2025 Winners
Kyle Han-Menz is a Management Accountant at Hanwha Defence Australia, Kyle oversees a $756M portfolio, achieving 98% forecasting accuracy through innovative reporting automation. He expertly bridges Korean and Australian operations using his linguistic and cultural skills. A dedicated mentor and community volunteer, Kyle combines technical rigor with leadership to drive vital defence project delivery.
Lieutenant Nathan Rose, Royal Australian Navy is a Maritime Logistics Officer in the Royal Australian Navy, who has demonstrated remarkable resilience and leadership. He championed a pivotal visiting ships handbook used by international vessels and achieved Dux of his leadership course. A dedicated mentor and community volunteer with Scouts and the Sydney Heritage Fleet, Nathan exemplifies professional excellence and service.
Madi Blacker is an Engineer at BAE Systems Australia, who is a leader in cross-functional stakeholder management and complex factory testing. She is deeply committed to STEM outreach, actively mentoring students and volunteering to encourage young girls to pursue technical careers. Her meticulous leadership on critical programs has set a high standard for engineering excellence.
Sian Hardie is an Associate Systems Engineer at Saab Australia, who has played a vital role in high-profile missile integration projects for the Royal Australian Navy. Her professional performance earned her a Saab Silver Award and was instrumental to successful missile integration on RAN ships. Beyond her project success, Sian is a passionate STEM advocate and mentor.
Ramie Saleh is a Senior Consultant and Army Reserve Captain, who leads a portfolio of over 15 project managers overseeing a $60 million Defence estate portfolio. He transitioned from an APS graduate to a senior leadership role at just 22, demonstrating rapid professional growth. Ramie is also the founder of the “Aurecon Defence” blood group, mobilising teams for the Red Cross Blood Drive.
Nathan Towell is an IT Infrastructure specialist at Saab Australia who has pioneered improvements on classified systems. A graduate of Saab’s Leadership Excellence Program, he is recognised for delivering Saab’s multi-site classified network solution – a critical project enabling interstate expansion of recruitment and Defence capability. Nathan actively mentors others and shares his knowledge across Saab.
Sarah Mortimer is a Lead Project Manager at Aurecon, who oversees two high-profile programs at the Edinburgh Defence Precinct. She has successfully delivered strategic infrastructure projects, including on Space Command and guided weapons storage. A trusted advisor, Sarah is dedicated to upskilling junior professionals and fostering strong client relationships.
Madeline Bonfini as a Director at RD Consulting rose to senior leadership in under a decade, even acting as CEO in her early twenties. She led the transformative 2025 Communication Plan for the Military Personnel Division project, streamlining information for 80,000 ADF personnel. Madeline is a strategic communicator who bridges the gap between leadership and teams to drive cultural shift.
Jack Svetlichny is a Deputy Engineer Manager at Raytheon Australia, who is celebrated for his agility and leadership during critical mission deadlines. He successfully managed complex system testing by coordinating witnesses under high-pressure conditions. Jack supports the Woomera Test Range Support Services program, and his commitment and leadership ensured the timely delivery of vital new capabilities to the Commonwealth on time.
Flight Lieutenant Jake Buchanan is a standout Air Battle Manager who has significantly shaped Australia’s sovereign high-frequency capability in the JORN radar. His work on the 2025 High Frequency Sensing Strategy unites science, engineering, and operations across the RAAF and industry. FLTLT Buchanan’s work will contribute to the establishment of a shared vision for the future of JORN.
Yafet Bereket Araya is an engineer at Coras who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in complex capability evaluations. He delivered a complex Capability Evaluation for Land 4120 at Borneo Barracks, and has supported major Defence projects including JP500, Land 4120 and 1508. Yafet is involved in community outreach through his local church and supports students starting STEM careers.
Yafet is the 30 Under 30 Grand Prix winner for 2025
Yafet has achieved all this with relentless resilience. He escaped the remnants of the Badme war between Eritrea and Ethiopia, including mandatory conscription, and immigrated to Australia without English or financial security. The judges agree he is a worthy recipient of this year’s Grand Prix title.
Lhazom Zimwock is a legal consultant at Coras, who is an expert in Intellectual Property management. Her work is vital to major programs such as the DDGs, where she empowers teams to navigate complex legal and governance challenges. Lhazom is an active member of the Tibetan community and is dedicated to mentorship and building long-term capability growth for Defence and its industry partners.
Michelle Norton is an engineer and PhD candidate, who has delivered strategic rocket motor prototypes, coordinating energetics manufacture, design, testing, and reporting to DSTG and Defence stakeholders. Her research in fluid dynamics has also directly improved the reliability of strategic maritime infrastructure. Beyond her technical achievements, Michelle balances the challenges of being a Defence spouse and focuses on solving complex technical challenges with cost-effective solutions for the ADF.
Jovan Linardy Candra is an engineer who has successfully expanded his team to 12 members by implementing innovative quality assurance processes and people-focused leadership. He combines technical expertise with empathy to strengthen Australia’s sovereign manufacturing and defence capability. Jovan has also served as President of Swinburne University’s Indonesian Students’ Association and continues to volunteer as an alumni speaker.
Celeste De Mezieres is an engineer at Boeing Defence Australia, who has led the planning and successful execution of a platform ground-test program for the MQ-28 Ghost Bat. She also pioneered the integration of biomedical motion analysis into human engineering practice for aerospace environments. Celeste’s innovative approach to ergonomics and human-centred design directly supports system verification.
William Hobbs is an engineer at DroneShield, who has driven the development of unified mounting solutions and standardised voltage and connectors across counter-UAS systems. His vision and strategic foresight turned these interconnected innovations into a scalable business solution that significantly advanced DroneShield’s core strengths. William’s technical leadership reinforces Australia’s sovereign defence capabilities through holistic, interconnected innovations that set new standards in counter-UAS solutions.
Luis Buchanan is a project management professional at Babcock who led the development of an advanced weather forecasting and historical analysis model to assess potential delays. He expertly manages senior stakeholder engagement and schedule deconfliction. Recognised for his calm composure and clarity, Luis has fostered a collaborative culture that ensures reliable delivery on critical programs.
Nimish Thomas is an engineer at Navantia Australia, who has demonstrated exceptional resilience by leading the mechanical design for Sea 4000 Phase 6. He pioneered the “Neptuno” piping design system and the DDG Heat Loads tool. Nimish’s balanced leadership style of combining front-line technical contribution with strategic process facilitation has significantly accelerated capability development for Defence.
Sarah Drage is a T&E Engineer at Amentum Australia, who led the development of the annual OT&E plan, aligning project objectives with broader Air Force priorities to ensure strategic coherence across multiple teams and initiatives. Her proactive problem-solving and dedication to strengthening collaboration delivered significant savings and enhanced capability.
Baillie Wheatley is an engineer at Boeing Defence Australia who developed a scalable digital capability to control manufacturing and modification configuration baselines as part of a major in‑service aircraft upgrade. Her initiative replaced a manual, error‑prone verification process with a scalable, model‑based solution. Endorsed for future use across the enterprise, Baillie’s work has safeguarded program timelines and introduced a new standard for quality in digital environments.
Nicole White is a Graduate of the Year at ASC, who has rapidly advanced into the nuclear space, leading company-wide awareness programs for Australia’s future submarine capabilities. She participated in the “Delegation of the Future” at the United Nations, delivering a keynote address. Now deployed to the UK, Nicole is currently working on conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines in support of the AUKUS build.
Ashleigh Sunderland is a Project Manager at ASC known for driving enterprise-level change. She received a PRIDE Award for her discipline in delivering lasting value and taking the initiative to eliminate costly legacy software. Ashleigh’s commitment to continuous improvement and her ability to align stakeholders make her a vital leader on the largest submarine maintenance project in Western Australia.
Imogen Larcombe is a Senior Safety Engineer at Babcock, who leads the safety program for over 240 assets across the ADF’s Ground Support Equipment fleet. Her work on the safety uplift program has already improved audit readiness and documentation quality across the fleet. A member of the Babcock Safety Engineering Community of Practice, Imogen’s leadership has proactively managed risks and strengthened compliance across vital military capabilities.
Patricia Tedja is a site engineer at Nacap who overcame residency barriers to establish a successful career in civil estimating and construction. She is recognised for her mastery of CAD tools and for her proactive leadership in mentoring junior staff through structured knowledge-sharing. Patricia’s dedication to seeing systems come to life on-site has driven performance and continuity on complex infrastructure projects.
Alyssa Rahardja as an operations specialist at OCRT Consulting, has demonstrated exceptional leadership in managing complex stakeholder relationships and overcoming barriers. She successfully executed a major strategic initiative for ANU’s ADSS that attracted attendees from across Australia’s east coast, generating significant revenue while maintaining organisational integrity. Alyssa is recognised for her ability to advocate for her team and deliver results in demanding environments.
Nimendra Fonseka joined Stahl Metall as a production technician and has risen to become a key engineering leader within the organisation. He helped secure Stahl’s first million-dollar order and supported major programs such as Land 8116 and the MQ-28 Ghost Bat. Nimendra’s commitment and expertise has been central to the growth of Stahl Metall as a defence business in Australia.
Ellie Mason-Bryant is a project management professional who has driven significant improvements in engineering compliance and documentation trust. She identified and mitigated a potential breach by implementing a new endorsement process for industry partner responses. Her proactive approach has enhanced compliance and supports critical naval fleet arrivals, earning her recognition across the wider Defence organisation.
Nicholas Caruso is a Chief Engineer within the Land Engineering Agency, who brings an innovative approach to complex certification activities. He developed a novel strategy to consolidate technical risk assessments for Land 2110 Phase 1B, reducing the number of required certification reports from 33 down to four without compromising quality. His streamlined methodology has since been adopted by other teams.
Daniel Newberry has made a significant impact on Australia’s sovereign capability through his strategic approach to Defence recruitment. He led a global talent search to fill critical vacancies for major joint facilities, including Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap, ensuring a fully staffed and operationally ready workforce. Daniel’s work has been instrumental in retaining high-level cleared personnel in Australia and aligning recruitment with national security priorities.
Richard Breen is an engineer at ASC who brings extensive experience from the Royal Navy and United States Navy nuclear propulsion programs. Having served on Virginia Class submarines, he has demonstrated maturity and technical competence in high-pressure operational environments. His leadership was directly responsible for maintaining reactor safety and high-performance standards during critical submarine missions.
