Specialist project management consultancy, TBH, has strengthened its national Defence team with two senior appointments in Melbourne and Adelaide and a Director-level promotion in Perth.
The expansion comes as Australia’s Defence sector moves into a period of unprecedented investment, with the 2026 Integrated Investment Program (IIP) committing around $425 billion over the next decade to accelerate capability across naval shipbuilding, submarines, land and air programs.
The appointments of Lauran Long as Principal in Melbourne and Felicity Carter as Associate Director in Adelaide add senior experience in project controls, the discipline of tracking cost, schedule and performance to keep major Defence programs on track.
They follow the recent promotion of Perth-based Judith Irvine to Director, giving TBH senior Defence leadership in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.
TBH has supported Defence since 1965; its first Defence project was the Harold E. Holt naval communication station at North West Cape in Western Australia.
Its experience includes the Hunter Class Frigate Program, Osborne Naval Shipyard, the JP 2047 Defence communications network and Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Dock sustainment.
“Australia is investing in Defence capability at a scale we haven’t seen before in peace time. That investment only translates to capability if programs are delivered on time and on budget,” TBH, Managing Director, Jonathan Jacobs, said.
“Lauran and Felicity bring more than 40 years of combined experience working inside major Defence programs and Judith’s promotion recognises the leadership she brings to our Defence team in Western Australia. Together, they put senior Defence expertise on the ground where the majority of the nation’s shipbuilding, sustainment, land and submarine capability is being delivered.”
Long joins TBH as Principal, with close to 18 years’ experience in Defence and aerospace project controls. She has held roles with global defence companies BAE Systems, Leonardo and Thales, and has supported Defence on Land 400, the Army’s multi-billion-dollar program to replace its armoured combat vehicles.
She will focus on growing TBH’s Defence team across Victoria and South Australia.
Carter joins as Associate Director, with more than 20 years’ experience in Defence project controls. She began her career training project teams across Australia in the scheduling and cost software widely used in Defence, before spending 13 years at Lockheed Martin Australia.
At TBH, she will focus on improving systems and processes, training and building the pipeline of new talent entering project controls in Defence.
Judith Irvine has been promoted to Director, based in Perth. She brings more than 28 years’ experience in Defence across Australia and the United Kingdom, including leadership roles with BAE Systems on the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, Australia’s hobart-class air warfare destroyers and ANZAC-class frigate maintenance.
Judith also sits on the national board of the Women in Defence Association and will lead the growth of TBH’s Defence capability in Western Australia.