Andy Davis
Andy Davis is a defence industry advisor with more than 35 years of senior leadership experience across defence, engineering and complex services, including more than a decade operating within the prime contractor environment during a period of increasing focus on Australia’s sovereign industrial capability.
He has held senior executive roles at Babcock Australasia, including Managing Director, Defence and Executive Director, AUKUS and Strategic Growth, where he led engagement across the Defence enterprise, strategic naval sustainment programs, Defence asset lifecycle management, and the Australian and New Zealand defence portfolio.
Andy is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has held incorporated, advisory and client governance board roles. Today, he works with Australian defence companies to navigate the Defence and prime contractor landscape, build structured industry relationships, and convert genuine sovereign capability into contracted, scalable supply chain participation.
Examples of work
Defence-Aligned Strategic Growth Planning
Issue
A domestic business was struggling to translate local Defence opportunities into an actionable growth strategy and a prioritised program of activity. The issue was consuming time and resources that would have been better directed toward market positioning, preparation and targeted pursuit planning.
Process
-
Conducted a detailed analysis of the strategic landscape across Defence sectors, competitor activity and capability requirements.
-
Facilitated business workshops to test growth assumptions, capability statements and strategic alignment.
-
Refined the organisation’s focus into a smaller number of clearly defined strategic campaigns.
-
Used those campaigns to shape a pipeline of genuinely addressable opportunities.
-
Prioritised the opportunity pipeline so limited resources were directed toward the most strategically important pursuits.
-
Worked with internal stakeholders to build alignment and support for the required investment of time and resources.
Outcome
The engagement produced a prioritised opportunity pipeline, supported by clear pursuit strategies and partner or teaming recommendations designed to improve the likelihood of success. A refined capability narrative was developed to align with customer needs and sovereign industry policy. The work also resulted in a board-ready strategic growth plan with a five-year horizon, supporting the conversion of opportunity into orders.
Supply Chain Enablement
Issue
A prime organisation lacked a structured pathway for SME companies to enter a complex program, allowing a poorly performing incumbent to remain in place. Capability gaps and compliance barriers were limiting local industry participation and reinforcing acceptance of underperformance.
Process
-
Reviewed how local domestic suppliers were being assessed against program requirements.
-
Developed a multi-criteria assessment tool to clearly articulate critical requirements and measure them consistently.
-
Used the assessment framework to open constructive dialogue with a broader range of local suppliers.
-
Worked with suppliers willing to invest effort to meet or exceed minimum standards.
-
Built a stronger supplier ecosystem, creating credible alternatives to the incumbent provider.
-
Enabled a market approach that delivered a more competitive and customer-focused solution.
Outcome
Through a structured, disciplined and collaborative approach to supply chain engagement, the organisation was able to secure a significantly improved solution and achieve the required program outcomes. Clearer expectations and a stronger focus on customer outcomes also enabled performance to be measured more effectively against agreed requirements.
Joint Venture Governance and Operational Effectiveness
Issue
An incorporated joint venture was experiencing governance tension and strategic misalignment between its equity partners, which was affecting operational performance. Critical investment decisions had stalled, limiting growth opportunities and constraining operational efficiency.
Process
-
Worked collaboratively and transparently across both equity partners to explore areas of strategic alignment.
-
Identified mutually acceptable outcomes that could support improved governance and operational performance.
-
Reviewed the operating model to identify constraints, inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement.
-
Developed transformation plans to enable the agreed outcomes and support more effective decision-making.
-
Facilitated structured dialogue between stakeholders to reduce tension and maintain progress.
-
Provided transparent governance that respected partner differences while keeping the joint venture focused on shared objectives.
Outcome
With joint venture tensions reduced and stronger alignment around agreed outcomes, the organisation was able to improve operational effectiveness and pursue growth with greater confidence. The joint venture strengthened its position and went on to win a greater share of available work.
