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Australian counter-drone defence solution provider DroneShield has made several high profile appointments of defence and government strategists.
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DroneShield chief executive officer Oleg Vornik made the announcement earlier this week that the new personnel have been appointed to executive and advisory roles.
The appointments include Terry van Haren, Kym (Koz) Osley, Fergus (Gus) McLachlan and Kacey Lam-Evans.
“DroneShield welcomes Terry, Koz, Gus, and Kacey to our team, as the business rapidly grows in scale," he said.
“They are world class talent, coming at this important time as counterdrone threats are rapidly growing around the world.
“They will be involved in ongoing positioning of DroneShield as a pre-eminent defence technology company in Australia and globally.
“These appointments reflect the significant growth in our capabilities, across business development, technology, and operations.”
Terry van Haren (Vice President, Strategy) joins the DroneShield team after 35 years of service in the Royal Australian Air Force as a Commander, fighter pilot, and weapons officer.
Terry is a veteran with four operational tours in the Middle East with recognised distinguished service. Terry’s last posting was as the Air and Space Attaché to the US (18-20), during which time he developed his interests in next generation disruptive commercial air and space technologies. Terry is a future focused strategic thinker and pragmatic business leader. He believes that cooperation between Government, Defence and commercial industry, is the key to national resilience and business success - according to the company.
Strategic advisor Kym (Koz) Osley has more than 45 years of experience working within the Defence Force and subsequently in the commercial sector. He was the Head of the $17B Australian F-35 program, and was awarded a Minister for Defence Industry Support Commendation for his work in capability development with defence.
Koz is a Member of the Order of Australia, a graduate of the Harvard Advanced Management Program, and a Fellow of the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies.
"I am looking forward to working with the innovative and dedicated team at DroneShield. CUAS is a fast evolving and critical defence capability that is fast getting the priority it deserves. An exciting time to join the fight," said Osley.
"Looking forward to being a part of DroneShields very bright future."
Strategic advisor Fergus (Gus) McLachlan is a retired Major General in the Australian Army, serving for 37 years. His career included operational service in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as well as a pivotal exchange with the US Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. For his exceptional service in Afghanistan, he was awarded the US Legion of Merit by then Secretary of Defense, James Mattis.
Gus led the recapitalisation of the Australian Army’s air defence and ground combat systems. His tenure as Commander, Land Forces Command, oversaw the operational readiness of 35,000 personnel.
Gus serves as a Senior Advisor for Defence and National Security at The University of Sydney, holding several directorships, including with the Sir Richard Williams Foundation and L3 Harris Australia. He has advisory roles with early-stage technology firms in cyber security and artificial intelligence.
An Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), Gus holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Canberra and is an alumnus of the Harvard Advanced Management Program. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales.
"I am honoured to join the team at this incredibly innovative Australian business. Countering the rapidly evolving threat from drones requires constant vigilance and deep expertise and I am honoured to add my experience to the contest," McLachlan said.
Government Affairs Director Kacey Lam-Evans is a government affairs specialist who brings a robust background in public policy and strategic government engagement to DroneShield. She has directly advised Australian Government Ministers and was Senior Advisor to the 54th Australian Minister for Defence, where she was instrumental in driving the Australian Defence Export Strategy and enhancing export confidence across the Australian defence industry.
Prior to DroneShield, Kacey held a senior leadership role at a government affairs firm, where she provided strategic corporate advice and government relations support to clients across sectors with a substantial focus on defence.
