“Industry has come from a background of they’ve had to pursue projects on a project by project basis, and the department has pretty much let contracts on a project by project basis without taking a broader view of developing an integrated and comprehensive industry base. There’s some great people in defence industry of course, but the leadership and the culture of the defence industry will have to mature somewhat to reflect this newfound national sovereign responsibility.” This week on the Defence Connect Podcast, former CEO of the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) and current chairman of Navantia Australia Warren King joins us to talk us through his 50 years of experience within Defence and defence industry, and what Navantia has offered as key components of its SEA 5000 bid. King takes us through his beginnings as a Navy apprentice, his time when he was seconded to the US Navy, what he learned from working in an SME and his eventual rise to CEO of the DMO. The chair of Northrop Grumman Australia’s advisory board offers his advice for those leaving the military, how Defence can achieve the most from its 2016 Defence White Paper ambitions and the need to grow leadership within defence industry.