AMDA Foundation Limited, globally recognised for the delivery of Australia’s largest international aviation, defence and industry expositions, announces that long-serving Chief Executive Ian Honnery will retire at the end of March, after leading the foundation and its predecessor organisations for nearly five decades since their inception. “At the age of 75 it is time for me to hand over to a new generation of leadership, who will build on and advance the organisation’s achievements and success,” Honnery said.
AMDA Foundation Board Chair, Vice Admiral Chris Ritchie (Ret) AO, announced that the board has selected prominent aviation business leader and current Avalon Airport CEO, Justin Giddings, as Honnery’s successor. “The AMDA Foundation board believes Justin Giddings has the experience, vision and drive to pick up where Ian Honnery leaves off and to ensure the continued success of AMDA Foundation for the future,” Ritchie said. “The selection of Justin Giddings means AMDA will continue to be led by a Chief Executive who is an accomplished and constructive business leader, committed to AMDA’s altruistic mission and familiar with the complexities and challenges of the Australian International Airshow as AMDA’s signature event.”
Giddings said he was “looking forward to leading the AMDA organisation and building on its achievements under the stewardship of Ian Honnery. I have always strongly supported AMDA Foundation’s mission of stimulating Australian industry promotion and engagement through industry focused events and in fostering public awareness of industry and of opportunities in careers and skills,” Giddings said. “I have been fortunate to have worked alongside Ian for many years and have enormous admiration and respect for what he has achieved. He leads a wonderful organisation and I am humbled to continue his service to the industry. I was an aircraft maintenance engineer before moving in to airport management, securing airline services and industry operations through both national and international business development. Aviation, technology and industry are in my blood, and with experience from the hangar floor to the management office, I have a passion for promoting vocational skills and careers.”
The altruistic purpose of AMDA Foundation Limited is to promote the development of aviation and Australia’s industrial, manufacturing and information/communications technology resources in the aerospace, maritime, aviation, defence and security sectors. AMDA achieves this aim through its programs and events (both in-person and on-line) in industry engagement, export and trade, innovation and technology, workforce development and sovereign capability. AMDA is globally recognised for its major international expositions, which currently include the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition (AVALON), the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition, the Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition and the RotorTech Helicopter and Unmanned Flight Exposition. Together, the most recent iterations of these events have:
- Attracted more than 200,000 attendances
- Provided a promotional platform for more than 2000 Australian and international companies
- Hosted more than 400 Australian and International delegations
- Hosted more than 100 Conferences and Symposia
- Engaged more than 1700 students in STEM, Careers and Skilling programs.
“The next 12 months will be an action-packed year for AMDA,” Ritchie said. “We will continue to progress the on-line AMDA Connects industry engagement initiatives we introduced following the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and our export, innovation and workforce promotion programs. AMDA will also be conducting the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition in May with support from Navy, the RotorTech Helicopter and Unmanned Flight Exposition in June and the Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition in October with participation by Army. Then, in conjunction with Air Force we will be staging the largest ever Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition at Avalon, in early March 2023, with the theme ‘The Future Is Now – From The Sky To The Stars’. All of our events are expected to attract record international participation and will take Australia to the World, by bringing the World to Australia.”
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