About the SIAA

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF SIAA?

The Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) is the peak body for Australia's space industry. SIAA and its members work closely with Australian governments, international partners, academia, and industry to advance Australia's space industry and economy.

Become a member

Leadership

The SIAA is run by a Chief Executive Officer, Mr James Brown. The CEO reports direct to a Board of seven Directors, who are elected by financial members of the SIAA for a term of 2 years, with half of the positions of the Board declared open annually.

James Brown

CEO

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James Brown is the Chief Executive Officer of the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA) and represents more than 70 organisations working to enable space industry for Australia’s economy, security, international partnerships, and climate future. James is a member of the Australian Space Agency’s leader forum and expert working group on strategy. He recently led the bid successful bid to bring the world’s largest global space conference, the International Astronautical Congress, to Sydney in 2025.

A national security and public policy expert, he has previously held research appointments at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, United States Studies Centre, and the University of Sydney.

In 2021 James was appointed to the Council of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

James served as an officer in the Australian Army and on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Solomon Islands. Between 2017 and 2019 he led the rebuilding and modernisation of Australia’s largest veteran’s charity, the RSL, as its youngest ever elected President.  He helped lead the successful national campaign to establish a Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicides. Today he continues to serve veterans and their families as Chairman of Invictus Australia, a veterans charity that connects veterans to sport and supports Australian teams competing in the Invictus Games.

James is a regular media contributor on space, foreign policy, and defence issues and has authored two books on Australian national security. He lives in Sydney with his two young children.

Jeremy Hallett

Chairperson

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Jeremy is an experienced business leader within the Space Industry in Australia and Internationally. He currently sits on the Advisory Board of Av-comm Space and Defence, APAC’s leading Ground Segment provider for Space Missions, and DroneShield, an ASX-listed company leading the world in technology for the detection and defeat of autonomous systems. He also provides expert advice to other Australian Space organisations including the Australian Space Agency. In addition, Jeremy is an angel investor including being an Investor and Mentor in the Moonshot Space Accelerator – Australia’s only Space Accelerator program that is helping to grow a Space-enabled economy. Further, he is a Mentor at the National Space Industry Hub run by Cicada Innovations helping Space startups supercharge their commercialisation journey. Previously, Jeremy was CEO & Managing Director at Clearbox Systems, one of Australia's longest standing and most successful Defence and Space businesses. In Space, Clearbox Systems has a particular emphasis on Satellite Communications and Space Domain Awareness. Clearbox's solutions have been deployed extensively in Australia and Internationally and are renowned for their technology, dependability of delivery and responsiveness to emerging requirements. While leading Clearbox Systems, Jeremy helped found Quasar Satellite Technologies, a CSIRO spin-out company, alongside venture capital and industry founders. Quasar is enabling a new future for space communications by commercialising world-beating phased array technology from CSIRO. Jeremy is passionate about Australia's Space Industry and believes in the ability of Australia's Space Industry to provide world-leading technology and services. He is an enthusiastic advocate for Australia's Space Industry and has deep technical, commercial and operational knowledge in key sectors where Australian Space Industry has a competitive advantage.

Imogen Rea

Deputy Chairperson

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Imogen has been passionately involved in the Australian space industry for over a decade. She holds a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and is currently employed as a Systems Engineer for Rocket Lab, having previously been employed in strategy and policy roles for the Department of Industry, including the Australian Space Agency. As Past President of the Australian Youth Aerospace Association, Imogen has demonstrated a strong commitment to harnessing the involvement of young people in the space industry. She is keen to continue to support early career professionals’ interests through the SIAA Board and increase their engagement with the association. In addition, she is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion (D&I) in our industry. Imogen has been recognised for her contribution to D&I efforts at both Monash University and Geoscience Australia and she wishes to continue to develop the progress the SIAA.

Mark Ramsey

Deputy Chairperson

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Mark Ramsey is the Chief Operating Officer for Space Machines Company, an Australian startup who is Australia’s only in-space transportation and logistics company. Mark is a space industry professional with nearly 20 years’ experience in a diverse range of technical and leadership roles, including roles at Sitael, Thales Alenia Space, Lockheed Martin and NewSat. Mark graduated from Adelaide University with a Bachelor of Engineering and Diploma of Languages in 2003, and subsequently completed his Masters of Business Administration at the University of South Australia. Mark is Deputy Chair and a director with the Space Industry Association of Australia, is the former chair of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Adelaide Section.

Dr Tim Parsons

Board Member

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A veteran of collaborative product and startup innovation within Space, MediaTech, and AgTech, Dr Tim Parsons leads the Australian NewSpace network Delta-V, while consulting widely to research organisations, tech-focused SMEs, startup accelerators and incubators nationally. A member of the SIAA’s advisory committee, Tim’s formal board experience extends from his role as a non-executive director of not-for-profit MediaTech incubator The Studio Pty Ltd, as well as Australian representative director of Vimond Media Solutions APAC Pty Ltd. He is also a director of both his own consultancy Super Lumina Pty Ltd and the Delta-V Newspace Alliance Pty Ltd. Tim is also a member of the establishment committee of the SmartSatCRC, as well as chair of the establishment committee of the SmartSatCRC’s Australian Space Industry Startup Cluster Company. Tim holds a PhD in Rarefied Hypersonic Flow Simulation from Imperial College, London, and is married with two children.

Ben Adams

Board Member

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A software engineer by trade, Ben Adams now has more than 20 years’ experience leading significant and complex projects and programs, including at the senior levels of the private and public sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Business (Management Information Systems) and a Graduate Certificate in Space Studies from the University of South Australia. He is also a graduate of the Australian institute of Company Directors and the International Space University’s Space Studies Program. Ben has formal project management qualifications in Prince2, Managing Successful Programs and Agile Project Management. Ben is recognised for his strengths in leadership, strategic planning, communications, and stakeholder engagement. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer of Inovor Technologies - a wholly Australian owned small company developing satellite and electronic warfare technologies, where he is responsible for mission delivery, business development and corporate services. He holds multiple Non-Executive Director roles and is a business mentor to space start-up companies. He was a founding member of the International Space University’s Adelaide Conference organising committee and has authored several papers for the International Astronautical Conference. He is a passionate and avid supporter of the Australian space industry and is excited at the opportunity to contribute to its growth as a Board member.

Veronica Bainton

Board Member

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Veronica joined Optus in April 2022 as the Australian Industry Capability (AIC) & Commercial Lead for Optus Satellite & Space Systems and AIC lead for the Team AUSSAT JP9102 bid. Her role has since expanded to include governance and compliance as well as broad-based Industry Engagement. Prior, Veronica held a number of roles with Raytheon Australia, will responsibility for contracts management and AIC within the Business Development function. She also held senior corporate and Papua New Guinea-based Commercial, Compliance and Contractor Management roles with Newcrest Mining. In this capacity she provided legal and commercial advice in complex matters spanning the full spectrum of the contract management process, as well as setting up and managing a flagship vendor pre-qualification program. Veronica holds a Bachelor of Arts / Law (Hons) from the University of Sydney and is admitted to the Supreme Courts of NSW and NT. She has also earned a Master of Business Administration (Strategic Planning) from the Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University (Scotland), a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, and a Diploma in Marketing (Public Relations). Her portfolio included stakeholder identification and management and balancing multiple agendas and priorities to obtain and retain the company’s social licence to operate with an emphasis on supply chain localisation and sovereign capability development to meet Defence Program requirements. Veronica also has extensive experience in research, writing and policy development, with published works on subjects such as Supply Chain Management, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Indigenous Engagement. She has worked for the Judicial Commission of NSW, the Queensland Resources Council, University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute, and the UN Global Compact.

Darin Lovett

Board Member

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Darin is an experienced director who has over 30 years of experience in defence, space, international and political studies, and large-scale transformation projects both in Australia and the United States. As the Executive Director of iLAuNCH Trailblazer, Darin is responsible for a $180m program that will build Australia’s sovereign space capability by addressing critical gaps and accelerate the development of space launch manufacturing. Darin most recently was a Director of Space for the South Australian Space Industry Centre (SASIC) which saw him formulate and execute the State’s space strategy to build an enduring space industry for South Australia, and he is a non-executive director for the Space Industry Association of Australia (SIAA). Prior to that, he managed the virtual warfare lab for Boeing PhantomWorks (International). He is a military veteran of more than 25-years, working on operations, strategy, and capability development for the Air and Space domains. His extensive space experience also includes: Chief of Australia’s Space Operations Centre (AUSSpOC), Chief of Strategy to the US Executive Agent for Space within the Pentagon, and staff officer in Australia’s joint Defence Space Coordinating Office.

Services

The SIAA is run by a Chief Executive Officer, Mr James Brown. The CEO reports direct to a Board of seven Directors, who are elected by financial members of the SIAA for a term of 2 years, with half of the positions of the Board declared open annually.

Telecommunications

Remote Sensing

Environmental monitoring
and meteorology

Satellite development,
Components & Sub-systems

Ground systems for
space technology

Global Positioning

Space Science

Space Education

Professional services

Telecommunications

Remote Sensing

Environmental monitoring
and meteorology

Satellite development,
Components & Sub-systems

Ground systems for
space technology

Global Positioning

Space Science

Space Education

Professional services

SIAA Advisory Council

The SIAA Board is supported by an Advisory Council, comprised of up to 20 members.

The role of the Advisory Council is to provide high level advice to the SIAA Board on a range of space industry issues. The Advisory Council:

  • will act in an advisory capacity only,
  • will have power to consider matters referred to it by the Board, and matters initiated on its own motion. Matter(s) raised by (or through) an AC member for discussion will first be put to the AC Chair for validation as a matter appropriate and relevant for tabling and addressing by the AC (such matters may be addressed at a regular AC meeting, or out-of-sessions),
  • must comply with any Policies made by the Board, and
  • will conduct its meetings on the basis of one vote for each member of the Advisory Council
SIAA ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS

The Advisory Council is currently represented by the following members:

  • Mr Bill Barrett
  • Ms Jackie Carpenter
  • Mr Milorad Cerovac
  • Dr Phil Crosby (chair)
  • Prof Andrew Dempster
  • Mr Roger Franzen
  • Mr James Gilmour
  • Dr Alice Gorman
  • Ms Annie Handmer
  • Mr Kirby Ikin
  • Mr Jeff Kasparian
  • Mr Peter Nikoloff
  • Mr Conrad Pires
  • Prof Craig Smith
  • Mr Clint Verhagen
  • Mr Stephen Ward
  • Mr Shaun Wilson
  • Ms Myrthe Snoeks

SIAA Life Members

SIAA LIFE MEMBERS

The following individuals are current SIAA Life Members:

  • Mr David Ball
  • Mr Bill Barrett
  • Mr Brett Biddington
  • Mr Michael Davis AO
  • Mr Rod Drury
  • Mr Roger Franzen
  • Dr Alice Gorman
  • Mr Kirby Ikin
  • Mr Bruce Middleton
  • Mr Gordon Pike
  • Mr Paul Scully-Power
  • Mr Andrew Thomas