Karen Loughran Will Promote Australian Firms To U.S.
Companies
The State Government of Victoria, Australia announced Monday
that it hopes to expand its presence and expertise in the North
American Defense & Aerospace industry with the strategic
appointment of Karen Loughran as Manager, Defense & Aerospace
for North America. Based in Arlington, VA, Loughran will be
responsible for promoting Victoria's defense and aerospace
leadership among North American-based companies.
The new Australian presence in Washington, D.C. is set against
the backdrop of the upcoming U.S.-Australian global security talks
scheduled to take place in Melbourne, Victoria next week. Late last
week the U.S. State Department announced that the U.S. Secretary of
State, Hillary Clinton and Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, will
visit Victoria on November 6 for the 25th anniversary of the annual
Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) to
discuss regional and global security issues. They will be meeting
with Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, and Australian Defense
Minister Stephen Smith.
With more than 300 companies that supply products and services
to the defense industry, Victoria boasts proven capabilities in
military vehicle design and manufacturing, aerospace design and
component manufacturing, autonomous systems design, munitions
production and protective personal equipment design and
manufacture.
Loughran, a native of Australia, brings more than 20 years of
experience in business development for U.S. government and
commercial organizations, including several aerospace companies, to
her position with the State of Victoria. In her current role,
Loughran will provide links for North American defense and
aerospace companies looking to identify investment opportunities in
Victoria. She will also provide guidance and information on the
business development approvals process, statutory coordination,
business site location services, business infrastructure and
utility requirements and the Victorian investment climate, among
other insights.
"Ideally situated to service the broader Asia-Pacific markets,
Victoria is quickly becoming the defense hub of Australia, already
home to the Australian operations of major industry suppliers such
as BAE Systems, Boeing and Lockheed Martin," said Victor Perton,
Commissioner to the Americas for the State Government of Victoria.
"Karen will be instrumental in promoting Victoria's proven defense
capabilities, supply chains, skilled workforce and supportive
government among U.S. defense companies. We look forward to Karen's
leadership in Washington, D.C."
Victoria is also playing a leading role in the global Joint
Strike Fighter (JSF) Program, with 12 Victorian companies already
supplying a variety of components to the $300 billion program. To
date, the Australian industry overall has won more than $200
million in contracts for the JSF Program, with more than half of
these going to Victorian companies, which are expecting to see an
additional $10 billion in opportunities as a result of the
program.
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