2025 winners and finalists

Academic of the Year

Andrew Ang, Swinburne University of Technology
Nick Bennett, University of Technology Sydney
Penny Kyburz, The Australian National University
Sophie Leterme, Flinders University

Oleksandra Molloy, University of New South Wales

Mehwish Nasim, The University of Western Australia

Consultant of the Year

Beth Boustead, Coras
Melanie Free, Aurecon
Louise Jones, Navantia Australia
Beau Jose, Omni Executive
Pamela Meers, Ventia
Emily Petie, GSA Management Consulting

Gareth Rice, OCRT Consulting

Glen Tittor, Downer Professional Services
Liza Turner, SAHR
Glen Wade-Ferrell, AeroPM

Engineer of the Year

Josh Amoils, DroneShield

David Blockow, Fivecast
Connor Brendish, PentenAmio
Filip Dimoski, Navantia Australia
Sam Martinella, Thales Australia
Stratos Patsikatheodorou, Northrop Grumman Australia
Ian Pemberton, QinetiQ
Taimoor Shabih, Formerly Advent Atum
Trent Simcock, Ascent
Evan Spong, ADROITA

Executive of the Year

Preetham Akula, Akula Tech
Sarah Bailey, PentenAmio
Michael Biercuk, Q-CTRL
Marcus Colman, Innovaero
Michael Mitchell, Elysium EPL
Timothy Owen, Hunter Defence
Jose Santos, Willyama Services
Perry Singh, Toll Group
Demi Stefanova, Quickstep Technologies

Tim Walmsley, BenchOn

Female Defence Leader of the Year - SME

Sarah Bailey, PentenAmio

Kelly Barlow, EMA Advisory
Haley Byrne, QinetiQ (formerly Aerospace Training Services)
Georgia Davey, Norsta Maritime
Rachel Falzon, Women in Defence Association
Liz Kobold, Defence Trailblazer
Poonam Kumari, Stahl Metall
Julia O’Callaghan, DefendTex Research Labs
Demi Stefanova, Quickstep Technologies
Catherine van der Winden, SAHR

Female Defence Leader of the Year - Enterprise

Kisa Christensen, BAE Systems Australia

Andrea House, Airbus Australia Pacific
Rukhsaar Ibrahim, Navantia Australia
Jacinta Kearns, CEA Technologies
Kylah Limmer, Fujitsu Limited
Rhiannon Nardi, Omni Executive
Sumedha Pagadala, KBR Australia
Anita Vardanega, Raytheon Australia
Kate Wheatley, Thales Australia
Ashleigh Wuttke, Babcock

Indigenous Defence Leader of the Year

Andrew Barnes, Centrogen
Thomas Boase, OCRT Consulting
Edward Groch, Downer Defence
Kieran Hynes, Willyama Services

C.B. - (NEAL) McGarrity, Bullroarers

Steve Noy, Biodiversity Australia

Innovator of the Year – Individual

Adam Bennett, Red Piranha
Jake Bostock, Beaten Zone Venture Partners

Paul Finch, BAE Systems Australia

Mark Korsten, Skilliphy (Formerly AUKUS Jobs - currently in brand transition)
Josh Lee, Nautic Technologies
Thomas Peace, OCRT Consulting
Tara Penboss, Black Sky Industries
Duane Rivett, Fivecast
Liana Taylor, Navantia Australia
John Wooden, DroneShield

Marketing/Communications Professional of the Year

Becky Bergman, Adecco
Monica Brink, Fivecast

Dana Cole, Nova Systems

Frances Langi, OCRT Consulting
Jess Masters, Defence Trailblazer
Elise Monge, OCRT Consulting

Rising Star of the Year - SME

Jeremy Aubert, Fleet Space Technologies
Yafet Bereket Araya, Coras
Rohit Borekar, Solution Tech Group
Jovan Candra, Stahl Metall
Liam Gandhi, JVAT
Rhys Kissell, Canberra Dynamics
Joshua Lee, Nautic Technologies

Gitarth Vaishnav, DroneShield

Sammy Wallwork, Advanced Navigation
Timothy Wilkinson, VPG Innovation

Rising Star of the Year - Enterprise

Kim Apap, Downer Professional Services

Grayce Bartemucci, Raytheon Australia
Simonette Cox, CSIRO
Amber Croft, Thales Australia
Tim Hobbs, Lockheed Martin Australia
Tamara Jones, Northrop Grumman Australia
Samantha Ly, Aurecon
Charlotte Marshall, CEA Technologies
Diego Portilla Ducuara, Navantia Australia
Tessa Skewes, Babcock

Technician of the Year

Thomas Biddle, Raytheon Australia

Jared Brancato, Safran
Joe Louies Dela Cruz, Northrop Grumman
Krister Eriksson, DroneShield
Daniel Kamali, Babcock Australasia
Ben Mawby, BAE Systems Australia
Glen Stevens, Silentium Defence
Levi Symington, Business Review Group
Jesse Williams, Supacat
Silvio Wipprecht, BAE Systems Australia

Excellence Award

Josh Amoils, DroneShield