Specialising in data connectivity including private data networks, field based communications and be-spoke connectivity solutions.

Simon is the co-founder and Managing Director of Challenge Networks, a telecommunications system integrator specialising in the design, build and management of small-scale carrier networks around the world. He has over 27 years of international experience in the telecommunications industry. Initially starting his career in AMPS mobile network R&D, he later moved into national and finally global roles in mobile network design, deployment and support. Originally growing up on a farm, he has had the privilege of living in more than six countries and working in more than 40, but is now happy to call Australia home. Simon has a degree in Computer Engineering from RMIT and an MBA from Melbourne Business School.

Scott Leyonhjelm is a consultant with Nova Systems and has over 25 years’ experience in both academia and the telecommunications industry. Scott has been involved in the design of a broad range of wireless technologies, including Next Generation (3G and 4G) cellular radio and WLAN technologies and providing strategic, due diligence and procurement advice. Between 1990 and 2008, Scott worked in R&D for both University and Industry prototyping technology concepts that in the next phase would be developed into products. Since 2008, he has consulted to the Government, mining, utilities and Emergency Services sectors regarding their digital data and voice radio systems.

Kevin Graham is a qualified Electronics Engineer with over 35 years’ experience in project and systems engineering, sales/marketing, and general and executive management for private and public multinational companies. For the past 15 years, he has run his own executive management and engineering consulting company Global Digital Solutions. The majority of his working career has been spent in the telecommunications sector and more recently in the mining/processing sectors. His work has exposed him to a broad spectrum of markets and geographies within enterprise, industrial, mining, government, public safety, defence, rail and other transport and utility customer bases. Kevin established and chaired two regional industry associations for TETRA & Critical Communication in Australasia (2001) and North America (2012), was past president and board member of the Australian Radio Site Owners and Users Associations (now ARCIA) and remains a director on the Australasian TETRA and Critical Communications Forum. He also holds executive positions and is on the boards of four resource and industrial mineral processing sector organisations and other companies in Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.

A founding director of the Orion Network, Hamish Duff is passionate about transforming businesses through the application of digital mobile radio technology. With a career in communications spanning more than 30 years, Hamish is skilled in making the complex simple — engineering communication solutions to support the needs of all users, from the control room to the field. Hamish is the Managing Director of Mastercom, a Sydney-based communications provider with a solid reputation for delivering on what it promises. A specialist in wide-area radio networks, Hamish has a genuine understanding of the pressures faced out in the field and the role that efficient communications plays to help people every day. A member of the Australian Radio Communications Industry Association (ARCIA), Hamish is highly regarded for his technical competency and in 2009 was awarded an ARCIA technical excellence award.

Dr Ian Oppermann is the NSW Government’s Chief Data Scientist working within the Department of Customer Service, and Industry Professor at University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Ian has 27 years’ experience in the ICT sector and has led organisations with more than 300 people, delivering products and outcomes that have impacted hundreds of millions of people globally. He has held senior management roles in Europe and Australia as Director for Radio Access Performance at Nokia, Global Head of Sales Partnering (network software) at Nokia Siemens Networks, and then Divisional Chief and Flagship Director at CSIRO.