Analysis of AUKUS Pillar II with a Land Focus

Dean has led businesses in Sweden, Singapore, the UK, Australia and New Zealand and was previously Managing Director of the Saab Australia and New Zealand businesses.

He spent 15 years with the Australian Army, holds a Masters in Management from the University of NSW and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Prior to this Emily was the inaugural Director of the Future Industries Institute (FII) and Deputy Director of the ARC Research Hub for Integrated Devices for End-user Analysis at Low levels (IDEAL) at the University of South Australia. Emily is a graduate of the University of Tasmania (UTAS), where she completed her PhD in analytical chemistry in 2000. Following postdoctoral positions at Johannes Kepler University (Austria) and the E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (USA) she returned to UTAS in 2004 where she held two ARC Fellowships (APD, Future Fellowship), as well as positions as Assistant Dean of Graduate Research and Head of Chemistry. Emily was the inaugural Director of the ARC Training Centre for Portable Analytical Separation Technologies. Emily's research in the field of analytical chemistry and materials science focuses on the design and application of new materials to improve analytical measurements.

Her work has led to commercial and field adoption in separation science, bioanalysis, disease diagnosis, environment and food science, defence and national security. Emily is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI). Emily has won awards including the Eureka Prize for Outstanding Science in Safeguarding Australia (2019), RACI Doreen Clarke Analytical Medal (2016), UTAS Foundation Graduate Award (2010) and been recognised as one of the top 10 leaders on the Analytical Scientist Power List in 2013-2017, 2019-2021 and 2023, including the ‘Top 40 under 40’ in 2014. She is an Associate Editor of Analytical Chemistry (ACS), and a member of the Advisory Board for the Australian Maritime College (UTAS) and Defence Trailblazer.”

Bob joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1984, completing his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering degree. His Navy career included various operational, support, and program management roles before retiring in January 2005 to begin a career in private enterprise. Bob’s final role in uniform was in Washington DC to lead the US Navy/RAN Cooperative Development Program for the joint R&D and productionisation of the next-generation submarine heavyweight torpedo, establishing a successful program that continues to this day.

Bob’s post-Navy career includes experience in Chief Operations Officer, General Manager and listed company CEO roles in the technology sector. Bob moved back into the Defence sector in 2019, working with several companies with a focus on the delivery of critical capability enablers to the men and women in uniform who help protect our national interests. Bob’s most recent role prior to taking on the Acacia Systems CEO role in July 2024 was leading the strategy for and implementation of the Combat Systems Integration 

Collaboration Agreement between the Commonwealth, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin Australia and Saab Australia.

Bob is happily married to Trish, his wife of 27 years; together they enjoy the journey of helping three amazing children move into adulthood and their own successful careers. Bob’s singular passion other than his family is golf, where he was smart enough in the past few years to invite Trish to share that passion, and humble enough to admit that she is the better golfer!