Speakers

Thank you to those who submitted presentation proposals. With your valuable contribution, we have now finalised the program, which includes an engaging and varied line-up of speakers on our 2022 theme of ‘Sharing the skies safely’.

The conference opens with the dinner speaker, Andre Stein, CEO of Eve Air Mobility, and Dr Peter Kearney, CE of the Irish Aviation Authority, whose day one presentation will be on innovation in air traffic management. Also on day one: ‘Leveraging safety standards in advanced air mobility’: a panel of speakers facilitated by Greenbird.

Andre Stein

CEO of Eve Air Mobility

Andre Stein

Safeskies is delighted to announce that 2022’s Sir Reginald Ansett Memorial Lecture will be given by Andre Stein, CEO of Eve Air Mobility. In keeping with the 2022 theme: ‘Sharing the skies safely’, Stein will talk about Embraer’s e-VTOLs and the future of urban air mobility.

André Stein, CEO of Eve Air Mobility, has 25 years of experience in aviation, and has led Embraer’s urban air mobility initiative since its inception. He was one of EmbraerX’s co-founders and has served in leadership roles at Embraer that span strategy, product development, new business, market intelligence and sales. He led Embraer’s commercial aviation product and market strategy throughout the development and market introduction of the E175+—the absolute leader in regional aviation, the award-winning E-Jets E2 family of commercial jets and sponsoring Embraer’s first R&D initiatives towards electric and autonomous aviation.

Previously, he led Embraer’s strategic marketing efforts in the Asia-Pacific, achieving Embraer’s first commercial and executive jets sales in the region, and later restructuring sales and marketing in Latin America, to win the region’s market leadership.

Stein hails from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University, Chicago, and gained his mechanical engineering qualifications from one of Latin America’s leading universities, the Brazilian State University of Campinas, more commonly known as Unicamp. He is an avid traveller who is passionate about mobility, and has accumulated considerable multicultural experience from living and working in Australia, Singapore, Silicon Valley and Brazil.

Dr Peter Kearney

Dr Peter Kearney became Chief Executive of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) in 2018, having held several managerial positions in the IAA’s air traffic management operational division after joining the IAA as an air traffic controller in 1998. 

Peter received his PhD in Future Air Traffic Management Systems from Cranfield University in 2020. His PhD research focused on the design and deployment of advanced air traffic management (ATM) systems to ensure their enhanced safety and efficiency by placing the air traffic controller at the heart of the design. Peter holds an MSc in Human Factors and Safety Assessment in Aeronautics (Cranfield University), a BSc. (Hons) Business Management (Trinity College Dublin), and is a Harvard Business School graduate.

As CEO of the IAA, Peter is overseeing the restructure of the organisation into two separate legal entities. The new IAA will solely be responsible for safety regulation, while the air navigation service provider (ASNP) is transferring to a newly incorporated semi-state company to be known as AirNav Ireland. Under the restructure Peter will transfer to CEO of AirNav Ireland.

Peter is a key advocate of the IAA’s successful Remote Towers Project (which won the Single European Sky Award in 2017). The trial involved the testing of remote tower services operated by one controller in Dublin for Cork and Shannon airports. 

Peter is involved in the IAA’s interest in Aireon, the world’s first satellite-based air traffic surveillance system. The Aireon ALERT project was awarded the CANSO Global Safety Achievement Award 2020 for its significant contribution to reducing aviation risk and has directly contributed to saving eleven lives to date.

Committed to strategic collaboration, Peter is currently chairman of the COOPANS Alliance, currently Europe’s most advanced ATM system, and the co-operative partnership of ATM systems of six European ASNPs: Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Ireland, Portugal and Sweden. 

With a keen interest in aviation, Peter is also a qualified helicopter pilot.

Dr Peter Kearney

Chief Executive of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA)

Advanced air mobility panel

Greenbird is facilitating a panel on advanced air mobility on day one of the conference, examining the importance of gaining and maintaining consumer confidence for the successful uptake of new technology.

The expert panel comprising Sara Hales, MD Greenbird; and Greenbird members, Tim Ryley of Griffith University; Jia Le Koh of Skyports Asia-Pacific; and Andrew Moore of AMSL Aero, will look especially at how safety standards can be leveraged to foster this confidence.

Sara Hales

Managing Director, Greenbird

Tim Ryley

Professor of Aviation, Griffith University

Jia Le Koh

Regulatory Affairs Lead, APAC, Skyports

Andrew Moore

CEO and Co-Founder, AMSL Aero

Regulation and technology panel

The panel comprises three speakers: Dr Reece Clothier, a principal analyst with Boeing, and president of the Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems (AAUS); Dr Rob Weaver, the regulation & public policy global lead for Eve Air Mobility; and Zachary Kennedy, the chief regulatory officer of Australian drone-powered logistics start-up, Swoop Aero.

They will address the challenges new technologies such as drones and advanced air mobility bring for regulators, creating pressure to create fit-for-purpose, flexible regulations meeting safety needs, while allowing such dynamic technologies room to evolve.

Dr Reece Clothier

Principal Analyst

Dr Rob Weaver

Regulation & public policy global lead

Zachary Kennedy

Chief Regulatory Officer

The Dr Rob Lee Memorial session

First held at the 2019 Safeskies, the Dr Rob Lee Memorial session honours the memory of a giant in safety systems, human factors and systemic/systematic safety investigation. Dr Rob Lee died in 2018, too early, after a stellar career advancing aviation safety management systems and the role of human factors in aviation. The 2022 session focuses on one of Dr Lee’s enduring passions, safety systems, and it is fitting that the session is moderated by his partner, Sue Burdekin, a visiting senior academic fellow at the University of New South Wales’ Canberra campus.

Two panel speakers will focus on safety culture, and the third on how safety 1 and safety 11 concepts can be integrated into a safety management system. 

Sue Burdekin

Panel moderator

Tim Hudson

Risk management specialist

Dr Kevin McMurtrie

UNSW researcher

Dr Louise Raggett

Human factors specialist

Dr Rob Lee AO

1943–2018

Dr Rob Lee died in 2018, too early, after a stellar career advancing aviation safety management systems and the role of human factors in aviation. He was inducted into the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame that same year. He was also a longstanding and valued member of the Safeskies Australia board.

Adapted from Dr Lee’s Hall of Fame biography:

In 1974 he completed his PhD in psychology at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. His research looked at human performance in complex man-machine systems, with particular reference to aviation. In 1976, Dr Lee was appointed staff officer, Psychological Services at RAAF Headquarters Operational Command, where he became the first RAAF psychologist to serve as a human factors specialist on RAAF accident investigations involving F-111s, Mirages and Iroquois.

In 1983, Dr Lee joined the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation(BASI), the forerunner to today’s Australian Transport Safety Bureau. As the Bureau’s first human factors specialist, he established and developed the human factors, systems safety, data analysis and research capability within BASI. He became the director of BASI in 1989, a position he held until 1999.

Under Dr Lee, BASI became a leading international agency in pioneering the innovative application of advanced human factors and systems safety concepts to air safety investigation and proactive accident prevention, working in partnership with the domestic and international aviation industry, as well as the military. Lee met James Reason in 1989 at a conference in the UK, and in 1991, Reason presented at the International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) 22nd Annual Seminar in Canberra, Australia.

In 1994, ICAO adopted the Reason Model as a standard for systemic safety investigation, an approach for which Lee was a leading advocate. In July 1994, BASI published the Monarch report, the first systemic aircraft accident investigation, into the fatal June 1993 crash of a Piper Chieftain at Young, NSW.

Fast forward to 2002, the year that Dr Rob Lee and Professor Patrick Hudson develop and conduct the first integrated safety management systems (ISMS) training course at Singapore Aviation Academy. By November 2017 they had conducted 30 ISMS courses (for more than 1,000 pax).

He received many accolades for his work on safety management systems, human factors and accident investigation, including the Order of Australia in 2012, and the Royal Aeronautical Society’s specialist gold medal in 2015.

Themes for 2022

Safety of space travel / exploration

Human factors and human performance

Safety management

Airspace / Space

Training

New technologies

Submit a presentation proposal

Presentation submissions must include the following information:

  • Presentation title
  • Presentation theme: please select from one of the key topic areas listed
  • Author/s names and biography/ies
  • An abstract of no more than 250 words, outlining the approach to the topic, and showing clearly how the presentation relates to aviation/aerospace safety

Submissions close on Friday 22 April, 2022.

Note: presenters must accept sole responsibility for the statements made in their abstract

Presentation proposal review and selection

The Safeskies 2022 conference committee will review all abstracts submitted. Decisions made by the committee are final.

Each abstract must specify a presenter, who will be notified of the committee’s decision when the abstract acceptances are distributed.

The presenter of each accepted abstract must register for the entire conference meeting and must be available to present on the day allocated.

Abstracts submitted for presentation to Safeskies 2022 are expected to be original and unique submissions, and not previously presented at other aviation safety conferences or meetings.

Accepted abstracts will be published on the Safeskies 2022 website/conference app/ handbook.

Presentations may comprise part of a themed grouping and involve a panel discussion, or may be stand-alone (stand-alone presentations will run for a maximum of 30 minutes, with 10 minutes for questions.

Sara Hales is a leading Australian strategist and is managing director of AVISTRA and Greenbird – Australia’s advanced air mobility industry collaboration platform.

Sara is working to deliver value for communities and economies through aviation, airports, infrastructure, air freight and advanced air mobility. With unique experience in the operationalisation of new aviation businesses and a pragmatic approach to business development, Sara is in a unique position to play a role in creating a world where air mobility is for everyone and doesn’t cost the Earth.

Tim Ryley joined Griffith University in 2015 as the inaugural Professor of Aviation. Prof. Ryley has over twenty-five years of academic experience across universities in the UK and Australia.

His research has typically been industry-linked, inter-disciplinary and problem-based, having led or co-led over 15 research projects totalling over $5 million. Collaborations have been with a wide range of aviation industry and Government partners, including major airports and airlines. Prof. Ryley’s research has increasingly focused on the environmental aspects of aviation, and he is an internationally leading expert in decarbonising the aviation industry. 

Jia Le Koh is the Regulatory Affairs Lead, APAC, for global advanced air mobility (AAM) infrastructure developer and drone services operator, Skyports. 

He plays a critical role across both Skyports’ business segments, leading conversations that inform and guide regulatory bodies, standards-setting organisations, and private sector companies to develop and mature the evolving AAM regulatory environment. He also oversees the safety and compliance of Skyports’ Asia Pacific operations.

Prior to joining Skyports, Jia Le was the Deputy Head of Hub Strategy and Connectivity with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and also held appointments in aviation safety.

Andrew Moore is a qualified aeronautical engineer and pilot and has worked in aerospace leadership roles for over 20 years. Andrew has held a range of senior engineering and business development leadership roles, in the defence and commercial aviation sectors.

After a successful career, Andrew embarked on a PhD in 2017, researching the distributed electric propulsion for aircraft. Andrew co-founded AMSL Aero with Siobhan Lyndon in 2017, with the mission to decarbonise air transport.

Dr Reece Clothier is a principal analyst within Global Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Boeing Product & Services Safety, responsible for Boeing’s international regulatory strategy. 

In addition to his role with Boeing, Reece is the elected President of the Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems (AAUS) and an honorary associate professor at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. Reece was a founding board member of AAUS, and over the last decade has played an instrumental part in helping the Association develop into Australia’s peak national industry body for the emerging autonomous aviation sector. Since 2005 he has established, led and continues to actively support numerous national forums on the regulation of the drone/AAM sector. Reece serves on the General Aviation Advisory Network, is a member of the CASA Aviation Safety Advisory Panel, the Federal Government’s National Emerging Aviation Technologies Consultative Committee, and the Australian Strategic Air Traffic Management Group (ASTRA) Council. In 2022, Reece co-led the development of Australia’s remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and advanced air mobility (AAM) strategic regulatory roadmap.

With over 100 peer-reviewed academic publications, Reece is recognised as a leading researcher and thought leader in the fields of aviation safety management and regulation of the emerging autonomous aviation sector. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering (aerospace avionics) and PhD in the safety and certification of drones from Queensland University of Technology.

Dr Rob Weaver is the regulation & public policy global lead for Eve Air Mobility, the Embraer backed start-up dedicated to accelerating the global urban air mobility (UAM) ecosystem.

Previously he was Executive General Manager Safety, Environment & Assurance at Airservices Australia, where he was a member of the Executive for six years. He has also worked for the UK’s air navigation service provider and holds a PhD in safety critical systems from the University of York.

Zachary Kennedy is the Chief Regulatory Officer of Australian drone-powered logistics start-up, Swoop Aero. With extensive experience in regulatory and safety management, Zac has held safety and operations management roles with the Qantas Group, as well as the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. In addition to these roles, Zachary sits on the Australian National Emerging Aviation Technology Consultative Committee’s (NEAT CC), is a Fellow with the Commonwealth Drone Partnership, and serves as an Industry Fellow at Melbourne’s Monash University.

Zachary’s experience lends a deep understanding of regulatory engagement, certification, and safety management and its applicability to RPAS. In his current role, Zac leads Swoop Aero’s engagement aviation regulatory standards, ensuring the successful implementation of Swoop Aero’s aircraft globally, and paving the way for Swoop Aero to deliver on its goal of making integrated drone logistics accessible to one billion people in 2030.

Panel moderator, Sue Burdekin was formerly a senior lecturer and the Aviation Program Coordinator at UNSW Canberra, Australian Defence Force Academy.

Sue is an organisational psychologist with a commercial pilot’s licence and experience in aviation business management. She is a former Safeskies board member and has recently been appointed as a life member of Safeskies Australia.

Sue is a foundation member of the Australian Defence Force Crew Resource Management Working Group; a former co-editor of the Australasian Aeronautics Journal; and a member of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators, and the Australian Aviation Psychology Association. Sue was recently elected an honorary member of the European Association for Aviation Psychology. Her research interests include human behaviour and performance in the workplace, and she has worked with the Australian Defence Force, NASA Ames, Airbus, Eurocontrol, EasyJet and Maldivian Airlines in this capacity.

Tim Hudson is a global thought leader in risk management and risk culture. Tim is currently engaged in developments in risk space and cultural theory understanding. He also consults to a range of industries including aviation, oil and gas, mining and healthcare, where he has helped create true change within organisations as a founding partner of Hudson Global Consulting.

His background in theoretical physics and business management give him a unique perspective on the challenges of modern operations. In addition to teaching on the integrated safety management systems course at the Singapore Aviation Academy, he was also the author of the first approved aviation SMS in the Netherlands.

Dr Kevin McMurtrie completed his PhD in 2021 with the School of Aviation at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney.

Kevin is a postdoctoral researcher at UNSW, working on projects involving the examination of flight crew reporting behaviour, trust, confidence, and ethnocentric influences on just culture. Kevin also holds a Master of Aviation Management degree from the University of Newcastle and is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

He has had a 27-year career in commercial aviation, primarily in-flight training as a head of operations and flight examiner. He is currently a senior flying operations inspector at the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Dr Louise Raggett is a human factors specialist and applied psychologist with a lifelong interest in human performance.

Louise started her career as a human factors specialist for the UK Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) and came to Australia following the Waterfall rail accident (2003) to support the management of human risk in the Australian rail industry.

Louise later moved into aviation and went on to become the Human Factors Manager, and later, the Manager of Human Risk in the office of the CEO, for the Qantas Group. While at Qantas, she implemented just culture programs, a ground LOSA program (GOSA), and developed new ways of investing human performance in accident investigation.

Louise completed her PhD in Aviation Human Factors at the University of New South Wales (USW) and went on to teach human factors to UNSW civil engineering and aviation undergraduates. Louise is currently the senior manager of human factors programs for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. She lives in Sydney with her husband and 2 children.