Updated 2/9/99

Senator The Hon. Eric Abetz has recently been appointed to the Howard Government’s second Ministry, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence. Senator Abetz is a barrister and solicitor. He was chosen by the Parliament of Tasmania to fill a Senate vacancy in 1994. Prior to entering Parliament Senator Abetz was State President of the Liberal Party of Australia, Tasmanian Division from 1990-94, and practiced as a Barrister and Solicitor in the legal partnership of Abetz, Curtis and Docking. Senator Abetz is the first and only Tasmanian to be elected Federal President of the Australian Liberal Students' Federation and served this term from 1980-81; he is also the only life member of the Australian Liberal Students’ Federation. He was part of an official overseas delegation in 1982 as a Guest of the World Zionist Organization tour of Israel. In 1991 Senator Abetz took part in a delegation tour of Germany with the Australian Political Exchange Council, and again in 1996 when he led a delegation to Vietnam.

Peter Anstiss took up his current appointment as Chief Executive of British Aerospace Australia on November 1st 1998. From 1991 to 1998 Mr. Anstiss held the position of Director of Sales & Marketing Support, Military Aircraft and Aerostructures – leading the business units’ sales and marketing team for BAe’s own, and joint venture, military aircraft programs. During this period he was appointed to the Management Board, responsible to the Managing Director. Mr. Anstiss has been closely involved in the business evaluation and launch of collaborative aerospace programs, most recently BAe/SAAB Gripen joint venture. During his career he has visited over 30 countries in the course of developing new business for British Aerospace.

Bruce C. Bade is Director, Pacific Armaments Cooperation in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Technology). His Directorate is the US Department of Defense focal point for cooperation in defense equipment acquisition with nations in Asia, the Pacific and the Americas.

A member of the Senior Executive Service and a retired US Navy surface warfare officer, he has served in international defense equipment-related positions in the Pentagon since 1978 in OPNAV, the Defense Security Assistance Agency, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Craig M. Brandt, Ph.D. was appointed Director of Research, Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management, 8 November 1998. Dr. Brandt has been Professor of Security Assistance Management, 8 November 1998-present. Earlier appointments include Chair, Department of Logistics Management, 1 October 1993 – 7 November 1998; Associate Professor of Logistics Management (with tenure), 1 October 1989; Assistant Professor of Logistics Management, 30 March 1987. Ph.D. in Political Science (Major field: public administration; minor fields: international relations and U. S. government). University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH. 1985.

Senator Professor Massimo Brutti was appointed Deputy Minister for Defence, Italy in May, 1996. In the 12th legislature he was a member of the Permanent Commission for Justice and a member of the leading committee of the parliamentary group “Progressisti-Federativo”. In the same legislature Senator Brutti was President of the parliamentary Committee for the Intelligence Service and for State Classification of Documents. He has also been a member of the parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on Mafia, and proposer of the act for confiscation, and the subsequent allocation to the Helpful Social Services, of goods belonging to bosses of the Mafia. He has been a Senator of the Italian Republic since April, 1992 for the “Left Democratic Party”, and was confirmed in the political elections in 1994 and 1996. Between 1986 and 1990 he was a member of the Superior Council of the Bench. Senator Brutti has been full Professor of Roman Law at the “La Sapienza” University in Rome, since November, 1979.

Brigadier General James D. Bryan, USA is the Director for Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems, U.S. Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. He develops C3S policies, plans and programs to provide strategic direction to all assigned and supporting forces in peacetime and for joint and combined operations during war and contingency operations. In 1995, General Bryan became the Executive Officer to the Director of Information Systems for Command, Control, Communications and Computers (DISC4), HQ, Department of the Army. In July, 1997, he was promoted to Brigadier General and assumed duties as Deputy DISC4, Department of the Army, in the Pentagon.

The Honorable H. Lee Buchanan III was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (RD&A) on October 1, 1998. Dr. Buchanan is the Department’s Acquisition Executive responsible for all Navy and Marine Corps Research, Development and Acquisition. He is also responsible for all acquisition policy and procedures within the Department. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Buchanan served as Deputy Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). As the Deputy Director, Dr. Buchanan was responsible for management of the Agency’s high payoff innovative research and development projects. Ph.D. Applied Physics and BS/MS Electrical Engineering.

John David Cambridge is Chief Executive, Asian Business, a new position reporting directly to the Premier of South Australia. As “ambassador” to Asia for South Australia. John is responsible for establishing and building key business and government relationships with Asia, which is a critical element of the Government’s focus on restructuring the South Australian economy. For four years, prior to the appointment, John was the Chief Executive of the Economic Development Authority, the Government’s premier economic development agency. John was also the Chief Executive and architect-builder of the South Australian Centre for Manufacturing, which is an organization providing a range of advice and assistance to the manufacturing and traded services sectors in South Australia.

Dr Ian Chessell is Director of DSTO’s Electronics and Surveillance Research Laboratory, which carries out R&D in command, control, and communications, information technology, intelligence, electronic warfare, radar and optoelectronics surveillance. In 1995 Dr. Chessell was appointed Chief of the newly created Weapons Systems Division, DSTO. This Division brings together all DSTO’s R&D programs in support of weapons and energetic materials. In 1993-4 Dr Chessell undertook an 18 month attachment to the Acquisition and Logistics Organisation of the Australian Department of Defence working on new computer acquisition policies and procedures for Defence.

Nelson E. (Ed) Cobleigh took his current position as Vice President of International Business Development for the Defense Systems Segment (DSS) of Raytheon Systems Company (RSC). DSS is one of five segments within RSC, comprising major operations in Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington. As Vice President of International Business Development, Ed is responsible for the international marketing of all Defense Systems products. Prior to taking this position Mr. Cobleigh was Director of International Business Development for Hughes weapons systems segment.

Dr. Tony Collins is the managing director of SONARTECH ATLAS Pty Ltd, a recent joint venture between Australia’s Sonartech Pty Ltd and Germany’s STN Atlas Electronik GmbH. For ten years he was the managing director of Sonartech Pty Ltd, principal supplier of sonar equipment to the RAN submarine squadron. Its products include PIPRS, a passive ranging intercept sonar, and SAAPS, a towed array and flank array sonar processor. Dr Collins has undertaken research in passive ranging sonars for the RAN Research Laboratory (RANRL), and in plasma physics and solar energy for the University of Sydney. He holds a B.Sc. (Hons) and Ph.D from the University of Sydney.

Major General J.M. Connolly, AO assumed command of the Headquarters Australian Theatre on 31 January 1997. Earlier, (October 1993), Major General Connolly was appointed Assistant Chief of the Defence Force (Operations), and became Director Defence Intelligence Organization on 9 June 1995. His efforts on behalf of the Australian Defence Force were recognised and he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in June 1995. Prior to this, General Connolly had been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1991 in recognition of his efforts in commanding 3 Brigade (the Operational Deployment Force) in Townsville. He then attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in London. After his return, he was promoted to the rank of Major General in March 1992 and assumed the appointment of Assistant Chief of the General Staff – Personnel, in Army Office, Canberra.

Colonel Allen B. Conrad joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1966 after graduating with a Bachelor and a Master of Science degree. In 1989 Colonel Conrad arrived in Ottawa and was posted to the Chief of Research and Development branch . Upon promotion to his current rank in 1990, he completed assignments as Director of Maritime Aircraft Engineering and Maintenance, Director of Engineering and Maintenance Planning and Standardization and acting Director General Project and Engineering Management. In February 1998 he assumed his current position as Program Manager Year 2000 for the Department of National Defense.

Dr. Roger Creaser assumed the position of Chief, Maritime Operations Division, Aeronautical and Maritime Research Laboratory of the Defense Science and Technology Organization (DSTO) in May 1994. Prior to this Dr. Creaser was Chief of Electronic Warfare Division of Electronics Research Laboratory of the Defense Science and Technology Organization. Dr. Creaser was Counselor Defense Science at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC. He was responsible for DSTO activities in the United States and Canada, which meant considerable interaction with scientific institutions across North America.

William A. Curtis was appointed Special Assistant for Year 2000 (Y2K), US Department of Defense OASD (C3I) in March 1998. In this capacity he is charged with ensuring that DoD successfully meets the Y2K challenge with a comprehensive and effective programmed approach. Mr. Curtis, a member of the Senior Executive Service since 1994, comes to this position from The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) where he was, most recently, the DISA Director for Procurement and Logistics. In this position he was responsible for streamlining the acquisition of all information and communication systems within the Defense Information Infrastructure. He also served as the Agency Source Selection authority for all DISA major procurements.

George T. Dasher is Vice President, Undersea Systems, Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics and Surveillance Systems. Mr. Dasher manages a 500-person organization responsible for the Navy systems business in Manassas, including domestic and international submarine C3I systems and trainers, undersea surveillance systems and maritime systems, with revenues totaling $400M in 1998. Mr. Dasher has more than 20 years submarine sonar and combat system experience, including managing the $2.5 billion AN/BSY-1 submarine combat system for the fast attack class submarines in the 1980s and the current $225 million Virginia class submarine C3I development effort. He recently returned from a six-year assignment in the UK where he was responsible for the anti-submarine warfare helicopter programs and the development of a new air traffic control system to replace the existing system in London.

LTC Diana Davis, USA is Manager of the Foreign Comparative Testing Program which is jointly supervised by Director, Test, Systems Engineering and Evaluation, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Technology and Director, Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Her previous major acquisition assignments included Assistant Project Manager for Tank Systems and Deputy Division Chief at Communications Electronics Command (CECOM) Acquisition Center Washington. LTC Davis is also a Maintenance Test Pilot, qualified in the UH-60 Blackhawk and UH-1 Huey. She holds a masters of Science degree in Contracting and Industrial Management and a Bachelor of Administration in Business. Her professional military education include the Defense Systems Management College Program Manager Course, Command and General Staff College, Transportation Basic and Advance Courses.

Geoff Davis is Assistant Secretary, Year 2000 Project Office, Australia. Mr. Davis joined the public service in 1971 as a graduate engineer. His early work with the US Navy started a long association with major equipment projects, in particular, as Engineering Director of the highly successful ANZAC Ship Project. In 1994, Geoff Davis became a Senior Executive with the Defence Estate Organisation and has been at the lead of the change process in delivery facilities and policy development. In December, 1997 Geoff was appointed to head the Defence Year 2000 Project and has been successful in placing Defence in a strong position to achieve its Y2K compliance objectives.

Rear Admiral John P. Davis, USN graduated with a Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering. In July 1996 RADM Davis became Program Manager for the Undersea Weapons Program Office (PMS404). He was selected to Flag rank in 1996. In December 1996 he became the Director, Office of Submarine Technology in the Naval Sea Systems Command. In August 1997 he became and is currently Program Executive Officer, Submarines. RADM Davis’ awards include the Legion of Merit with two Gold Stars and the Meritorious Service Medal with one Gold Star.

Constance G. Fortune is SAIC Vice President & Division Manager (1986 - Present). As Vice President & Division Manager for the SAIC CANADA Systems Division, Ms. Fortune is responsible for overall management including technical and financial management, supervision of quality assurance, marketing, personnel management, financial risk management for the Systems Division of SAIC Canada. Ms. Fortune is responsible for the development & execution of the SAIC Canada fiscal year Business Plan. Ms. Fortune has also served as Program Manager & Contracts Manager for various Canadian & U.S. Forces.

Lieutenant General Carlton W. Fulford, Jr., USMC is the Commander US Marine Corps Forces Pacific/Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific/Commander US Marine Corps Bases, Pacific HQ,Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. He was promoted to first lieutenant in October 1967 and subsequently reassigned as Commanding Officer until his return from Vietnam in June 1968. His most recent assignments include Commanding General, III Marine Expeditionary Force (1994-1995) and Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force. (1996-1998)

Nick Hammond spent 35 years as an engineer officer in the RAN. Between 1985 and 1992 he managed the DDG Modernization, Australian Frigate and ANZAC Ship Projects before taking over the Navy Material Division. In 1994 he transferred to a two-star position in the Defense Material Division and in January 1997 he took up his present job as Managing Director of CelsisTech Australia.

Ken Harris is the Managing Director of ADI Limited. He holds the degree of Bachelor of Economics from the University of Queensland. He is a foundation director and chief executive of ADI Limited. He has previously held a number of positions in business and Government. Ken Harris is a councillor of the Australian Industry Group, a member of its NSW Executive and is a Vice President of the Group. He is a Director of the Australian War Memorial Foundation.

Maurice Hermann was appointed to the position of Director General Exports and International Programs in the Australian Defence Department in December 1994. Maurice’s Branch is responsible for: developing policy and implementing programs which assist Australian defence industry in the areas of international materiel cooperation and exports; and administering defence and strategic export controls.

Lieutenant Colonel (P) Thomas M. Jordan, USA is currently assigned to the Commandant’s Initiatives Group, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. He has commanded an infantry rifle company, a long range reconnaissance company and served as an S3 of a mechanized infantry battalion in the US and Germany. His most recent assignments include strategic planner, Strategy Division, J5, The Joint Staff, Washington, D.C., Command of a mechanized infantry battalion at Fort Riley, Kansas, and Chief of Warplans, G3, III Corps at Fort Hood, Texas. LTC Jordan will take command of the 3d Infantry Regiment, The Old Guard, at Fort Myer, Virginia, in June 1999.

Graham Kearns took up his current position, as Head of Industry and Procurement Infrastructure Division, in February 1998. The Division contributes to the acquisition of major equipment and systems, and promotes industry support for Australia’s defence. The Division was centrally involved in the preparation of Defence and Industry – Strategic Policy Statement, which was released in June 1998. In September, 1993, Graham was appointed Counsellor Defence Policy at the Australian Embassy in Washington. In this position, he liaised with the U.S. Government on a broad range of bilateral, regional and broader strategic policy matters. After returning to Australia in early 1996, he became Director General of Regional Engagement Policy and Programs Branch. The Branch is responsible for directing and overseeing Australia’s defence relations with South East Asia, PNG and the South West Pacific.

David Longhurst heads up the British Ministry of Defence Year 2000 ‘Milennium Bug’ team. In 1995, Mr. Longhurst took up the post of Head of the Defence Communication and Information Systems Interoperability Authority (DCISIA), which is now renamed the Defence Technical Architecture Group. The group developed the Defence Architecture for Communications and Information Systems (CIS), including the Common Operating Environment (COE). A more public feature of his work has been the introduction of Internet into MOD’s headquarters in Whitehall, demonstrated by the MOD World Wide Web pages, which he pioneered.

Jean-Georges Malcor has been the Managing Director of Thomson Marconi Sonar Pty Limited since 1996. He graduated as an Engineer from the Ecole Centrale de Paris in 1979, completed his Master of Sciences degree at Stanford University, California in 1980 and his doctoral thesis was accepted at the Ecole des Mines in 1983. He joined the Thomson-CSF Group in 1983 and has extensive experience in Defence, particularly in the underwater domain.

Robert L. McCaig has over 28 years of experience working on Navy Submarine programs. In his current position as Navy Systems Technical Director, he supports the site strategic planning efforts and provides technical direction/coordination across all Navy programs at Manassas, Virginia, USA. Beginning in the 1990’s, Mr. McCaig has led an effort at Lockheed Martin for the transition to Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) technology for submarine non-propulsion electronics. These efforts have led to such programs as Advanced Mine Detection System (AMDS), Medium Frequency Active Improvement (MFAI), and the New Attack Submarine C3I System.

Air Marshal Errol J. McCormack, AO is Chief of Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force. Air Marshal McCormack joined the RAAF in 1962 as an aircrew cadet and was commissioned in 1963. As a junior officer he served in Malaysia and Singapore during Confrontation, Thailand as part of SEATO forces, Vietnam during the civil war and the United States on exchange duty with the US Air Force. As a senior officer he completed staff appointments in operations and operational requirements and as Air Attache, Washington and Deputy Chief of Air Force. He has commanded at unit (No 1 Squadron, F111), wing (No 82 Wing, F111) and operational (FPDA Integrated Air Defence System) levels. Air Marshal McCormack attended both RAAF and Joint Services Staff Colleges and served on the directing staff of both institutions.

Colonel Craig R. McPherson, USAF is the director of the Joint Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles directorate, Reconnaissance Systems Program Office, Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He is responsible for the management of two High Altitude Endurance (HAE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) acquisition programs, the RQ-4A Global Hawk and the RQ-3A DarkStar. The Colonel’s career has involved acquisition posts with assignments at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, special assignment to the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D.C., Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. At Kirtland Air Force Base, the colonel was the director of Military Spaceplane Systems.

Merrilyn J. McPherson was promoted to First Assistant Secretary, Capital Equipment Program Division, Department of Defense, in late March 1996. Ms. McPherson has overall responsibility for the Major Capital Equipment sub-program and chairs the Defense Source Selection Board.

Since her early career as a Project Engineer, Merrilyn has held various positions in project, policy and management areas. She holds qualifications in Electronic Engineering and is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Australia.

Richard E. Metrey became the Director of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division on January 1st 1992. Mr. Metrey had served as the Technical Director of the David Taylor Research Center since June 1986. He is directly responsible for the technical program of the Division. Prior to this, Mr. Metrey was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Surface Warfare). He served as principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for matters pertaining to Navy Surface Warfare research, development and acquisition. He was also the Navy’s principal point of contact for the program of Naval Cooperation with the People’s Republic of China. Richard Metrey was recently awarded the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award.

Nancy A. Moulton is the Project Manager for Light Tactical Vehicles and is assigned to the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, MI (USA). In this position, she is responsible for life cycle management of the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), the High Mobility Trailer (HMT) and the Armored Security Vehicle (ASV). Ms. Moulton has over 21 years of federal service in acquisition, logistics and project management assignments. She holds a Master of Science Degree in Systems Management; a Certificate in Information and Telecommunications Management; and an undergraduate degree in organizational management and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute (PMI). Ms. Moulton also continues her 20 plus year military career in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Warrant Officer, Automotive Maintenance Technician, in the 818th Direct Support Maintenance Company, Ft. Meade, MD.

Paul Salteri, Managing Director of the Tenix Group, was born in Italy in 1947 and came to Australia with his father, one of the founders of the Transfield Group, in 1951. He graduated from NSW University in 1971. He is Chairman of Australian Industry Group's Defence Manufacturers Council, a Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants and a Governor of the Warren Centre for advanced engineering at Sydney University.

William A. (Bill) Solitario is the Director of Advanced Technology within the Engineering Division of Ingalls Shipbuilding, Inc. He has been with Ingalls 30 years and has held management positions in Engineering, Business Development and Operations. In his current assignment he is responsible for the technical direction of Ingalls’ Independent Research and Development Program, military and commercial preliminary ship design and Integrated Logistic Support. Prior to Ingalls, Mr. Solitario worked for TRW Systems and North American Rockwell on Aerospace Programs ranging from the Apollo Program to the Minuteman Missile Program. He received his Engineering Degree from the City University of New York and has had graduate courses in Economics, Business, and Systems Engineering from UCLA and California State College at Long Beach.

John Spellar was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defense on May 5th 1997. He has been the National Officer for the Electrical, Electronic, Telecommunications and Plumbing Union since 1969. Mr. Spellar was appointed as Opposition Whip with responsibility for Employment, Trade and Industry and Parliamentary Business from 1992 until 1994. He was Opposition Spokesman on Northern Ireland from 1994 to 1995 and on Defense from 1955 to 1997. He also served on the Energy Select Committee from 1982 to 1983 and has been a long standing member of the Trade Union Committee for European and Transatlantic Understanding.

Tetsuo Tamama currently holds the position of Senior Researcher, Defense Research Committee, Japan Defense Research Center. Former assignments include Chief Engineer, Electronic Products & Systems Group, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; Manager, Defense Systems Technology Exchange, Electronic Systems Division; Manager, Defense Systems Development Department, Electronic Systems Division; Manager, Radar Department, Communication Equipment Works.

Alan Tebb became Acting Director General of the Industry Policy and Programs Branch in the Industry Procurement and Infrastructure Division of the DAO in July of 1997. Mr. Tebb’s responsibilities include implementing far reaching change in Defense industry policy, providing industry advice and support to the Defense major capital acquisition process, representing Defense interests in the sale of government business enterprises, sponsoring the annual Defense Procurement Seminar and running the Defense Industry Study Course. From November, 1996 until July 1997, Alan acted in the position of Assistant Secretary Industry Programs and Operations, responsible for advice on Australian industry aspects of major procurement projects.

Lieutenant General (retired) Naruhiko Ueda currently holds the position of Board Director, UVE General Manager for Security Research, Sogo Security Services Co. Ltd. General Ueda’s previous assignments include the foundation of the Japan Defense Research Center and Director of Ground Research & Development, Technical Research & Development Institute (TRDI), Japan Defense Agency. General Ueda retired from the Military Ground Self Defense Force in 1989 and at this time assumed his present status.

Peter Varnish, OBE is Director, International Business Development, DERA, Farnborough, UK. Promoted July, 1995 to his new post from the Director of Science for Ballistic Missile Defense. His previous responsibilities include managing the US research program on Naval Stealth, EW, radar and combat weapons systems, He has written numerous papers on these subjects and has been on the Technical Program Committees for radar, military microwaves, and Stealth conferences.

David Whiteree is Chairman of IDEEA, Inc. and Chief Executive and founder of the ComDef series of exhibitions and symposia. IDEEA, Inc. is a full service international business development and marketing company established in Washington DC. Mr. Whiteree is founder/publisher of Common Defense Forum.

Quentin Whiteree is President of IDEEA, Inc. He is the Program Manager for ComDef and runs several other conferences. Mr. Whiteree also manages several organizations' information management systems. He holds a joint BA Honors degree in marketing from Strathclyde University, Scotland.