Vice Admiral Chris Ritchie AO, RAN (Rtd)

Chair of the Board

Vice Admiral (Rtd) Chris Ritchie AO had a career of more than 40 years in the Royal Australian Navy retiring as the Chief of Navy in July 2005.

Since leaving the Navy, Vice Admiral Ritchie has maintained an interest and involvement in defence issues and has served on defence related reviews and committees, both for Government and not for profit organisations.  He has been Chairman of the Australian Defence College Advisory Board, Chairman of ASC Pty Ltd, a Non-Executive Director of Lockheed Martin Australia, National President of the Royal United Services Institute of Australia, Chairman of the Federal Advisory Council to the Navy League of Australia and a visiting Professorial Fellow at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS) at the University of Wollongong.

He is currently Chairman of the AMDA Foundation Ltd, the organisers of the Australian International Airshow, the Indo Pacific Maritime Exposition, the Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition and Rotortech Helicopter and Uncrewed Flight Exposition. He is a Non-Executive Director of Luerssen Australia Pty Ltd and Chair of the Australian Maritime Shipbuilding and Export Group. He is patron of the Naval Warfare Officer's Association and the Australasian Hydrographic Society and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Vice Admiral Tim Barrett AO, CSC, RAN (Ret)

Director

Vice Admiral Tim Barrett retired from the Royal Australian Navy in 2018 after a 42-year career. In his last role, as Chief of Navy and professional head of the Service, he progressed plans to regenerate Navy capability, which is manifest in the National Ship Building Plan and contracts for new submarines, frigates and patrol boats.

In uniform he initially trained as a mariner but later specialised in aviation. Serving at sea and ashore, he gained extensive command experience at all ranks but most notably as the Commander of the Australian Navy Aviation Group, Commander Border Protection Command and Commander of the Australian Fleet. He also has broad experience in staff positions dealing in capability development and personnel management.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and History and a Masters of Defence Studies, both from the University of New South Wales, and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

In early 2017 he published ‘The Navy and the Nation: Australia's Maritime Power in the 21st Century’ in which he outlined the extensive opportunities for Navy and Australia as steps are taken to implement the planned investment in naval capability outlined in the Defence White Paper 2016 and the National Shipbuilding Plan over the coming decades.

A long-time advocate of industry’s role in providing naval capability, Tim Barrett now advises on a broad range of maritime issues to government and sits on a number of related boards.

As a Board member for AMDA Foundation, Vice Admiral Barrett will also serve as convenor of the INDO PACIFIC 2022 International Maritime Exposition.

Robert De La Hunty, OAM

Director

• President of Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Inc.
• Managing Director of R J De La Hunty & Sons Pty Limited
• Former Board Member of Aerospace Maritime and Defence Foundation of Australia Limited (now known as AMDA Foundation Limited)
• Former Board Member of Aerospace Australia Limited (now known as AMDA Foundation Limited)
• Former Board Member of Maritime Australia Limited (now known as AMDA Foundation Limited)
• Board Member of Aviation Development Australia Limited since 2005
• Managing Director of Historical Aircraft Projects Pty Limited, President of Historical Aircraft Restorations in (Arizona) USA
• Chief Pilot of Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Inc.
• Member of the Advisory Council Temora Aviation Museum
• Commercial Pilot

Chris Manning

Director

Chris Manning has over 50 years experience in the aviation industry. Beginning his aviation career in the early 1970s, Mr Manning was a Qantas cadet pilot from 1970 until 1972. He then became an air traffic controller from 1973 until 1975 before returning to Qantas as a pilot.

During his Qantas career, Chris gained his command on the Boeing 767 in 1989 and was a check and training captain throughout the 1990s. From 2003 until his retirement from the airline in 2008 he held the position of Chief Pilot and Group General Manager Flight Operations. He also held the position of president of the Australian and International Pilots’ Association from 1999 until 2002.

Since retiring from flying, Chris has been Chair of The Australian Aviation Associations’ Forum, is a Director of AMDA Foundation, a founding Director of the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame, Chairman of Airport Coordination Australia, and a Director of the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Foundation.

He was appointed a Commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau in March 2015.

Air Vice-Marshal Christopher Geoffrey Spence AO (Rtd)

Director

Chris Spence was born in Sydney in 1951 and joined the Royal Australian Air Force Academy at Point Cook, Victoria in 1969, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree.

After completing pilot training in 1974, he flew Iroquois helicopters with No 5 Squadron, including disaster relief operations throughout Australia, deployments to Papua New Guinea and a six month tour with the United Nations Emergency Force II, based in Ismailia, Egypt. Following flying instruction training, Chris instructed both in Australia on the Macchi jet trainer and on exchange with the Royal Air Force on a range of aircraft. He also flew the Vampire jet as part of the Vintage Pair Formation Display Team. He has commanded No 35 Squadron flying both Iroquois helicopters and Caribou tactical transport aircraft and was Officer Commanding No 86 Wing, flying the C130 Hercules.

In 1997 he was promoted to Air Commodore and posted to the position of Chief of Staff, Support Command Australia, subsequently assuming the position of Commander Training – Air Force in March 2000. In June 2001 he was promoted to Air Vice-Marshal and took up the appointment of Deputy Chief of Air Force. Following a posting as Head Strategic Operations in 2004, Chris assumed his final appointment as Commander Joint Logistics based in Victoria Barracks, Melbourne.

On retiring from the Permanent Air Force on 31 March 2007, Chris continued to serve on the Active Reserve as a member of the ADF Airworthiness Board until December 2017. He became a Legatee in August 2007 and served as President on the Board of Management of Melbourne Legacy Club for two years until March 2012. He served as a Board Member of the Defence Health Foundation for 10 years until 2022 and currently chairs the Defence Bank Foundation Board. On 1 January 2012 he took up the position of Chair of the Shrine of Remembrance Trustees, a position he held until February 2021. He remains on the Board of the AMDA Foundation which amongst other events is responsible for the Australian International Airshow.

Chris Spence was appointed a Member in the Order of Australia on Australia Day 1998 and an Officer in the Order of Australia on Australia Day 2004. He was a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a graduate of both the USAF Air War College and the Harvard Advanced Management Program.

Chris is married to Lucille and they have two children, Angus and Hannah.

Air Marshal Geoff Shepherd AO

Director

Geoff joined the RAAF Academy in 1971, graduating in 1974 with a Science degree from Melbourne University. He gained his RAAF Pilots wings in 1976 and flew the Mirage fighter in Malaysia and later the F-111C strike aircraft. He has accrued around 4500 flying hours, including 2500 in the F-111, and is a Qualified Flying Instructor.

He held a number of command appointments during his flying days and as the Air Commander Australia in charge of all RAAF operations established the current command and control methodology for air employment. He undertook a range of staff appointments, including a diplomatic post as an Assistant Defence Attache in Singapore, and was involved at a senior level in the planning and execution of the various Australian Defence Forces’ operational deployments throughout the late-90s and early 2000s; from East Timor and the Solomon Islands to Iraq.

He was appointed Chief of Air Force and promoted to Air Marshal in 2005.

Geoff left the RAAF in 2008 and maintains his interest in aerospace as a Board Member of the AMDA Foundation where he is the Convenor of the biennial Avalon International Airshow and Defence Exposition.

He is married to Anne and they have two sons: Rohan born 1983 and Jarvis born 1985. He and Anne are besotted by their grand-daughter Maddison and he enjoys off-shore fishing and long distance walking - having completed the Camino de Santiago 3 times to date.

Jane Tongs

Director

Ms Tongs has over the 30 years management expertise serving on the boards of Insurance, Funds Management, property, and other financial services entities. She has extensive experience in profitable growing business in mature and heavily regulated market segments. Current examples are Netwealth Group Limited, Warakirri Asset Management Ltd and Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd.

She was a Director of the Australian Energy Market Operator, CCI insurance Ltd and served as a member and Company Director to the Advisory Board to the South Australian Financing Authority. She developed her leadership and management experience earlier in her career, specifically as a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, specialising in the Financial Services Sector and Litigation Support.

Along with her deep experience in Financial Services, her Board experience is vast with over 20 years’ experience as a Chair, Chair of Audit and Risk Committees and Non-Executive Director. She is currently the Chairman of ColCap Ltd and Warakirri Asset Management Ltd and a non-executive Director of Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd and Brighton Grammar School.

Jane is a Williamson Fellow and graduate of Leadership Victoria and holds an Executive MBA from Melbourne University and a Bachelor of Business from RMIT. Jane is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and Certified Practising Accountants of Australia, as well as a member of the Institute of Company Directors.

Lieutenant General Ken J. Gillespie, AC DSC CSM (Rtd)

Director

Ken Gillespie retired from the Army in June 2011 after a 43.5 year career. Born in Brisbane, he enlisted in the Army as an apprentice at the ripe old age of 15.5 years. After his apprenticeship he graduated from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea in 1972 and was commissioned into the corps of the Royal Australian Engineers.

He enjoyed a diverse and unique career, rising from the Army’s most junior rank and retiring as the Chief of Army. Along the way he was a tradesman, instructor, administrator, military diplomat, and operational commander. He commanded an engineer regiment, an intelligence organisation, a deployed United Nations Brigade, an Australian Taskforce in the Middle East and South Asia, and the Australian Land Forces. In 2005 he was promoted and appointed as the Vice Chief of the Defence Force and Chief of Joint Operations. In 2008 he was appointed as the Chief of Army. His operational deployments include Namibia, Timor Leste and the Middle East and South Asia.

He is a graduate of several institutions - the Australian Command and Staff College, Queenscliff in 1985; the Australian Joint Services Staff College in Canberra in 1991; and the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom in 1998. At the RCDS he excelled in his international relations studies and along the way developed the College’s first substantial web site.

Since his departure from the Service, Ken has been busy. He runs his own small consultancy business which supports government leaders and departments, corporations and small companies on strategy, leadership, culture and change management. He has spent the last few years focussing on infrastructure strategies and project delivery in regional NSW. He is a director of several listed and not for profit boards. He is Chair of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. He is a successful corporate speaker, and he has a passion for leading Australian tour groups to the battlefields of World War One. He remains very supportive of Ex-Service organisations and Legacy.

Ken has a strong network of international contacts in the fields of politics, defence, security, industry and diplomacy.

He is married to Carmel and they have three grown children. He is well travelled, enjoys most sports, particularly golf, and is a keen reader.

Ken Jarvis OAM, KSJ

Director

Having spent almost his entire career at senior management, executive and CEO levels Ken brings a portfolio of domestic and international business experience spanning the health, mining, transport and aviation industries.

A recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia, Ken’s community involvement is far-reaching.

Recent experience has been as Chairman of the GMHBA Limited Board and as Chair of the Regional Channels Authority, a state instrumentality running the ports of Geelong and other Victorian regional ports.

Ken has also served as Mayor of the City of Greater Geelong. He has been a director and chair many community bodies in the educational, health and industry representation areas.

He is the Founding Director of Aerolite Quarries Pty Ltd and Jakape Ltd investments.

Ken holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons.) in Metallurgy from the University of NSW, a Graduate Diploma in Operations Research and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Ken holds commercial pilot’s licenses for both fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

Chris Williams

Director

Chris is an experienced, dynamic executive and non-executive director who is recognised for developing innovation agendas, complex global supply chain and advanced manufacturing strategies. His value is in his deep relationships and understanding of Australian industry, and how this translates to global markets. As a passionate nation-builder, who finds deep satisfaction contributing to the growth of Australian industry, he has worked at the highest levels engaging with business and political stakeholders across Asia, Europe, USA and the UK.

Chris’s executive career has included a number of public and private roles including his time as a Submarine Navigator, and executive roles leading and scaling Australian engineering and maintenance businesses.

Chris founded SADIG (Sydney Aerospace Defence and Interest Group); was Deputy Chairman of the AIG National Defense Council; was a board member of the Federal Government CDIC (Centre for Defence Industry Capability) board, and the NSW government Defence Innovation Network (DIN) board.

Chris has received several awards including the 2016 IEAUST Australian Engineering Excellence Award, 2015 Pace Zenith Project of the Year, 2010 Australian Manufacturer of the Year, and Centenary Medal in 2001.

Chris graduated from the University of New South Wales, BSc Oceanography (Hons) and later completed his Masters of Business Administration (Deans List) from Chifley Business School. He completed his GAICD qualification in 2021.

Justin Giddings

CEO

Justin has recently been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of AMDA Foundation. Prior to this, Justin was the Chief Executive Officer of Avalon Airport, a position he held for almost 14 years.

During Justin’s time at Avalon Airport he celebrated Avalon becoming Victoria’s second International airport. In December 2018 AirAsia commenced double daily flights to Kuala Lumpur and has since generated almost 500,000 passengers through the airport. In January 2020 Citilink commenced a daily service to Bali with a state of the art A320NEO aircraft. Also in 2020 Vietjet announced it would commence flights between Avalon and Vietnam.

Avalon has also hosted Jetstar domestic services since 2004, with over 10million passengers passing through the airport during that time. In addition, Avalon Airport is the host of the Australian International Airshow and houses the 35,000 square metre global distribution centre for Cotton On.

Avalon Airport was awarded both the Australian Major Airport of the Year for 2019 by the Australian Airports Association and the Geelong Large Business of the Year at the Geelong Excellence Awards.

Justin is currently the Deputy Chair of the Committee for Geelong Board, and the Independent Chair of both the Youth Justice Centre Community Advisory Group and the Lara Prison expansion project Community Advisory Group.

In previous years, Justin was also the Chair of the Gordon TAFE (the 2017 Australian and Victorian Large Training Provider of the Year), a position he held for 7 years.

Justin is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds a Masters of Business Administration, a Bachelor of Commerce, a Gordon TAFE Advanced Diploma of Management and is a qualified Aircraft Maintenance Engineer

Adrianne Fleming OAM

Director

Adrianne is an aviation training specialist with over 30 years’ experience in the aviation industry. As a flight examiner, aviation educator and business owner, she is one of only 4% of female professional pilots in Australia.

In 1993, she and her husband founded Tristar Aviation which is now the oldest single ownership flight training school on Moorabbin Airport.

In 2012, Adrianne was awarded the coveted Nancy Bird Walton award for the Most Noteworthy Contribution to Aviation by a Woman in Australasia. Her volunteer work earned her an Order of Australia Medal in 2016 for Service to the Aviation Industry. This year she was awarded the Australian Aviation 2022 Female Aviation Leader of the Year.

Adrianne’s expertise in the flying training industry extends into the broader general aviation industry. She has extensive professional relationships with the industry throughout Australia and India.

She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a board member of PABC (Professional Aviation Board of Certification) working with a team of professionals to create quality Ab Initio (from the beginning) training and testing for aspiring professional pilots across the globe. Other board roles include the Vice Chairman of the Regional Aviation Association of Australia.

Adrianne currently serves on the CASA Aviation Safety Advisory (ASAP) Panel which is the primary aviation body through which CASA directs its engagement with industry. The ASAP provides the CASA CEO and Director of Aviation Safety high level advice from the aviation community on current, emerging and potential issues.

In December 2020 Adrianne was appointed by the Deputy Prime Minister to the Future of Aviation Reference Panel, which was established to consult the aviation industry on the recently released Issues Paper on the Future of Australia's Aviation Sector and provide expert advice to Government on the challenges facing the industry and opportunities for reform. She is currently a member of the General Aviation Advisory Network set up to advise the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Regional development, and local government on issues in General Aviation.

Adrianne has written and published a book The Left Seat, for people who are interested in learning to fly, but don’t know where to start.

Throughout her career, Adrianne has held many leadership roles in a broad range of aviation-related and community not-for-profit organisations. Among them are the Women in Aviation Australian Chapter, Australian Women Pilots’ Association, The Honourable Company of Air Pilots Australia, the Australian Air League, Moorabbin Airport Chamber of Commerce, City of Kingston Business and Economic Development Advisory Committee, Monash City Council Empowering Monash Women Steering Committee, and Power Neighbourhood House.

Adrianne is a passionate, innovative and positive contributor to the industry both in Australia an overseas. Her most recent appointment to the AMDA foundation is in keeping with her commitment to serve the industry to ensure it continues to evolve for the next generation.