader with a demonstrated history of working in the media industry with a Defence focus. She is skilled in Crisis Communications, Event Management, Media Relations, Journalism, Social Media and Corporate Communications.

Kath is a a strong media and communication professional with a Masters in Strategy and Policy from UNSW @ ADFA, completion of the Defence Industry Study Course (DISC) and an ongoing interest in the Defence community.

Michael Howell

To come.

Marcus Hellyer

Marcus is Head of Research at Strategic Analysis Australia.

Marcus has spent his career addressing thorny analytical issues and wicked problems.

Previously he was a Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute where he unpacked defence budget, capability and industry issues. This included demystifying the Defence Department’s budget in seven editions of The Cost of Defence.

Marcus worked for 12 years in the Defence Department, primarily in its contestability function where he held several Senior Executive Service positions. This involved conducting independent capability and cost analysis of investment proposals as well as ensuring the best advice possible was provided to the Government and senior decision makers on major capital acquisitions. He also administered Defence’s capital acquisition program.

Marcus has also worked in the Australian Intelligence Community.

Marcus has a first-class Honours degree in History from the University of Sydney and a Master’s and Ph.D. in History and the History of Science from the University of California, San Diego. He was Assistant Professor of History at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He also attended the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies where he was awarded a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies.

Marcus is Director of Strategy at C2 Robotics, an Australian company specialising in the development of autonomous systems for military applications.

MGEN Richard Vagg

Born and educated in country Queensland, Major General Vagg joined the Army in 1992, graduating from the Royal Military College – Duntroon in 1993 to the Royal Australian Artillery. He has enjoyed an exciting career with regimental experience at 4th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and on exchange with 40 Regiment (AS-90), Royal Artillery. He was also the inaugural Commanding Officer of 16th Air Land Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery.

His training experience includes appointments at the School of Artillery and Duntroon, while his staff experience includes appointments at the British Defence Intelligence Staff, the Defence Intelligence Organisation, as well as Modernisation and Strategic Plans – Army. He was MA to Commander Forces
Command, the Director of Military Art, Royal Military College – Duntroon and the Director General Systems and Integration – Army. After working as Director General Air and Land Capability Analysis in Contestability Division, Major General Vagg was seconded to the Defence Strategic Review as the lead military Director General. He assumed his current position as Head Land Capability in March of 2023.

Major General Vagg has operational experience in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. His most recent deployment was as Commander Task Group Taji, Rotation Four in Iraq—for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours. He has also been awarded a Commander Multi-National Brigade (Central) Commendation for his role in several operations along the Kosovo/Macedonian/Albanian border and a Commendation for Distinguished Service for his work as the inaugural Commanding Officer of the Artillery Training Team – Kabul.

He is a graduate of the Australian Command and Staff College, the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies and Australian Institute of Company Directors. Major General Vagg holds a Masters of Arts – Management and Strategy from the University of New South Wales and a Masters of Business Administration from Deakin University. Whilst studying at the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies he received the Field Marshall Sir Thomas Blamey Award. Major General Vagg’s work in capability development combined with his regimental, operational and training appointments have provided him with broad exposure to the Defence enterprise. He enjoys the challenges of modernising Defence and setting the conditions to create options for an integrated Joint Force.

CDRE Brad Smith

Commodore Brad Smith joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1997 completing his Bachelor of Engineering degree at the University of NSW in 1999. He has completed various sea postings including Guided Missile Frigates (FFG), ANZAC Class Frigates (FFH), Auxiliary Replenishment and Landing Platform Amphibious ships.

Shore postings include Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving System Program Office (MCDSPO), Guided Missile Frigate SPO (FFGSPO), Squadron Officer Commanding at the Australian Defence Force Academy, and the Amphibious Combat and Sealift SPO (ACSSPO). In 2014 Commodore Smith also deployed to the Middle East in 2014 within Headquarters Joint Task Force 633 as the J1 (Personnel Operations). For his role in the planning and execution of Operation OKRA, HAWICK, and other activities, he was awarded a Chief of Defence Force Gold Commendation.

Commodore Smith served on exchange with the United States Navy in San Diego from 2011-2013 where he was responsible for the planning, development, integration and execution of major modernisation projects for Pacific Fleet ships. Highlights included the first installation of AEGIS Baseline 9 combat system for a USN platform, and selected by the USN to lead the re-design and modification of the USS Makin Island (LHD-8). For his role in these activities he was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal and a Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation.

Commodore Smith is a graduate of the Australian Technical Staff Officer Course (ATSOC) and a fellow of the Australian War College. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (honours), A Masters of Management (Acquisition and Capability Development), and a Masters of Business, Masters of Defence Strategic Studies. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and for his service in the Amphibious Combat and Sealift organisation, he was recognised with a Conspicuous Service Cross.

Promoted to Commodore in December 2020, Commodore Smith was appointed to his current role as the Director General Major Surface Ships. Married to Kirsten with three children, he enjoys soccer, climbing, canyoning and chasing his children down the ski slopes.