Thales Australia has appointed Duncan Lewis, former Secretary of the Department of Defence and Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), as chair of the Thales Australia board.
Lewis has held positions at 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, will remain on the Thales Australia Board as a non-executive director continuing to serve the company alongside Deputy Chair Stephen Loosley, 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.
“We are very pleased that Duncan has agreed to take the position of Chair of Thales Australia,” Thales Australia CEO Jeff Connolly said.
“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.”
Lewis said that following three years’ service as a non-executive director of Thales Australia he was greatly honoured to take over as Chair of the Board.
“Thales Australia is a great company employing large numbers of Australians in our major cities and in rural and regional Australia," Lewis said. "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.”
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'.