Defence Ready Seminar Series

Over the next decade the Australian Department of Defence will be spending over $270 billion dollars on Defence related products and services. If you want to take part in this enormous opportunity, then your business needs to become Defence Ready.

There are plenty of opportunities for manufacturers and providers of goods and services to participate; however, many firms do not know how to meet Defence industry requirements or build the business relationships that will help them win Defence contracts.

Enter the Defence Ready Seminar Series! A joint initiative between Goal Group, the Australian Industry & Defence Network (AIDN), and Skilling Australia’s Defence Industry (SADI) planned funding, the Defence Ready Seminar Series is designed to educate, prepare, grow and mature businesses who are either active in, or considering, Defence as a business opportunity.

The Goal Group partnership with AIDN, SADI and Hunter Defence have released the next virtual Defence Ready Seminar series, designed to educate, prepare, grow and mature business who are either active, or considering, Defence as a business opportunity.

Following 2 successful Hunter Region series, we are now accepting expressions of interest Australia-wide.  The seminars will be scheduled to ensure maximum integration of outcomes into business and include guest presenters from local industry groups and companies where appropriate.

Alan Rankins (Defence Introduction)

Managing Director of Goal Professional Services and Managing Partner of the Goal Group, with 49 years of experience in Defence and Industry. Alan is also a past president of AIDN, retaining a role on the AIDN NSW Committee, and has significant experience as a project and programme manager in complex projects.

Tim Owen AM ACDRE (rtd) (Defence Business Development)

Chair Hunter Defence Taskforce, Defence Industry Adviser at HunterNet, Senior Consultant at TFO Consulting Services and co-founder and director Defence Ventures Pty Ltd.

Experienced senior leader, senior managing partner and consultant with a demonstrated history of working in leadership and management within industry and government. Works closely with, and consults to, a number of highly respected Australian and international companies in military equipment, aviation, international corporate leadership training, renewable energy opportunities and food services internationally. He consults to Hunternet within the Newcastle region in the role of Defence Industry Adviser and chairs the Hunter Defence Industry Task Force. Tim is a Non Executive Director of Goal Group. Tim also is a co-director of Defence Ventures Pty Ltd, supporting innovation in the security industry. Skilled in Strategic Planning, Strategy Development, Company Leadership, Management, Business Strategy and Marketing. Strong consulting professional and team leader. Decorated military career.

Jacqui Daley (Defence Business Development)

A strategic and commercially focused marketer with a love for all things digital. Jacqui is the founder and MD of The Measured Marketer, a digital-first marketing consultancy based in Newcastle, NSW, Australia. In her 18 year career she has successfully lead teams to develop and deliver effective integrated marketing strategy across digital and traditional platforms.

Dale Walters (Defence Tendering)

As principal of Defence Advisory Services Australasia – a boutique company specialising in government relations, lobbying, advisory services and consulting into Defence Industry – Dale brings a substantial and unique wealth of experience working with Defence and Defence Industry for over 30 years. Following 21 years of service in the Royal Australian Navy as a Marine Engineer, Dale undertook a variety of Business Development and Program Management roles prior to establishing Defence Advisory Services Australasia in 2015.

Kevin Chenney (Defence Export Controls)

Kevin has been active as Goal’s EAR/ITAR Trainer/Consultant for over 3 years. Kevin is experienced in consulting and auditing for SMEs and has over 9 years of military training experience coupled with 7 years of Industry experience. Kevin has worked with both Defence Industry and the Australian Defence Force in the area of Export Controls therefore bringing a broad and complete understanding to the Defence Export Control area in Australia.

Rinske Geerlings (Defence Industry Business Continuity Essentials)

Rinske was awarded Risk Consultant of the Year 2017 by the RMIA, Outstanding Security Consultant of the Year 2019 Finalist by the OSPAs and BPW Businesswoman 2010-2013. She is an internationally known consultant, speaker and certified Business Continuity, Information Security & Risk Management trainer. She draws on more than 20 years’ experience across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, South America and Europe.

Michael McLean (Defence ISO Basics, Defence ISO Advanced)

Michael’s firm, McLean Management Consultants, was established in 1988 and has completed assignments in three level of government, private and not-for-profit in Australia and internationally. Michael is an accredited ISO 20700:2017 Trainer for Australian and international management consultants, and has AQF Accreditations in Competitive Systems and Practices, Training and Assessment; Advanced Diploma of Management; Frontline Management and Production Engineering. He has designed and delivered strategic improvement programs for DoD, RAAF, RAN and Army, and Conducted DoD CASG independent reviews, benchmarking and quality management with Maritime and Air Domains with Goal Group.

Rizwan Mahmood (Defence Relevant Data: Security Fundamentals)

Rizwan is the Chief Technology Officer at GuardWare Australia, a company that will unlock the global supply chain through protected data collaboration, visibility and control, where currently none exists. Rizwan has 18 years of experience of designing and management information security and artificial Intelligence based systems. He holds a Masters in Information Technology Management from Staffordshire University, UK, and is a certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and Project Management Professional PMP®. During his time with e-Safe Systems he has held several strategic and leadership roles and has been instrumental in growing the business which is now protecting over a million users worldwide.

Ray Harvey (Defence Cyber Regulatory Controls)

Ray Harvey is the Senior Defence Cyber Evangelist at GuardWare Australia, a Goal Group member. Ray is passionate about ensuring that Australian businesses are protecting themselves from evolving cyber threats and are as competitive as they can be in the competitive Defence market. Ray has broad experience across a number of industries in State and National leadership roles, encompassing Electronics, I.T. and Education. He is passionate about education among people of all ages, having spent the better part of a decade instructing science teachers in the use of technology, including the provision of educational materials for teacher training at ACU in Melbourne.

Daniel Mendoza-Jones (Defence Contracting)

Daniel Mendoza-Jones is the founder of Mendoza Legal & Consulting and is a corporate and commercial lawyer with broad experience advising Defence Industry and the Commonwealth in relation to procurement and contracting. Daniel is a trusted adviser to clients in the fields of aerospace, aviation, Defence industry and Government. Having worked in private and government practice, Daniel’s commercial advice is often sought by government agencies and by small and large organisations doing business with government. He also provides legal advice to small businesses and not-for-profits.

Dianne Gibert (Collaboration in Defence: Power of Many)

Dianne Gibert is the founder of Certex International, which is licensed with JAS-ANZ to issue certifications in quality, safety, and environmental management. Certex was established 15 years ago, and is one of the few fully Australian owned certification bodies. As a boutique business, Certex specialises in SMEs, supporting them to realise the power of management system controls so their businesses can grow and prosper. In 2019 Certex completed the first Australian certification in the Collaboration standard, 44001:2018, for DMTC.

Dr Sally Fitzpatrick (Defence Industry’s Workforce: Resilience and Wellbeing)

Dr Fitzpatrick oversees a range of projects including Ahead for Business, a digital hub supporting the mental health and wellbeing of small business owners and those that support them. Dr Fitzpatrick is a clinical psychologist and researcher who is passionate about understanding the factors that contribute to the mental health and wellbeing of all Australians. She is particularly passionate about translating this knowledge into evidence-based programs that enhance the mental health and wellbeing of our communities. She holds a Master of Clinical Psychology and a PhD, is a conjoint Senior Lecturer at The University of Newcastle and holds an Honorary Postdoctoral Fellowship with Macquarie University.

Effy Pantechis (Supply Chain/AIC)

Effy is a highly experienced senior engineering supply chain operations manager with extensive experience in commercial, defence and aviation. During her career she has overseen various supply chain functions including, complex procurement activities, governance and assurance framework development and implementation, inventory management, supplier management, financial budget management, process improvement, contractual negotiation and ERP (SAP) development.

Effy’s personal strengths include dedication to deliver sustainable outcomes and the ability to understand and work collaboratively with diversified stakeholders associated with an engineering supply chain.

Jenny Pitt (Defence Security including DISP)

Jenny Pitt joined Goal Group in 2021. Prior to that she was employed by the Australian Industry and Defence Network (AIDN) – NSW Inc. for over 13 years during which time she was heavily involved both in the fruition of the Defence Ready Seminar Series being presented by Goal Group in collaboration with the Hunter Defence Task Force and AIDN, and the promotion of the DISP Program including the review of the draft form of the Working Securely with Defence Guide and facilitating the Defence Industry Security Office (now Defence Industry Security Branch) to engage with industry to facilitate Industry involvement in the DISP Program.

Jenny is currently the Security Officer for Goal Group and has immersed herself completely in all things DISP and Security.