Chief of Air Force Symposium 2023 Panel 1 - Boosting Capability Development and Delivery

Group Captain Burgess-Orton joined the RAAF in 1992 and graduated 172 pilot's course where he was posted to No. 38 Squadron on the Cairbou. He completed Staff College in the UK and was appointed to Command No.38 Squadron from November 2013 to December 2016. In 2017 Michael was posted to Joint Capabilities Group, where he was the Deputy Director for the Joint Command and Control Suite of projects and concluded as Chief of Staff to the Chief of Joint Capabilities. In January 2021, Michael took up his current appointment as Director - Jericho Disruptive Movement. 

Chris Deeble is the Deputy Secretary of the Capability Acquisition Sustainment Group (CASG) in the Department of Defence. 



Chris has extensive experience spanning the Defence, industry and commercial sectors and working with Government. He also served 37 years in the Australian Defence Force, most notably as Air Vice-Marshal. His most recent appointment was Chief Executive at Northrop Grumman Australia. Prior to that he worked for Airservices Australia as the program executive for OneSKY, responsible for delivering the Civil Military Air Traffic Management System for Australia.

Air Vice-Marshal Wendy Blyth is the Head of Air Force Capability and has a background in delivering complex capital acquisitions sustaining major capability programmes. As Director General Air Capability Enablers, she was the Capability Sponsor for the Air Mobility fleet, pilot and mission aircrew training systems, Air Traffic Management, Airbases, Air Force Security, Cyber Warfare and Networks, the unique Woomera range capability, and Jericho - Air Force's innovation capability. 

Air Vice-Marshal Leon Phillips OAM is Head of Aerospace Systems Division in the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group. 



As an engineer and project manager, AVM Phillips has over 30 years of experience int he Royal Australian Air Force, predominantly delivering highly complex aerospace projects and managing their in-service support, holding a degree in Electronic Engineering, Master of Project Management and an Executive Master of Business. 

Major General Andrew Bottrell graduated from the Royal Military College in 1987 to the Royal Australian Corps of Transport and has commanded at all levels from troop to division with Army and across joint appointments. 



His operational service includes tours to the Antarctic (1989/90 and 90/91), East Timor (1996 and 2006), Iraq (2007) and Afghanistan (2013). He has served on exchange with the Us Army in 20023 - 2004 and also completed an overseas industry secondment throughout 2017-2018 with Lockheed Martin (UK) and Boeing Commercial Airplanes (US).