Maureen Dougherty (Sydney Branch)

FRAeS

Maureen Dougherty is President, Boeing Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific. As Boeing’s senior executive in the region, she has oversight over all Boeing business and leads government affairs. During her thirty year career, Dougherty has led several military aircraft development programs. Dougherty is Chairman, American Chamber of Commerce in Australia, member of the Australian Advanced Manufacturing Council Leadership Group, the Business Council of Australia, and on the Board and Chairman’s Panel of The Great Barrier Reef Foundation. She is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. She earned her master’s degree in engineering from the University of Washington, and her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

Andrew Neely (Canberra Branch)

FRAeS

Associate Professor Andrew Neely, the Deputy Head of School (Research) in the School of Engineering and Information Technology at UNSW Canberra, will take up the role of President of the RAeS Australian Division in March 2017. A/Prof Neely leads research investigating the fuid-thermal-structural behaviour of high-speed vehicles and propulsion systems. He collaborates on the DSTO/USAF HIFiRE and ESA’s HEXAFLY-INT hypersonic ight-test programs having previously worked on the HyCAUSE and SCRAMSPACE projects. He also collaborates on investigations of the biomechanical behaviour of nerve tissue.Andrew Neely is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronau tics and Astronautics. >He is also the driver of Cool Aeronautics, a program which is designed to stimulate interest in aeronautics in schools.

Abhijeet Kumar (Sydney Branch)

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Abhijeet Kumar is based in Sydney, where he is a postgraduate research student in aerospace engineering. His past aerospace workhas included systems engineering for a NASA lunar rover design competition, developing experimental and numerical diagnostics for thermoacoustic combustion instabilities in liquid fuelled rocket engines, and detailed design and aerodynamic analysis of components for a hypersonic spaceplane.

Abhijeet also co-founded a youth-run space organisation, the Australian Youth Aerospace Association, that has now evolved to become Australia’s largest such body, and offers a critical intersection between academia, government and industry in advocating for Australia’s space future.

Abhijeet has previously lived and worked in Munich, Germany.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering (Hons) in 2015 and is currently completing further postgraduate research at the University of Sydney studying high speed flow interactions in a hypersonic intake.

David Pilkington (Melbourne Branch)

FRAeS

David has a B.E. (Aero) from RMIT and M.Sc. from Cranfield. His early career was in aircraft aerodynamic design, flight and wind tunnel testing, flight performance, handling qualities and flight loads. On one project, he worked with NASA’s Spin Research Center where he gained valuable knowledge to support his flying interests. In the mid-nineties he was Vice President, Engineering and Test Pilot at Aviat Aircraft, Inc (USA) where he was an FAA Designated Engineering Representative. He returned to Australia as Chief Engineer – Air Vehicles at ASTA Components (Boeing Australia) then Engineering Manager/Chief Engineer at BAE Systems in Melbourne. David was a senior manager at GKN Aerospace Engineering Services from 2001 until 2008. Throughout most of his engineering career he held company and private Reg 35 design authority.

Since 2008 he has undertaken part-time consulting engineering activities for aircraft design and manufacturing companies in Australia and the USA.

From 2000 to 2003, David was Chairman of the Technical Safety Committee for the International Aerobatic Club.

David learnt to fly in 1966 and started flying aerobatics a few years later. Twice Australian Advanced Aerobatic Champion and leader of a formation aerobatic team of Pitts Specials, he gained approval to coach advanced aerobatics, formation aerobatics and test for low level aerobatic approvals. In the mid-nineties he obtained his CPL and Flight Instructor Rating and specialises in teaching spinning and aerobatics including low level aerobatics. He has also trained many other aerobatic instructors. 

David is currently Chairman of the Melbourne Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a role which he also held in the early nineties.

Jonathan Aleck (Canberra Branch)

FRAeS

Jonathan Aleck is head of Legal Affairs, Regulatory Policy and International Strategy at the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, a new position to which he was appointed in May 2016. Dr Aleck joined what was then the Civil Aviation Authority in 1993 as a Legal Officer, assuming the role of CASA’s Senior Legal Counsel in 1995 and Chief Legal Officer in 1996. During his tenure at CASA, he has held a number of senior executive management positions in the legal, operational and policy fields. From September 1998 to August 2003, Dr Aleck served as Australia’s representative on the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Over the past 20 years, Dr Aleck has written and spoken publicly on various aspects of regulatory theory and practice in the aviation-related environment. Much of his professional and analytical work focuses on managing the critical balance between the complementary safety-related objectives of aviation regulatory authorities and accident investigation agencies, and the development of rational parameters for the reporting, use and protection of safety-related information. He chaired ICAO’s Safety Information Protection Task Force and currently chairs of the ICAO Safety Information Protection Implementation Group, and as vice chair of the Flight Safety Foundation’s Legal Advisory Committee. He has served as a delegate representing Australia at a number of international aviation meetings and conferences over the years, including, most recently, the 39th ICAO Assembly (September-October 2016).

Before and since arriving in Australia in 1988, Dr Aleck has combined a professional and academic career as a lawyer, a legal policy consultant and a university lecturer. He has taught law and politics at the Australian National University (in both the Faculty of Law and the Public Policy Program), the University of Canberra, the University of Hawaii and the University of Oregon in the United States, and the University of Papua New Guinea. He continues to lecture occasionally at the Australian National University and the Australian Defence Force Academy. While serving on the ICAO Council Dr Aleck was a visiting lecturer in the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University in Montréal.

Dr Aleck completed his second term as president of the Australian Institute of Administrative Law in November 2014, and continues to serve as a member of the Institute’s National Executive. Dr Aleck earned his law degree at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and a Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of Oregon, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in law from the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University.

Margaret Staib (Canberra Branch)

FRAeS

Margaret Staib, AM, CSC is a former CEO of Airservices Australia and a former senior officer in the RAAF. She joined the RAAF in 1981 and in the mid 1990s served as the Personal Staff Officer to the Air Officer Commanding Logistics Command and then the newly formed joint service Commander Support Command. Staib was posted to the Pentagon between 1

998 and 2000 on exchange with the USAF working on strategic procurement initiatives. This service was recognised with the United States Meritorious Service Medal. She was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in 2000 for outstanding achievement in the field of Inventory Management. Between 2002 and 2005 Staib was the Director of Planning and Logistics – Air Force; and in 2009 she spent a year as the Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy. In 2009 she was promoted to air vice marshal and appointed Commander Joint Logistics Command. Staib was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2009 for exceptional service to the RAAF. In September 2012 Staib was appointed as the CEO of Airservices Australia, a position she held until July 2015.

John Borghetti (Sydney Branch)

FRAeS                                                                                                                                                       

John Borghetti commenced as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Virgin Australia
Group in May 2010. Under his leadership, the Group has undergone a strategic repositioning. John has had over 40 years’ experience in aviation, including a long career at Qantas. John is a Director of Coca Cola Amatil and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. He has previously served as a Director of Energy Australia, the NSW Customer Advisory Board, Jetset Travelworld, Sydney FC, Piper Aircraft (USA), The Australian Ballet and CARE Australia.

Greg Hood (Canberra Branch)

FRAeS                                                                                                                                                       

Greg Hood is the Chief Commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau—Australia’s national transport safety investigation agency. Greg has more than 35 years’ experience in the transport industry, beginning his career as an air traffic controller in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Greg has since had a wide range of operational, training and management roles across the civil aviation industry. Most recently, Greg served in senior roles with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and was Executive General Manager of the Air Traffic Control Group in Airservices Australia, before joining the ATSB. As well as being a glider and powered aircraft pilot, Greg is involved with a number of aviation bodies. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Freeman in the Honourable Company of Air Pilots, and a Life Member of the Qantas Founders Museum. Before joining the ATSB, Greg was a Board Member of Safeskies Australia and Vice-Chair of the steering committee for the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation’s (CANSO’s) Operations Standing Committee.