Atturra, a technology services business in designing, implementing, and maintaining IT solutions, announced the appointment of Canberra-based Richard Campbell as the new Chief Executive Officer of SME Gateway, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Atturra and Australia’s leading network for growing and connecting skilled small and medium enterprises with government, defence and industry clients.
Campbell has spent most of his career in the Australian Army, attaining the rank of Colonel. Most recently he served as the Chief of Plans for NATO Special Operations in Iraq, Exchange Officer in the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters, and as the Australian Defence Attaché to the Republic of Turkey. In 2003 he was decorated for operational planning prior to and during the Iraq War and has served in Australia, the UK, Papua New Guinea, Bougainville, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Campbell also previously worked for Qantas Airways for seven years, in its ground operations and international security branches. He is a graduate of the UK’s Royal Military College of Science (MA), the Army Command and Staff College (MDS) and the University of Queensland (MBA).
Steven Kowal, CEO, Atturra, says, “Richard Campbell has a passion for developing a sovereign defence industrial capability and joins SME Gateway at an exciting time, as we consider new opportunities presented by the recent Defence Strategic Review, and how to best represent small-to-medium sized enterprises and their clients.”
SME Gateway provides Federal and State Governments, Defence and industry clients with direct access to over 400 Australian SME businesses nationwide. It works collaboratively and competitively to deliver sovereign Australian capabilities across the nation, for the nation.
At the same time, SME Gateway’s governance and assurance model supports local, indigenous and veteran member suppliers and helps them to grow their businesses while providing clients with a risk-managed single source SME business capability on a cost-effective, client-focused, and value-for-money basis. As its presence across all government domains grows, SME Gateway enables its member businesses to showcase and apply over 150 capabilities across Australia.
Richard Campbell says, “I’m excited to join SME Gateway at this pivotal time when SME companies are innovating at a rapid pace. At the same time, these organisations have incredible opportunities in the digital age to meaningfully engage and partner with government, defence and industry to reinforce national resilience and economic success. I’m looking forward to supporting these organisations with best practice frameworks and advisory services to ensure their ongoing momentum.”