Defence in Business

Find out more about Defence in Business from the DiB Victoria team. You can join us and help deliver meaningful events for veterans with interesting speakers, facilitated networking, and actionable takeaways. Meet the team at our meeting in Melbourne city on Friday 15 May at 4-6pm.

https://www.linkedin.com/events/7460189842841198593?viewAsMember=true

Please welcome the following volunteers to the DiB VIC team! Winnnie Waudo, Callum Chapman, and Julia Gibney, who are joining Blake Barrett and Peter Whitelaw. That brings the team to 5 and we have room for a few more volunteers as we build the DiB Victoria team.

Please reach out to us if you are willing to help to deliver meaningful events with interesting speakers, facilitated networking, and actionable takeaways. You can meet us in person at a team meeting in Melbourne city on Friday 15 May at 4-6pm.

Register for the 2026 Veteran Employer Webinar Series

The Veteran Employer Webinar Series The Veteran Employer Webinar Series educates employers to implement and improve veteran employment activities.

Check out the DiB YouTube community

Defence in Business Defence in Business (DiB) is a social enterprise aimed at enabling people and organisations to leverage Defence expertise for mutual reward through tailored networking, education and career opportunities. To this extent, DiB is positioned to liaise between Defence, Business and the individual active...

We are building the Defence in Business Victoria team. Please reach out to Blake Barrett or Peter Whitelaw, Melbourne RSL, if you are willing to help to deliver meaningful events with interesting speakers, facilitated networking, and actionable takeaways.

We held the latest DiB event in Melbourne last week with the "Career Transitions and Connections" theme attracting a large audience at the office of Hays.

The event brought together ADF serving members, veterans, employers, business owners, and supporters - to connect, exchange insights, and explore current and emerging business and career opportunities. We were very pleased to have several VIPs fly in from interstate for the occasion.

It was a stimulating evening with a lively conversations after an entertaining and interactive panel discussion with senior recruitment sector leaders including Kelly Hopkins, Peter Acheson, Olivia Agate and Austin Blackburne.

Many thanks to Hays for supporting the event and we appreciate the highlight photos from Michael Currie Photographer's team Alex and Jay .

Introducing our 3rd panel speaker for DiB Melb as Austin Blackburne.

Austin Blackburne is a senior workforce solutions leader with over 18 years of experience at Hays, currently serving as Director – Technical Workforce Solutions, ANZ. In this role, he oversees Defence, Engineering, Sustainability, Construction, Property, Supply Chain, and Trades & Labour operations across Australia and New Zealand, delivering integrated recruitment, contracting, MSP, RPO, and professional services solutions.

Throughout his career, Austin has held multiple senior leadership roles, including Senior Regional Director / National Trades Director and Regional Director for Victoria, where he led multidisciplinary teams across Construction & Property, Oil & Gas, Resources & Energy, Manufacturing & Logistics, Procurement, and Legal.

Widely recognised as a thought leader in workforce trends, Austin regularly shares insights into Australia’s construction and engineering labour markets. His commentary highlights hiring patterns, talent shortages, and emerging sector opportunities across the AEC landscape.

He also contributes to industry events, including Defence in Business panels.

Sharing a video on DiB Event Impressions, building a community helping people and organisations with tailored networking, education and career opportunities.

DiB Event Impressions Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

THIS IS A MUST ATTEND EVENT!

Come along to the 'Mess Hall Mayhem' Comedy Night at the Sit Down Comedy Club in Paddington this TOMORROW evening!

A collaboration event between Defence in Business, the Australian Industry & Defence Network (AIDN), Women in Defence Association, and Defence Industry Networking, and sponsored by RSL Queensland, this event will be an enjoyable evening of networking, laughing and rounding out the year that was 2025!

SECURE YOUR TICKETS HERE:

Mess Hall Mayhem Defence in Business presents MESS HALL MAYHEM Get ready for a night of laughter, camaraderie, and pure Aussie spirit at Mess Hall Mayhem — a high-energy comedy event that celebrates the humour, resilience, and mateship of Australia&r…

Join us for our upcoming event – Walking with Purpose: The Trojans Trek Story with Keynote Address from Daniel Keighran, VC.

Date: 28 Aug • 1730-2030

Location: 275 Grey Street 15, South Brisbane, QLD 4101

Walking with Purpose: The Trojans Trek Story Join us for an unforgettable evening as DiB presents 'Walking with Purpose' – a night of inspiration, resilience and leadership.

Join us tomorrow for The Battlefield Within: Turning Trauma into a Multinational Business, where Dave Payne and Jenny Webb, co-founders of The After Service Project, share their powerful journey from personal trauma to purpose-driven impact. Drawing on lived experience, military service, and deep expertise in breathwork, NLP, and trauma-informed coaching,

Dave and Jenny will explore how healing the nervous system can unlock transformation—not just for individuals, but for entire communities. This session dives into how their work is reshaping mental health support for veterans, first responders, and their families—while building a thriving social enterprise along the way.

The event will be held at Mofos Bar at the FlightCenter Building, so come ready to have a great time in a relaxed setting. Don't miss out on this opportunity to hear an incredible journey, and make new connections.

See you there!

The Battlefield Within: Turning Trauma into a Multinational Business Turning trauma into purpose: how healing led to a global movement supporting Veterans and first responders.