Mike Phelps

Brigadier Mike Phelps AM (Retired) is a retired senior procurement executive and industry development professional with substantial experience in developing and executing strategic procurement acquisition strategies, defence industry development strategies and supporting budgets and plans. His experience includes strategic planning, business and project governance and whole-of-life asset management planning across a wide range of products and services. Developing strategies, programs and plans to support the development of defence sector SMEs (small medium enterprises). Strong record of accomplishment as a reformer whose leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills meld strong teams to improve organisational performance.

Mike entered the Royal Military College Duntroon in 1977, graduating in 1980 into the Royal Australian Artillery. His early military career included a variety of artillery related appointments. In 1989 Mike attended military technology and management training at the Royal Military College of Science in the United Kingdom. Over the period 1990 to 1999 he had several appointments related to the acquisition of materiel including Project Director Project Bushranger (Protected Mobility Vehicle (PMV) – Bushmaster). This was followed by an exchange instructor posting at the Royal Military Collge of Science in 2000 and 2001.

Mike returned to Land Systems Division in early 2022 and was the director of three systems program offices where he was responsible for the procurement and whole-of-life support for a wide range of military systems. Mike was promoted to Brigadier in December 2006 and was Director General Land Manoeuvre Systems until June 2010 when he took up the appointment as the first Director General Integrated Soldier Systems. In this last appointment Mike led a significant reform of the way in which Defence developed and procured the components of the Soldier Combat System.

Mike was a contracts and procurement specialist at the Victorian Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority over the period October 2013 to March 2015.

Mike worked for the Victorian Government over the period June 2015 to April 2022 as the Senior Manager of the Victorian Government’s defence and aerospace industry support team which delivered and implemented strategy and plans to develop and grow Victoria’s defence and aerospace industry sector.

Mike retired from full time employment in April 2022.

Profile

LinkedIn profile

Member Defence Council Victoria

Experience

• Senior Army officer with experience in materiel acquisition and sustainment.
• Defence industry development experience with the Victorian Government

Qualifications

• Mike holds a Bachelor of Arts (Military Studies) and a Master of Management Studies (Project Management) both from the University of New South Wales. He also holds a Graduate Certificate of Strategic Procurement and a Graduate Diploma of Defence Studies both from Deakin University.
• Mike has completed the Australia Institute of Directors’ Company Directors Course.

Awards

• Member of the Order of Australia
• Member of the City of London Guilds Institute (Military Technology)