Speaker Biographies
Patrick Gregg, Chief Executive Officer, Austal
Patrick (Paddy) Gregg was promoted to the position of Austal’s Chief Executive Officer on 1 January 2021, following approximately 4 years as Austal’s Chief Operating Officer. Paddy is a highly regarded senior leader with significant project management, manufacturing and business experience acquired within the high-technology nuclear defence industry, Rail Industry and Naval Shipbuilding Industry. Prior to joining Austal, Paddy was the Route Delivery Director (Western) for Network Rail in the United Kingdom. In this role he was responsible for all enhancements and renewals of infrastructure on the Route where he built the Western team following an organisational resturcture. He progressively grew the team and turnover to c.£200m before moving to Australia. Paddy has extensive experience in the naval sector having worked for BAE Systems Submarines, based in Barrow-in-Furness. Paddy was the Head of Project for the second of class hunter killer nuclear submarine build. The project was circa £2.5Bn and in this role he worked closely with both the Ministry of Defence and Navy to ensure the project was successfully delivered. As Chief Operating Officer at Austal Paddy had responsibility for the shipbuilding and sustainment operations in Australia, China, Philippines and Vietnam. This responsibility covers both new build of commercial and naval vessels, including the Commonwealth of Australia’s Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Program and the sustainment stream of the business, focused on the Armidale and Cape Class Patrol Boats in service support for Australian Border Force and Royal Australian Navy. As Chief Executive Officer, Paddy joins the Board of Austal Limited and oversees a global company comprising 6 shipyards and 8 service centres in 5 countries, with more than 5,500 employees worldwide. Paddy is a Charted Engineer and fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, with a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and a Masters in Business Administration from the Warwick Business School. He is married to Suzie and they have 2 boys.
Hon Stephen Smith, Former Minister for Defence, Foreign Affairs & Trade
The Hon Professor Stephen Smith is actively engaged in industry and commerce. He is Chair of the Board of Sapien Cyber, a Perth based cyber security company specialising in protection of critical infrastructure and operating in both Australia and the US. He was previously inaugural Chair of ASX listed cyber security company archTIS. He is a member of the Australian Government’s cyber security Industry Advisory Committee.
Professor Smith was Federal Member for Perth from March 1993 until September 2013 and served variously as the Minister for Defence, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Minister for Trade (2007-2013).
Professor Smith has also been a Professor of Public International Law at the University of Western Australia since 2014. He is Chair of the Advisory Board of the UWA Public Policy Institute, Chair of the UWA Defence and Security Institute and a member of the Board of the Perth USAsia Centre.
Linda Dawson, Deputy Director General - Industry, Science and Innovation, Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation
Linda Dawson is the Deputy Director General of Industry, Science and Innovation at the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (JTSI), a role which she commenced after 25 years in the resource and utilities sector. She has held various operational and senior leadership roles in this time, spanning everything from large scale merges and acquisitions to integrations and marketing. On the panel, Linda will highlight why WA is best placed when it comes to our ability to deliver on what the defence sector requires going forward and how critical minerals, battery production and our sovereign capabilities make our state highly attractive to international partners.
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