SPEAKERS

RADM Rachel Durbin grew up in the NSW Snowy Mountains and joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1993 through the Australian Defence Force Academy as a Marine Engineer. She spent her sea-time onboard HMA Ships Westralia, Anzac, Canberra and Perth deployed on operations in the Persian Gulf, conducting exercises in North and South East Asia, fisheries operations in the Southern Ocean and border protection off Northern Australia.

Following promotion to Captain in 2013, RADM Durbin enjoyed strategic roles within the Rizzo Reform Program, Major Surface Ships Sustainment (CASG) and Navy Capability Division. On promotion to CDRE in 2021, RADM Durbin served as Director General Engineering—Navy from 2021–2023. In March 2023 RADM Durbin was promoted to Rear Admiral and assumed the role of Head Navy Engineering. She has also served within the Navy Leadership and Culture Program and Navy Workforce Management responsible for engineering workforce requirements and remediation.

RADM Durbin was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in 2013. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical), Master in Engineering Management, Master in Arts in Strategy and Management, is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology. She is also a graduate of both the Australian Command and Staff Course and the Defence Strategic Studies Course.

She is married to Scott and mother to two active children. She enjoys camping and skiing with family and the relentless pursuit of children’s sports every weekend.

Mr Colin Dagg
Assistant Secretary for the Australian Naval Classification Authority

Mr Dagg's career in the Royal Australian Navy began in 1980 as an adult recruit. After completing training in Electronic Technical Systems, he went on to study underwater sensors in San Diego for twelve months. He later completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at RMIT in 1990 and returned to sea as an engineering officer.

During his time in the Navy, Mr. Dagg served on several ships, including HMAS PERTH (DDG), HMAS DERWENT, HMAS SYDNEY, and HMAS MELBOURNE. While serving on HMAS MELBOURNE, he was deployed to the Middle East and Timor.

Mr Dagg's shore-based positions focused on sustainment and project management. He led the Fremantle Class Patrol Boat Sustainment Management Office in Cairns and Darwin, and later served as Director of the Pacific Patrol Boat Project and System Program Office. He also served as Project Director's Representative for the FFG Upgrade Project in the FFG System Program Office.

In 2014, Mr. Dagg was appointed as Director, Naval Technical Seaworthiness Assurance, and was responsible for the design and implementation of the Defence Seaworthiness Management System. He was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for outstanding devotion to duty as Chief Staff Officer (Engineering) in Fleet Command.

In 2017, Mr Dagg was promoted to Commodore and appointed Director General Engineering – Navy. He made significant changes within the branch to support and deliver engineering services to Navy and CASG. After retiring from full-time service in the Navy in 2021, he was appointed Assistant Secretary for the Australian Naval Classification Authority in 2022.

Mr Dagg is married to Dr. Megan Spiers, and the couple share a love of outdoor adventures and sea kayaking.

Zenka Mathys is the Research Leader of Maritime Platform Performance in the Maritime Division of the Defence Science and Technology Group. Zenka leads the science and technology capabilities in Power and Energy Systems, Naval Architecture and Platform System Analysis, Materials Performance and Structural Integrity and Naval Platform Survivability.  Zenka is responsible for the developing these science and technology capabilities to support and contribute to future proofing and enhancing  the performance of materials, structures and systems to ensure the seaworthiness, operational availability, sustainability, safety and survivability of Naval Platforms for their operational envelope.

The predominant focus of Zenka’s research over the last 30 years has been in fire science, structural fire protection and safety/reliability of composite materials for the Naval Platforms and this research has are published in various international scientific journals, resulting in over 80 external publications and 9 book chapters.  Zenka has also been the recipient of a number of awards including Defence Gold commendation for the support of the HMAS Bundaberg Fire Investigation, UK Award for published work for the Institute of Material, Minerals and Mining, CRC Association Award for Excellence in Innovation and more recently a Public Service Medal and 2017 Minister’s Award for Achievement in Defence Science for her research.

In 2022, following a long career in industry, Tim joined the Australian Department of Defence as the Assistant Secretary, Stewardship Systems in the Nuclear Powered Submarine Taskforce, where he is currently leading the development of Stewardship Systems, including the development of the Regulatory Framework.

Tim was born in Derbyshire, UK and grew up in the Derby area with his parents and two sisters. In 1985 Tim joined Rolls-Royce and Associates as a Technician Engineering Apprentice to work on the UK Nuclear Submarine Program. After completing his apprenticeship, Tim joined the Reactor Control and Instrumentation Group, supporting the design, testing and commissioning of reactor safety systems.

Before leaving Rolls-Royce in 1998, Tim had various roles in the design and in-service support of the UK Naval Nuclear Propulsion Plant, including reactor plant non-destructive examination, reactor core refuelling, safety and reliability analysis, and future capability concept studies.

From 1998-2000, Tim spent some time as a Safety Engineer and Project Manager on a railway signalling systems project and also provided consulting advice to nuclear fuel handling safety systems in the UK civil nuclear power industry. The pull to return to submarines was strong and between 2000 and 2006 Tim was the lead consultant to BAE Systems Submarines on the safety case for the platform system integration with the nuclear plant.

In 2006, Tim moved to Australia and joined ASC where, over the next seven years, he led the development of a product safety organisation, including the first whole of submarine safety case for Collins. In that role, he also reformed the system safety program on the Air Warfare Destroyer Program.

Tim was then seconded into the Department of Defence SEA1000 Future Submarine Project Office as the Seaworthiness Manager, relocating to France in 2017 as part of the resident team.

Tim lives in Adelaide with his wife and two stepsons. He is a passionate supporter of Derby County Football Club and he loves to travel, particularly to the countries of the Mediterranean.

Brigadier Basset’s command appointments have included Army’s air dispatch capability, 176 Air Dispatch Squadron and the 3rd Combat Service Support Battalion as part of Army’s 3rd Combat Brigade. His operational experience includes deployments to East Timor (Operation Tanager) and numerous deployments across the broader Middle East Region (Operations Slipper, Catalyst, Okra and Highroad).

Brigadier Bassett has served in a number of key staff appointments including Army’s 3rd Combat Brigade, Headquarters Joint Operations Command, Joint Logistics Command and Army Headquarters.

Brigadier Bassett’s current appointment is Director General Platforms – Army, within Army Headquarters. This role has him leading a number of Army’s complex and diverse Capability Modernisation efforts, responsible for multiple, multi-billion dollar and multi-decade programs.

Platforms Branch includes the Land Combat Vehicle Program (LCVP), Land Mobility and Support Program (LM&SP), Dismounted Combat Program (DCP) and the Land Training Capability (DLTC). Collectively these programs will deliver many of the core components of Army’s Combined Arms Fighting System as well as the next generation of supporting health, logistics, littoral manoeuvre, and training capabilities for Army and parts of the Joint Force.

Brigadier Bassett is married to Dearne and together they have three children, Tim, Caitlin and Sarah. Dearne is an Assistant Principal at a large Canberra Catholic Secondary School and together they enjoy family holidays that has travel and the outdoors, as central themes in their leisurely pursuits