DroneShield announced it has brought several high profile Australian defence and government strategists into the business, both at executive and advisory roles. The appointments include:
Terry van Haren, DSM, Vice President, Strategy: Terry joins the DroneShield team after 35 years of service in the Royal Australian Air Force as a Commander, fighter pilot, and weapons officer. Terry is a veteran with four operational tours in the Middle East with recognised distinguished service. Terry’s last posting was as the Air and Space Attaché to the US (18-20), during which time he developed his interests in next generation disruptive commercial air and space technologies. Terry is a future focused strategic thinker and pragmatic business leader. He believes that cooperation between Government, Defence and commercial industry, is the key to national resilience and business success.
Kym (Koz) Osley, AM, CSC, Strategic Advisor: Koz is a widely respected defence executive with extensive connections across the defence ecosystem in Australia and overseas with Military, Government, and Industry. He has 45+ years of experience working within the Defence Force and subsequently in the commercial sector. He has had many senior roles across defence and aerospace, including with an international consulting firm, and as the senior Air Force representative in the UK, and senior defence representative in the US. He was the Head of the $17B Australian F-35 program, and was awarded a Minister for Defence Industry Support Commendation for his work in capability development with defence. Koz is a Member of the Order of Australia, a graduate of the Harvard Advanced Management Program, and a Fellow of the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies.
Fergus (Gus) McLachlan, AO, Strategic Advisor: Gus is a retired Major General in the Australian Army, serving for 37 years. His career included operational service in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as well as a pivotal exchange with the US Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. For his exceptional service in Afghanistan, he was awarded the US Legion of Merit by then Secretary of Defense, James Mattis. Gus led the recapitalisation of the Australian Army’s air defence and ground combat systems. His tenure as Commander, Land Forces Command, oversaw the operational readiness of 35,000 personnel. Gus serves as a Senior Advisor for Defence and National Security at The University of Sydney, holding several directorships, including with the Sir Richard Williams Foundation and L3 Harris Australia. He has advisory roles with early-stage technology firms in cyber security and artificial intelligence. An Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), Gus holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Canberra and is an alumnus of the Harvard Advanced Management Program. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales.
Kacey Lam-Evans, Government Affairs Director: Kacey is a government affairs specialist who brings a robust background in public policy and strategic government engagement to DroneShield. She has directly advised Australian Government Ministers and was Senior Advisor to the 54th Australian Minister for Defence, where she was instrumental in driving the Australian Defence Export Strategy and enhancing export confidence across the Australian defence industry. Prior to DroneShield, Kacey held a senior leadership role at a government affairs firm, where she provided strategic corporate advice and government relations support to clients across sectors with a substantial focus on defence.
Oleg Vornik, DroneShield CEO, commented: “DroneShield welcomes Terry, Koz, Gus, and Kacey to our team, as the business rapidly grows in scale. They are world class talent, coming at this important time as counterdrone threats are rapidly growing around the world. They will be involved in ongoing positioning of DroneShield as a pre-eminent defence technology company in Australia and globally. These appointments reflect the significant growth in our capabilities, across business development, technology, and operations.”
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Droneshield an Australian owned company that exports to around 100 countries including the U.S. Military ( I’ve been told ) but has never even been approached by the ADF. Just what is the problem with the DoD and CASG, are they so far in the pocket of U.S. lobbyists that they can’t see past the free meals and trips to the U.S. or is it our Politicians too afraid to say No to U.S. industry…
I couldn’t agree more.
I think that is SO POOR from the ADF, an Australian company supplying over half the world with good technology YET our own self defence don’t or won’t approach them, no wonder we have been way behind with technology.
Exactly.