Profile: Stephen is responsible for representing Airbus at a corporate level, covering all the business divisions: Commercial, Helicopters, Defence & Space. He is also a member of the Airbus Asia Pacific Leadership Team. Prior to Airbus, Stephen was the Global Head of Public Affairs, and Managing Director Australia & New Zealand, for Temasek, the Singapore headquartered investment company.
He has held previous senior regional and global communications roles with Microsoft and Singapore Airlines in Singapore and was Chief of Staff to the Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory. He started his career working for QANTAS in a customer service role. Stephen is a Graduate of the University of New England in Australia, with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. He is also an experienced Board Director in both Singapore and Australia being on the Boards of:
· Mandai Park Holdings, the parent company of Singapore’s Zoo, Night Safari and Bird Paradise;
· Perfection Fresh, an Australian business that grows and distributes fresh fruit and vegetable products; and
· The European Australian Business Council.
He has been appointed by the New Zealand Government to the Sustainable Aviation Aotearoa (SAA) Leadership Group and represents Airbus on the Australian Government’s Jet Zero Council. Both bodies advise governments on pathways to sustainable aviation.
Stephen was awarded the COVID-19 Resilience Medal by the Singapore Government; a national award recognising the substantive contributions of those who participated directly in Singapore’s fight against COVID-19.
Stephen is a citizen of Australia and Ireland and a permanent resident of Singapore. He lives in Canberra and Sydney, and in his role, travels frequently to support Airbus’ presence in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
Synopsis: Stephen will cover Airbus’ long and successful industrial footprint in Australia including maintenance, repair, and overhaul centres for civil and military fixed wing and rotary aircraft. This presence has made a direct contribution to the local economies, built regional aerospace capabilities and created high-value jobs in the aviation industry - 1,200 employees located at Brisbane, Canberra, and Sydney – who support Airbus’ customers.
