After a decade with Hanwha, inaugural Hanwha Defence Australia (HDA) Managing Director Mr Richard Cho has stepped down from the company, effective 2 May 2024. HDA’s Director of Operations Mr Dean Michie will become Acting Managing Director from 3 May 2024.
Founded in 2019, HDA has experienced exponential growth, being awarded two multibillion dollar programs from the Commonwealth of Australia for the Australian Army in the Huntsman self-propelled howitzer and the Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicle programs in 2021 and 2023 respectively.
“It is time for the next generation of leadership to guide HDA into the future,” Mr Cho said.
“I’m very proud of the work we have done in Australia, bringing significant expertise and investment from South Korea to Australia. The hard work and dedication of the team will continue to develop and deliver capabilities to our customer. Developing and working with the HDA team has been an honour," he added.
“In less than five years, HDA has been able to enter the Australian market to compete and win against the best the world has to offer."