Dr John White has recently been appointed as Director and Executive Chairman of Birdon Pty Ltd.
John has been a Director and/or CEO of several publicly listed and private Australian companies, formerly the Chairman of the Federal Government’s Uranium Industry Framework Council, a member of the Federal Government’s Defence Procurement Board and Director of the DefenceSA Advisory Board.
John had extensive involvement with Woodside’s North West Shelf Offshore Gas and LNG Development from 1978 to 1984, and then participated in the RAN Collins Class Submarine Project tender as Project Director for the Australian-German AMEC proposal.
He subsequently headed the teams that successfully tendered for the purchase of Williamstown Naval Dockyard from the Federal Government, the $1 billion Australian Frigate Project (2 FFGs) and the $5 billion ANZAC Frigate Project (10 ANZACs).
John was Chief Executive of Transfield Defence Systems Pty Ltd to deliver the Frigates Projects from 1988 to 1996 and was then Global Chief Executive of the recycling/packaging group, Visy Industries.
John recently co-authored the Winter-White Report on the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) program and was Chairman of Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems Australia, leading the German proposal to the Australian Department of Defence for the design, build and support of the $50 billion Future Submarines Program. John is currently Chairman of Regenerative Australian Farmers Pty Ltd, the Direct Injection Carbon Engine Network (DICEnet) and Birdon Pty Ltd.
John’s defence industry and contracting experience is comprehensive and his appointment as Director and Executive Chairman is invaluable to Birdon. Having served as the non-executive Chairman since 2009, John will continue to provide Birdon with expert knowledge and guidance. In his new role, John will become more involved in the day-to-day activities and projects undertaken by our growing, family-owned company.