THALES AUSTRALIA APPOINTS DUNCAN LEWIS AO DSC CSC AS NEW BOARD CHAIR
Thales Australia has appointed Duncan Lewis AO DSC CSC, former Secretary of the Department of Defence and Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), as Board Chair.
Mr. Lewis is one of Australia’s most distinguished leaders having served the nation at the most senior levels of the Army, public service, diplomatic service and security agencies in roles that included Commander of Australia’s Special Air Service Regiment, National Security Advisor to the Federal Government, Secretary of the Department of Defence and Ambassador to Belgium, the European Union, Luxembourg and NATO.
Thales Australia’s outgoing Chair, Belinda Hutchinson AM, one of the country’s most prominent business leaders, will remain on the Thales Australia Board as a non-executive director continuing to serve the company alongside peers including Deputy Chair Stephen Loosley AM, former Senator for New South Wales in the Australian Parliament during the Hawke and Keating Governments where he chaired both the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade and the Senate Regulations Committee.
Thales Australia CEO Jeff Connolly said, “we are very pleased that Duncan has agreed to take the position of Chair of Thales Australia.”
“Duncan brings with him a wealth of knowledge spanning a 47-year career with the Australian Government, both in and out of uniform. Duncan’s experience as one of Australia’s pre-eminent leaders in cyber security, defence and international affairs are all areas of critical importance to Australia’s national security interests in the current geopolitical climate, and will only increase in importance into the future.”
Mr. Lewis said that following three years’ service as a non-executive director of Thales Australia that he was greatly honored to take over as Chair of the Board. He complimented Belinda Hutchinson as the outgoing Chair and is enormously appreciative of the work she has done.
Mr. Lewis said, “Thales Australia is a great company employing large numbers of Australians in our major cities and in rural and regional Australia. Furthermore, Thales Australia provides leading edge military capability to the Australian Defence Force and makes a major contribution to Australia’s sovereign defence industry base.”
Mr. Lewis also remarked that the recent decision by the Australian Government to provide to the Ukraine Bushmaster vehicles made by Thales Australia in Bendigo, reinforced his view about the need for a strong sovereign defence industry in our country, and he looks forward to working with the Thales Australia Board, CEO Jeff Connolly and the senior executives of the company.
Belinda Hutchinson said, “I am delighted that Duncan Lewis has agreed to become the Thales Chair. Given his wide-ranging senior leadership roles serving Australia he brings extraordinarily valuable experience to the role. It has been a privilege to be the Chair of Thales over the past 8 years. Thales provides important sovereign capability contributing to Australia’s national interest and security through its support of the ADF and its commercial customers. I look forward to the further successful growth of the company.”
Mr. Connolly said, “I’d like to thank Belinda for her dedication to Thales Australia over the last 8 years. We are privileged to have the benefit of her extensive experience, leadership and commitment. I look forward to continuing to work alongside Belinda on the Board in the future as we continue to build an even more valuable sovereign capability in Australia.”
About Thales in Australia
Thales Australia is a trusted partner of the Australian Defence Force and is also present in commercial sectors ranging from air traffic management and ground transport systems to security systems and services. Thales Australia employs around 3,800 people directly and supports over 2,051 job along its Australian supply chain. In 2020 Thales Australia spent $657 million with 1,841 Australia suppliers, of which 82% are SMEs. Since 2018 Thales Australia has spent over $1.9 billion with local Australian businesses.
Thales Australia has a history of patient investment to build advanced in-country capability across manufacturing, critical systems and services. Close collaborative relationships with local customers, Australian SME suppliers and research institutions combined with technology transfer from our global business enables Thales to tailor high quality solutions for Australian and export markets, generating revenue of $1.6 billion in exports over the past 10 years.