australia's premier regional defence event

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.

Jeremy King

Jeremy King was appointed as the Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand from 23 February 2026.

Prior to this appointment Jeremy served for 36 years in the Australian Defence Force (ADF), with his last appointment being the Head of Joint Aviation Systems Division (JASD) in the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group. JASD manages products and projects that includes the acquisition and sustainment of helicopters and tactical uncrewed aerial systems for the Navy and Army, and pilot and aircrew training systems for the entire ADF.

In 1989 Jeremy began his career in the Australian Army as a soldier. In 1993 he was commissioned into the Australian Regular Army as an engineer in the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. He has led at Troop and Sub-Unit level in Army Aviation squadrons and battalion command in a logistics battalion within a combat brigade.

Jeremy has served as a Design Engineer, Program Manager, Project Director, Director General and Divisional Head within CASG. He holds a bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the University of Tasmania, and master’s degrees in Business Administration and Engineering Science. He is a graduate of the Australian Command and Staff Course.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.