Upcoming events

    • 30 Oct 2024
    • 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
    • Alastair Swayn Theatre, 33 & 35 Brindabella Circuit, Brindabella Business Park
    Register

    Financial members are invited to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Sir Richard Williams Foundation.

    Agenda

    • Chair's Opening Remarks, apologies and proxies
    • Draft Minutes of the 2023 AGM
    • Business Arising
    • Chair's Report
    • Election of Board Members
    • Strategic Outlook 2024-26
    • 2023-2024 Treasurer's and Annual Reports
    • Appointment of Auditor
    • Next AGM
     
    Inquiries: catherine.scott@williamsfoundation.org.au

        • 21 Nov 2024
        • 12:15 PM - 2:30 PM
        • Boathouse by the Lake, ACT
        Register

        Capability Readiness and Resilience at the Speed of Relevance

        Senator The Hon David Fawcett
        Senator for South Australia


        David served in the Australian Defence Force for over 22 years. An Army pilot, he flew helicopters and fixed wing aircraft and was the Senior Flying Instructor at the School of Army Aviation in Queensland.

        Graduating as an experimental test pilot from the Empire Test Pilots’ School (UK), he finished his full time career in Defence as the Commanding Officer of the RAAF Aircraft Research and Development Unit.

        Elected to the House of Representatives as the Member for Wakefield (SA) in 2004, he served in the Parliament until 2007. David continued to fly as a test pilot and ran a small business working in the Defence and Aviation sectors prior to being elected to the Senate in 2010, 2016 and again in 2019. In the 45th Parliament, David was sworn as the Assistant Minister for Defence. David is currently the Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, a member of the Senate Standing Committees on Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade – both Legislation and References, and a member of the Senate Standing Committee of Privileges.

        David’s experience in aviation has helped to facilitate change in Australia’s aviation policy and approach to aviation safety regulation. With tertiary qualifications in science and business administration, he is known for his evidence-based approach to policy development and oversight with a focus on outcomes that are in the national interest.

        David is a strong advocate for initiatives that would lead to a more effective and efficient national defence force, including the development of a sustainable defence industry capability. His extensive and widely respected policy understanding has led to a number of appointments, including Assistant Minister for Defence and Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade during the 45th and 46th Parliaments.

        As Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services in the 44th Parliament, he led an inquiry into the educational and professional standards of the financial advice industry. This body of work has been a catalyst for significant legislative and industry-led reforms in the finance sector.

        Having lived in Asia, the UK and across Australia, David is proud to call South Australia home. He is a keen sailor and is married to Lorna and together they have two adult daughters.

      Past events

      26 Sep 2024 Williams Foundation Conference: Enhancing and Accelerating the Integrated Force: An Operational Perspective
      29 Aug 2024 Williams Foundation Errol McCormack Lunch with VADM Justin Jones AO, CSC, RAN
      31 Jul 2024 Williams Foundation Errol McCormack Lunch with Ed Zoiss, President Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris Technologies
      23 May 2024 Williams Foundation Errol McCormack Lunch with GPCAPT Brett Williams
      10 May 2024 Williams Foundation Errol McCormack Lunch with Air Chief Marshal The Lord Peach KG GBE KCB DL
      11 Apr 2024 Conference: The Multi-domain Requirements of an Australian Maritime Strategy
      22 Feb 2024 Williams Foundation Errol McCormack Lunch with AIRMSHL Leon Phillips OAM
      30 Nov 2023 Errol McCormack Lunch with The Hon Kim Beazley AC
      25 Oct 2023 2023 Annual General Meeting
      27 Sep 2023 Conference: The Enterprise Requirements of an Australian Multi-Domain Strike Capability
      31 Aug 2023 Errol McCormack Lunch with Chris Deeble AO, CSC
      13 Jun 2023 Errol McCormack Lunch - Tom Hamilton, DEPSEC Defence Strategic Review Implementation
      30 Mar 2023 Conference: Sharpening the Edge of Australia’s National Deterrence Capability
      23 Feb 2023 Errol McCormack Lunch: MAJGEN Mick Ryan, AM (Ret'd)
      14 Feb 2023 Errol McCormack Lunch: Thomas Jones, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems
      28 Nov 2022 Errol McCormack Lunch: National Security at Faster than 5x the Speed of Sound - Steve Walker, Lockheed Martin
      09 Nov 2022 Williams Lunch: Timely Perspectives on Indo-Pacific Security, ADM Phil Davidson, USN (ret.)
      26 Oct 2022 2022 Annual General Meeting
      28 Sep 2022 Conference: Enhancing the Lethality and Survivability of the Integrated Force
      31 Aug 2022 Errol McCormack Lunch Series: Dr Miles Apperley, ANSTO
      01 Jun 2022 Errol McCormack Members Lunch: The Contribution of F-35A to Australian Air Combat Power
      24 Mar 2022 Conference: Accelerating the Transition to a Networked, Integrated Force
      02 Mar 2022 Errol McCormack Lunch Series: CDRE Andrew Quinn RAN
      01 Dec 2021 Conference: The Requirements of a Sovereign Defence Space Capability
      23 Nov 2021 Errol McCormack Lunch Series: The ADF’s Strategy - Where is the force going? Where are the gaps? What are the priorities? AVM Steven ‘Zed’ Roberton, DSC, AM
      18 Nov 2021 Errol McCormack Lunch Series: The ADF’s Strategy - Where is the force going? Where are the gaps? What are the priorities? AVM Steven ‘Zed’ Roberton, DSC, AM
      05 Oct 2021 Annual General Meeting
      19 May 2021 Errol McCormack Lunch Series: Lessons for Australia’s FADT policy from COVID with Senator the Hon. David Fawcett
      08 Apr 2021 Conference: Next Generation Autonomous Systems
      25 Feb 2021 Errol McCormack Lunch Series: The Australian Defence Force’s Current Operational Commitments - LTGEN Greg Bilton AO, CSC
      01 Dec 2020 Errol McCormack Members' Lunch with AIRCDRE Chris Westwood (Ret'd): Characterising the 5th Gen Air Battle Space
      28 Oct 2020 Annual General Meeting
      20 May 2020 Errol McCormack Lunch Series
      26 Feb 2020 Errol McCormack Lunch Series: Air Marshal Warren McDonald, AM, CSC
      12 Nov 2019 Williams Foundation Lunch: Advanced Attack Helicopters in the Amphibious Role with LtGen George J. Trautman
      24 Oct 2019 Seminar: The Requirements of Fifth Generation Manoeuvre
      22 Oct 2019 2019 Annual General Meeting
      07 Aug 2019 Williams Foundation Lunch: Coalition Warfighting and Pacific AOR Interoperability with LTG Michael Oates (Ret'd)
      16 Jul 2019 Williams Foundation Lunch: Royal Australian Navy: Future vision and Headmark 2022 with VADM Michael Noonan AO RAN, Chief of Navy
      07 May 2019 Williams Foundation Members Lunch: Modernising the ADF in a time of Accelerated Warfare - Major General Kathryn Toohey, AM, CSC
      11 Apr 2019 Seminar: Hi-Intensity Operations and Sustaining Self Reliance
      12 Feb 2019 Williams Foundation Lunch: 5th Generation Workforce with AIRCDRE Geoffrey Harland AM, CSC, DSM
      13 Nov 2018 Williams Foundation Lunch: Experiences of an Australian CAOC Director during Operation Okra with Air Vice-Marshal Stephen Meredith, AM, DSM
      30 Oct 2018 2018 Annual General Meeting
      23 Aug 2018 Seminar: The Imperative for an Independent Deterrent: A Joint Strike Seminar
      07 Aug 2018 Williams Foundation Lunch: Australian Defence Industry Small, Medium Enterprises; Plan Jericho Innovation and Opportunity
      08 May 2018 Williams Foundation Lunch with Air Commodore Joe ‘Vinny’ Iervasi, AM: Air Warfare Centre — Jericho in Action
      22 Mar 2018 Seminar: The Requirements of High Intensity Warfare
      13 Feb 2018 Williams Foundation Lunch: Air C2: Lessons from OKRA - Air Commodore Robert Chipman, CSC
      31 Oct 2017 2017 Annual General Meeting
      23 Aug 2017 Seminar: A New Approach, and Attitude, to Electronic Warfare In Australia
      02 Aug 2017 Williams Foundation Lunch: Joint Integration: A Practioner's Perspective - VADM David Johnston AM, RAN
      19 Jul 2017 Williams Foundation Lunch: Invictus Games Sydney 2018 Lunch with Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, AC Chief of the Defence Force
      20 Jun 2017 Williams Foundation Lunch: A Learning Curve for the Swiss Air Force
      11 Apr 2017 Williams Foundation Seminar: Air / Sea / Land: Integrated Force 2030
      15 Feb 2017 Williams Foundation Lunch: Air Vice-Marshal Mel Hupfeld AO, DSC
      25 Oct 2016 2016 Annual General Meeting
      04 Oct 2016 Williams Foundation Lunch: Connecting the ADF: Challenge or Opportunity? Three decades of insights and lessons learned
      13 Sep 2016 Williams Foundation Members Lunch: 'Jericho - an Update'
      23 Aug 2016 Williams Foundation Members Lunch: 'Where to with CASG' with Kim Gillis
      10 Aug 2016 Williams Foundation Seminar: New Thinking on Air-Sea
      17 Mar 2016 Williams Foundation Seminar: New Thinking on Air-Land
      23 Feb 2016 Williams Foundation Dinner with Lt Gen Christopher Bogdan, United States Air Force
      16 Feb 2016 Williams Foundation Members Luncheon: Air Vice-Marshal Warren McDonald, AM, CSC - RAAF Air Mobility
      08 Sep 2015 Williams Foundation Members Luncheon: RADM Tony Dalton Romeo Introduction into Service
      06 Aug 2015 RAAF Plan Jericho Half Day Public Seminar
      10 Jun 2015 Williams Foundation Dinner with Chief of Air Force
      03 Jun 2015 LVC Seminar
      17 Apr 2015 Symposium: Integrating Innovative Airpower
      15 Apr 2015 Williams Foundation Members Luncheon: AIRCDRE Steve "Zed" Roberton AM
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