Letter of Thanks to Defence Industry
My letter of thanks for AIDN members and Defence industry stakeholders

Letter of Thanks to Defence Industry

In the last few weeks, I made the difficult decision not to re-nominate for the volunteer Chair/President position at AIDN-WA that I have held for the since 2017. ?This also ends my direct involvement on the committee, which commenced in 2014.

I am immensely grateful to the AIDN-WA members and the entire defence community for their support, and for the privilege of representing you alongside my AIDN colleagues.

The volunteer effort of so many in our sector is driven by an underlying passion, to each a very personal one but equal in strength for all who choose to volunteer their time in support of Defence and industry.

My passion has been validated by the experiences in this role, owing to the many wonderful people I have met, from determined small business owners, to sincerely committed politicians, to stoic and dignified members of our Australian Defence Force, and many, many more. Thank you all for inspiring my effort and for continuing to inspire all of the volunteers and stakeholders who make this industry so special.

When I started at AIDN-WA, the organisation had recovered from some lean years, thanks to committed leadership and effort from unsung heroes like Terry Booth, Craig Howlett and numerous others. I came into the Chair role somewhat by default rather than design. I was working full time, studying too, but I felt I needed to step up for the good of AIDN.

I did so, and with the considerable support of many committee members over my tenure, we collectively achieved a great deal. We improved our governance and our culture, empowering and attracting brilliant candidates, as you will all see yet again in the imminent elections for the WA committee.

We grew our member base to record numbers and took our balance sheet to levels that would have seemed unthinkable only a few years prior, with a CAGR exceeding 47% (special thanks to long term treasurer Mark Musarra ). This enabled AIDN-WA to take bigger risks in how we represented industry and delivered value.

We advocated, alongside Henderson Alliance , for funded and centralised advocacy activity in Western Australia. The advocacy space felt fractured and disjointed, purely volunteer or part-time led, and that was not reflecting well on WA industry. ?We now have considerable full-time resources through Defence West , harmonised relationships across our sector, and various forums and working groups that keep us all aligned and working together.

On the journey, we have seen the definition of Australian business change for the better, industry engagement with SMEs vastly improved, new programs established for developing skills and encouraging defence industry careers, enhanced representation of Indigenous people within our sector, greater regional engagement, support for women in the sector, additional CDIC/ODIS resources, expanded defence budgets, and now a new vision for the future of Australia’s defence which included key input from AIDN and many others.

We have transitioned from a time when Defence pursued turn-key solutions with large OEMs, to one where large OEMs are actively encouraged and required to lean on Australian industry. Perhaps most pleasingly, those OEMs now turn to industry anyway, such is the convincing nature of the capability and maturity of the industry participants. Industry is noticed and it is valued.

There can be no doubt that there is a momentum behind industry and its involvement in the defence of this nation that was not as present before. I hope you feel that AIDN-WA and its volunteers had some small part to play in that as your representatives. I certainly feel that we did, and I know that AIDN and the WA team will continue to contribute to developments ahead.

There will be new leadership of AIDN-WA, with many returning faces from our prior committee too. You will receive notifications about that process tomorrow, further to the call for nominations you have already received. I am very confident you will be pleased about the caliber of people that will lead AIDN-WA forward and will represent your interests. I ask that you provide them with the same support and inspiration that you gave to me. I will be giving the new team all the support they require to ensure not just continuity, but further progress for all.

Another key element of our progress is the reforms achieved at national level with AIDN. It previously consisted of nominee directors, each representing a State or Territory chapter, making the group inherently conflicted and not guaranteeing it was fit for purpose.

I recall at one of these meetings, standing by a whiteboard as we challenged ourselves how best to represent industry. We determined we required an independent national board, and a dedicated and funded CEO, in combination with passionate local advocacy, to deliver the best results for industry.

That vision became a reality after years of challenging reform activities by AIDN volunteers around the country, and while I am trying to avoid naming names in this letter, Carl Quarterman deserves a special thanks, as does Jim Kingston .

This sector brings together industry, academia, think tanks, industry groups, government, government agencies, training organisations, universities, the ADF, our veteran communities and several others. It is the alignment and togetherness of all of these players that makes the WA sector so respected. To all, please protect that unity. It may require sacrifice, compromise and even concessions, but it is critical to the higher purpose. We all stand to benefit when we are unified and achieving results for Defence and industry.

On that note, it is also wise to remember the default phrase we would use in our AIDN-WA meetings. “If it is good for defence and industry, we must support it”. This removes any potential for ego or competitive tensions, and focusses on the outcome that all the players share.

I entered this role full of passion, feeling the need to step up, recognising that the moment and the organisation needed me. From an AIDN-WA perspective, I depart the role full of passion still, and recognising that we are in tremendous health as a whole sector and as a group of WA stakeholders. Furthermore, the WA team you will elect is full of strong people, respected professionals, all of whom bring their own unique perspectives. I could not depart if I was not confident all these pieces were in place.

Thank you once again for the opportunity to learn from you and represent you. Representing and helping others is a privilege that lights up your life in ways beyond description. For anyone considering volunteering, I urge you to reach out to our industry associations and see how you can assist. ??

I’ll close by sharing my reflection of why we do this. We do it because industry matters. A growing small business provides opportunities for employment that support a family, puts children through school, and provides purpose. Together, these families create a capability, from person to person and business to business, that supports our ADF. Providing them with the best capability is an obligation we all share.

I therefore encourage you all to continue to protect our unity, and to continue to support the bodies within our sector that resonate with you, be they the industry associations, the ADF or the veteran support organisations.

It has been my sincere pleasure to represent you.

Yours Sincerely,

?

Kristian Constantinides



Australian Industry and Defence Network (AIDN) - Western Australia

Australian Industry & Defence Network (AIDN National)

#defenceindustry

Carlos F.

Business Leadership, Strategy, Advisory & Transformation | Father, Engineer & Economics Enthusiast | US Navy Vet | Still trying to find my place on this world! In the mean time, I help connect people and drive outcomes!

1 年

Seems like I am trying to play catch up… Kristian..all the best and thanks for your passionate commitment to, and service on behalf of, Western Australia Defence businesses and industry. We look forward to continue your work and efforts! To help, support and highlight Industry along with delivering an stronger voice for industry!

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Craig Howlett

Senior Principal Systems Engineer (Retired)

1 年

Kris. You have achieved great deal and can be very proud of it. As you say, you leave AIDN in much better shape than when you started. Thank you for taking it to the next level.

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Angela F. Bond, FAIM

Board Member, Education and Defence Industry

1 年

Kristian Constantinides you have been an outstanding chair and supporter of the Defence industry. You have ensured that all that could be done has been during your time. Well done.

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Jon Hawkins

CEO, Omni Executive

1 年

Thank you Kristian for your dedication to AIDN, especially the WA chapter. The Australian Industry & Defence Network (AIDN National) restructure is paying dividends with national advocacy and representation to Government and Defence, resolutely backed by State and Territory Chapters. Again, thank you for many years at the helm in WA.

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Linda Dawson

Director / Executive

1 年

Kristian Constantinides incredible contribution to the Defence Industry, you leave an impressive legacy. Your wise head around the table will be missed.

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