Defence & Security Podcast Network

Troy Huckstepp has successfully made the transition from uniform to the corporate world after leaving the army and creating his own entity, AGIS, in 2006 with a former colleague. The goal was simple, to provide the same type of services that they were delivering in uniform and deliver that back to defence industry. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by chief operating officer of Downer Defence Services Troy Huckstepp, who will unpack his transition into the corporate world, the challenges that he faced and share the best way to prepare yourself to run a business for those planning to transition out of the services. Troy will discuss Downer's history in defence industry, the different brands that work under the Downer umbrella and the opportunities that its recent work with CASG will create for the organisation. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

Following his 24 years in defence industry, Riccardo Bosi has seen success as a leader across multiple fields. An author, award-winning speaker, internationally recognised leader and innovator, Bosi has had extensive experience in creating new and developing existing organisations. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Bosi, who will share how developing corporate leadership can lead to a growth economy and extensive opportunities for those wishing to capitalise on the burgeoning defence sector. He will discuss the five pillars of real leadership, how his own business ventures have impacted his teachings and how the corporate world differs to his time within defence industry. Bosi will discuss the basics of strong leadership, the common issues that he sees in Australian business and how Australian business can be leaders in innovation. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

Since its creation by Prince Harry, the Invictus Games has championed the sporting prowess of wounded, injured or sick armed services personnel and their associated veterans in an international adaptive multi-sport event. In the lead up to the games, which this year runs from 20 - 27 October, host Phil Tarrant is joined by athlete Andrew Wilkinson who will be competing in a total of eight events across cycling, swimming and running. Wilkinson will share how his journey, which saw him injured in his first race as a professional triathlete, has seen him become involved with the Invictus Games, and discuss the process of selection. He will unpack his strenuous training regime, the team culture that he experienced as a part of the Invictus Games camp and what is next for him as an athlete following the games. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

With development underway in Australia to build a reputable and respected space agency, and $41 million allocated to the sector over a four-year period, executive director of international and national engagement at the Australian Space Agency Karl Rodrigues joins host Phil Tarrant to unpack where that will be invested and their plans to triple the Australian space economy in the next 10 years. With the agency still in its infancy, Rodrigues will discuss how he came to take on the role of international and national engagement executive director and how the work that he is involved in will provide a lift to the Australian economy. He will share why the burgeoning space sector will also result in growth in various other sectors and the types of jobs that their growth will create. Rodrigues will also discuss Australia's role in the global space economy, the unique benefits that the nation is able to bring and what will influence the path of the agency's development. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, host Phil Tarrant is joined by founding director of GaardTech Steen Bisgaard, who will unpack how its two-dimensional and three-dimensional technologies are being utilised in defence industry training to ensure a higher success rate on the battlefield. Bisgaard will share how through his history in the defence force he was able to identify a gap in the market that lead to the development of GaardTech, and why he believed that self-funding the company was the best way to maintain integrity across its products. Being a relatively new company, Bisgaard will share how GaardTech plans to market its product, the future lines that it plans to develop and why it is choosing to outsource the creation of its products for the time being. He will also explain the rationale behind why the company is hoping to attract a particular type of staff member to join the team, who that is and how that will impact GaardTech going forward. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

Recorded in our mobile studio in Orlando, host Phil Tarrant is joined by Neil Prescott, the director of business development for Lockheed Martin, to discuss the Australian arrival of the F-35 in December. Prescott will unpack the ongoing debate and concerns about the F-35 platform and the capabilities it will bring to the Royal Australian Air Force, why the program has attracted so many critics, and how the pilot training regime will result in lesser fatigue on the jets themselves. He will discuss the software system ALIS and how it will manage costs associated with the technology, how data will be shared with international partners and why that will be beneficial for the Australian Defence Force. Prescott will also talk about the prospects that the F-35 arrival will present to SMEs and how they can best be prepared for these opportunities. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

Flinders University is at the front line of defence-oriented research and development in myriad different ways across their campuses. From robotics teams making advances that could keep soldiers out of harm's way, fibre optics technology that is revolutionising battlefield communications, and engineers evolving ways to enhance body mechanics, their students and research are imperative to the future of the industry. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Flinders University vice chancellor Professor Colin Stirling and defence partnerships director Tony Kyriacou join host Phil Tarrant to discuss the critical role that academia plays in defence industry. They will discuss the interconnective opportunities that the university offers to various stakeholders including industry, students and SMEs, and unpack the long-term rationale of getting their students international placements within industry. The pair will also discuss where the technology that they are involved in developing is being used other than defence industry, how they measure the effectiveness of their involvement in defence and whether they believe enough is being done to get kids interested in defence technology. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

Adam Waldie, SEA 1000 capture leader for Thales, recently joined the Defence Connect Podcast to discuss his role in the program and Thales' relationship with the Australian Defence Force. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Adam Waldie returns with David Eyles, capture leader for the SEA 5000 program, where the pair will unpack their involvement across both programs. They will discuss the Australianisation process of technology and systems sourced from outside of the country and offer advice to SMEs on increasing their chances of gaining contracts with the major defence players. The pair will also discuss the huge opportunity that the SEA 5000 program presents to SMEs, address when they are expecting there to be contractual developments in the SEA 1000 project and look at how these programs are likely to impact their roles going forward. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

South Australia is the national centre of naval shipbuilding and submarine sustainment, and the confirmed location for Australia's next generation Future Submarines and Future Frigates. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Chief Executive at Defence SA Richard Price joins host Phil Tarrant to discuss the naval shipbuilding project which will see $250 billion over 30 years spent on naval ships and submarines. He will discuss the recent political changes in Canberra and how these are likely to impact the defence sector, the strategic priorities right now for Defence SA and the education and skills which will be desirable for those hoping for placement within the project. Price will also discuss his new role in the space sector, the importance that he places on national enthusiasm for the success of the industry and unpack how they are supporting industry as a state. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team

The Australian Defence Force offers more than 200 rewarding career paths spanning from aviation to hospitality and everything in between. In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Director of General Defence Force Recruiting with the Department of Defence Sue McCready CSC joins host Phil Tarrant to discuss the defence industry professionals of tomorrow. She will discuss the recruitment process, including what can be expected for those taking part in the aptitude test, and unpack the options that they offer to provide interested candidates with the opportunity to experience a particular field. McGready will discuss her role with the Department of Defence and why she feels that having a volunteer staff base is beneficial to their mission, analyse how the success of their department is measured and share stories of the high points of her career to date. Enjoy the podcast, The Defence Connect team