Babcock has restructured its operation, strengthened its team,
and has declared its plans for significant expansion of its defence
sector business in Australia and New Zealand, under the direction
of chief executive officer (CEO) Craig Lockhart.
Babcock will initially focus its core business on the naval
sector, where it already has strong roots, and will look to develop
opportunities within Australia's and New Zealand's build and
sustainment programmes at platform level, in addition to its
current Systems & Equipment business for which it is already
well-recognised. The company is also planning to expand into other
market sectors over time. Significant investment is being made in
people, facilities and processes to support Babcock's substantial
development plans and aspirations.
The Babcock Pty Ltd operation is spearheaded by CEO Craig
Lockhart, who was appointed to the post earlier this year. Lockhart
has extensive experience in naval programmes, shipbuilding and
sustainment with Babcock in the UK, and was most recently managing
director of Babcock's operations at the Clyde Submarine Base at
Faslane.
Lockhart is one of a number of key senior personnel from the UK
who are now based in Australia to develop opportunities as part of
the Babcock Pty Ltd management team. New appointments include Simon
Foster, as Naval Platform Support Director with responsibility for
the Major Fleet Unit group maintenance project, for which Babcock
has been selected to bid in partnership with UGL Infrastructure.
Foster joined Babcock following a career in the Royal Navy, holding
several engineering management posts (including Platform Project
Manager for Trafalgar Class submarines), while as nuclear
operations director at the Clyde submarine base he was responsible
for over 350 personnel engaged in safety justification and life
extension of the UK's strategic assets to sustain ongoing
operations and maintenance for the RN submarine fleet.
A further new appointment is Dr Chris Edmonds, as Future
Platforms Director focusing on the development of Babcock's
involvement on the future submarine (SEA1000) project. Edmonds has
over 30 years experience in management and programme concept design
with major naval projects, and has worked for the last five years
at a senior level within the integrated Ministry of
Defence/industry team developing the future UK 'Successor'
submarine.
Other members of the Babcock Pty Ltd management team include Ken
Grove (Director of Strategic Development), Pat Donovan (MD Systems
and Equipment) and Mike Wardlaw (MD Babcock Fitzroy, NZ). Mike
Wardlaw has over 21 years' experience including a career in the
Royal New Zealand Navy where he was Deputy Chief of Navy and Naval
Support Commander. The management team is located in new offices at
Mawson Lakes, near Adelaide. Earlier this year Babcock officially
opened new premises at Techport Australia, Australia's naval
industry hub, where its expanding engineering and service support
teams are based.
Babcock Pty Ltd CEO Craig Lockhart comments: "Babcock has
considerable UK experience in long-term, performance based
contracting linked to platform availability and this can be readily
adapted to the Australian situation. We recognise that long-term
contracts must deliver high levels of continuous improvement, and
we prefer to work co-operatively to help customers manage high
value assets to achieve their operational and financial
objectives.
"With our extensive knowledge and expertise in support
programmes that optimise platform availability and reduce
maintenance costs, as well as in design and build, we believe we
have a great deal to offer the Australian naval sector in the
supply and support of its naval platforms. The Strategic Reform
Program (SRP) objectives provide an opportunity for Babcock to
transfer its proven expertise and, given that we now have a strong
local management team which collectively has over 150 man years of
relevant naval experience, we look forward to developing this
potential."